Promoting Girls' Education and Entrepreneurship Skills

Despite girls' primary school enrollment being equal to that of boys in Tanzania, only 37% of primary school girls go on to secondary and fewer than four percent of girls graduate from secondary. At Milola Secondary School, which serves seven villages, none of the graduates from 2013 to 2016 were female. Thus, DUCE faculty conducted a study in 2016 to identify the key challenges facing Milola Secondary girls. Their recommendations included raising community awareness about the importance of educating girls, economically empowering girls and their families, and requesting government support to improve the learning environment for girls.

As a result, TPP introduced the idea of forming girls' clubs to the community in 2016 and formed three clubs in 2017: one for Standard 5 girls at Milola A, another for Standard 5 girls at Milola B, and one for Milola Secondary girls. Each club had approximately 20 girls, two female mentors, and met bi-monthly. The clubs' main goals were to build confidence, encourage school attendance, and increase graduation rates through lessons on topic such as ethics and gender roles.

In 2018, the girls started small businesses to learn entrepreneurship skills. Forty-two girls worked with mentors and entrepreneurs to develop, present, and refine a business plan before receiving startup funds. Projects included soap making, raising poultry, and growing vegetables. The girls received training on budgets and record keeping in 2019. Although the businesses continued to operate in 2019, the girls faced challenges generating income, so TPP offered trainings on how to package and market soap, advice and materials to improve chicken coops, and free chicken vaccines. One club member reported generating enough income to pay her school fees when she otherwise would have had to drop out of school. Teachers also reported improvements in club members' school attendance and class participation.