On June 4, 2024, at the Morena Hotel in Dodoma, HakiElimu, in collaboration with the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), launched a research report on Access to Quality Education for Children Living in Low-Income Urban Neighbourhoods in Tanzania. The study aims to address the following research questions:

1. What are the schooling patterns among children living in urban poor households in Tanzania, including those with special needs.
2. How do urban poor communities perceive and understand education as a right in the context of urbanization in Tanzania.
3. What available education opportunities exist for children with special needs living in poor urban households.

Read full report for findings and recommendations from this study at https://shorturl.at/BhIrt

On April 25 and May 3, 2024, HakiElimu conducted a series of successful engagements with Members of Parliament (MPs) as key stakeholders in Dodoma, Tanzania.

The objective of these strategic engagement with MPs was to empower them with knowledge and resources regarding the National Strategy for Inclusive Education (NSIE). By building their capacity on NSIE's goals and implementation plans, we aimed to facilitate their active engagement in promoting inclusive education. This included equipping them with evidence-based information, such as analyses of the education budget for FY 2024/25.

A total of 35 Members of Parliament were engaged this time around: 20 were members of the HakiElimu champion MPs (4 males and 16 females); 12 were members of the Parliamentary Education Committee, including 10 MPs and 2 secretaries (totaling 3 males and 9 females); and a total of three MPs were engaged separately during one-on-one sessions

On 25^th January 2024, HakiElimu in collaboration with the Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), 3DBear, The Vocational Educational and Training Authority (VETA), Karume Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Centro San Viator (CSV) have launched a two-year project meant to foster employability and entrepreneurship in Vocational Education Training (VET) industry in the Tanzania. This project is co-funded by the European Union (EU).

The project seeks to increase competence of direct (teachers, teacher trainers) and indirect beneficiaries (students) in entrepreneurship, digital competences, employability, active participation in society, better understanding of interconnections between vocational education and labor market and increased opportunities for professional development.

Launching of National CSO Coalition for Safe Schools’ (NCCSS) - March 2024

On April 29, 2024, enters into HakiElimu’s commemorated historic days as the Organization simultaneously launched two significant research findings reports at the New Dodoma Hotel in Dodoma. These reports addressed critical topics in Tanzania's education landscape: The Study on The Political Economy of Early Childhood Development (ECD) which investigated practices and contexts surrounding Early Childhood Development (ECD) for children aged 0-8 and the Study on the Reintegration of Teenage Mothers into Formal Secondary Schools in Tanzania that examined the challenges and opportunities related to re-integrating teenage mothers into formal secondary education, aligning with the implementation of the 2022 Re-entry guideline.

CSO's Week - August 2024

From May 6th to May 10th, 2024, HakiElimu, a prominent member of the Tanzania Education Network (TENMET), actively participated in the Global Action Week for Education (GAWE) held in Geita Municipal Council. The theme for GAWE 2024 was “Transformative Education," recognizing the critical role of education in fostering societal change and sustainable development. The event was organized by TENMET and marked a significant occasion for stakeholders in education to come together and address pressing issues affecting students' learning journey in Geita Municipal Council.

As passionate advocates for educational equality, HakiElimu showcased various publications and seized the opportunity to engage with the community by visiting several identified schools. These visits were instrumental in HakiElimu's ongoing efforts to address gender-specific educational challenges. During their school visits, HakiElimu representatives had heartfelt conversations, especially with female students, who candidly shared the barriers impeding their educational journeys.

These young girls expressed a poignant need for dormitories and special changing rooms and facilities for girls during menstruation periods. The absence of these essential resources has led to an alarming number of girls dropping out of school due to pregnancies, as they are vulnerable to temptations and rape incidents during long commutes between home and school. They earnestly called for the government and other stakeholders to provide dormitories, which would enable them to stay at school and focus on their studies in a safe and conducive environment