NBC-TEN/MET PARTNERSHIP TO IMPROVE BASIC EDUCATION IN TANZANIA
2, August 2006
The National Bank of Commerce (NBC) through its Corporate Social Investment Fund has contributed Tsh 83 million towards improvement of education quality in Tanzania. NBC is aware that education is a pre-condition for personal and national economic development, a prerequisite for creating a competitive workforce and increased economic productivity and for creating a nation of effective parents and active citizens. Therefore, NBC has social responsibility to ensure that Tanzania is a nation of educated people determined to bring about “human development through hard work, professionalism, entrepreneurship, creativity, innovativeness and ingenuity”, as articulated in Development Vision 2025. Having said this NBC is proud to announce its partnership with Ten/Met in an innovative programme called “School-Community Link to Improve Learning of Locally Relevant Vocational Skills in Primary Schools in Tanzania initiative”.
The programme aims at interesting children in extra-curricular activities by enhancing vocational/life skills training activity in schools, which in turn will also provide opportunity for improved basic education. The project will target Standard 5-7 pupils with an aim to interest them in a skill, so that they can pursue the skills after they leave school. NBC-Ten/Met programme has been designed to run for a period of two-years, working in partnership with civil society organisations. To ensure public ownership, TEN/MET will also be working with the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) to implement this programme.
The objective is to carry out a feasibility study in four districts, Ileje, Kigoma, Monduli and Newala, on the participation of local community members in the teaching of and training in life skills to raise the status of ‘Stadi za Kazi’ in primary schools by using local skilled artisans to teach and train children to gain skills and to produce high quality products for the local and foreign markets.
Four administrative regions have been selected based on areas of operation of TEN/MET members forthcoming with this initiative. Regions selected are Arusha/Manyara, Kigoma, Mbeya and Mtwara and four districts Ileje, Kasulu, Monduli and Newala.
The project will be conducted in two phases, phase one being the pilot phase running for three months, and phase two, is the full implementation of the programme. We target to train at least 1,350 primary school children.
Tanzania Education Network/Mtandao wa Elimu Tanzania (TEN/MET) is an umbrella national network working in education. TEN/MET’s core aim is to work and link up with other non-state actors such as Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), NGOs and the private sector to support local communities initiatives to advocate for quality basic education for all in Tanzania, influencing policies with an informed collective voice. It is a membership organisation with more than 200 national and international NGOs, district networks and CBOs, throughout Tanzania that are members.
“NBC is proud to be associated with TenMet in this noble cause of imparting life skills to Tanzania’s next economy builders. This is a step in the fight against poverty in Tanzania” said Christo de Vries Managing Director of NBC. “NBC supports the community in which we operate, through our Corporate Social Investment Fund. We are committed in the provision of Health, Creation of Jobs, and Quality of Education” he went to say.
NBC Ltd, is one of the largest and most represented commercial banks in Tanzania, with 35 branches and 60 ATMs across Tanzania. NBC has 40 years experience in areas of business and personal financial solutions including traditional current and saving accounts, terms loans, personal loans, overdrafts, letter of credits, and guarantees.
