How YOUR safari can support the right of equal education
Education for Everyone is a Fundamental Basic Human Right and Should be Practiced Everywhere in the World.
Theoretically, free and accessible education for everybody actually is a human right in Tanzania as well. Unfortunately, in practice, this is not always the case. Especially with pre-primary education it is not the norm that children attend these institutes. But why is is this happening?
What are Pre-Schools?
Pre-school is not exactly like kindergarten, but more of an important tool for children to have a better transition to primary school. The curriculum consists of the introduction to numeracy and literacy, as well as the basics of shapes, colours, animals, plants and more.
Early childhood education is said to be a significant contributor in helping the country to achieve a high level of economic growth in the future and increase the overall educational standard of education.
Lack of Access for Children
Despite being a right to all, there is an overall low awareness of the benefits of early education, especially in more rural areas.
Additionally, since pre-school is not mandatory for Tanzanian children, and, especially on the countryside, there is no access for children to visit a pre-school. This is due to the financial inabilities of the families and the low density of pre-schools. It is estimated that only about 40% of pre-primary aged children have access to this kind of education*.
If they do have access to a pre-school, the way of teaching not always provides a safe and pleasant learning environment.
Corporal punishment as a tool for education
Corporal punishment has always been a part of Tanzanian education. In 2018, this tool has reached a climax: a 13 year old Tanzanian boy was beaten to death by a teacher who accused him of stealing another teacher's handbag.**
Even though this incident has triggered an uproar in society, it did not cause a prohibition of corporal punishment in Tanzanian schools but only a restriction of three strokes a day. This violent practice does not contribute to a secure and welcoming start to the school environment for the young children.
Marginalization of the Maasai
The indigenous people of Tanzania, the Maasai, are often seen as a type of tourist attraction. They have been marginalized by society, which reduces the access to education for Maasai children.
Nowadays, while there is no sufficient governmental support on the spreading of early childhood education, there are NGOs working to provide a better access for them.
Hisia Nzuri pre-primary school
The NGO "Viva Tanzania" is currently building a pre-primary school for Maasai children near Arusha. The school will be called "Hisia Nzuri", which means "good feeling". That is what the school is supposed to be all about: a safe and pleasant environment for Maasai children to learn and grow.
But, like everything, also this project has to be funded.
This is where you can help!
Since Viva Tanzania and Daketi Safari are connected, and operated by the same people, by booking a safari, a daytrip or a trekking tour with Daketi Safari, you are automatically contributing to the completion and maintenance of this project and many more implemented by Viva Tanzania***. Since Social Sustainability is one of the core values of Daketi Safari, this project is very close to our hearts. When going on safari with us, it will also be possible for you to visit the site and witness the progress of the building process first-hand.
Another way of contributing to the building and maintenance of this pre-school is by following the link to the gofundme of the project, which is listed below.
Every donation is highly appreciated.
More information about Viva Tanzania: https://viva-tanzania.com/
More information about Daketi Safari: https://www.daketi-safari.com/
More information about the gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/building-a-preschool-for-maasai-children?qid=1b5d1f150d908a3e5f45ff13820ee77e
__________________________________________________________________________________
Sources: