Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – on April 20, the United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), held a live webinar to celebrate advancements to basic education made through five years of the Tusome Pamoja (“Let’s Read Together”) activity and two years of the Hesabu na Elimu Jumuishi (“Inclusive Arithmetic and Education”) activity.
The virtual event, “Celebrating Five Years of Early Grade Reading, Math and Inclusive Education,” highlighted the successes and sustainability of the activities in early grade reading, math, and inclusive education for the pre-primary and primary education sector.
“Education serves as a driver for all other development and for the reduction of extreme poverty. The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, will continue to collaborate with the Government of Tanzania to ensure this support is a reality for all Tanzanian children and youth,” said USAID Mission Director Andrew Karas, who opened the virtual event.
The Tusome Pamoja activity improves the quality of early grade basic skills instruction, improves teaching methods and skills, and engages parents and communities toward helping improve education outcomes. Its partner activity, Hesabu na Elimu Jumuishi, introduces math instruction and training for teachers to better respond to the needs of children with disabilities. Both activities collaborate with the Ministry of Education on the Mainland and Zanzibar, Tanzania Institute of Education, Zanzibar Institute of Education and PORALG and PORALG-Special Department.
As Tanzania’s largest bilateral donor, the U.S. government provides substantial assistance to Tanzania and sponsors a wide range of programs across many sectors. In just the past five years, USAID has invested $82 million in basic education in Tanzania. To date, the Tusome Pamoja activity has reached over 2.4 million children across 3,060 schools with reading, writing and arithmetic interventions. Furthermore, over 20,000 teachers have been trained in phonics-based teaching methods for literacy and numeracy.
Speaking at a virtual press briefing that took place after the webinar, USAID Mission Director Andy Karas remarked, “We believe that if children are healthy, well-nourished, educated, and supported by their caregivers and communities, then they will have the necessary skills to become productive young adults, well-positioned to pursue and achieve their aspirations.”
For more information about this press release, please contact the U.S. Embassy Dar es Salaam Press Office at DPO@state.gov.
USAID / Tanzania