Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) and the Higher Education Students Loan Board (HESLB) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for continued sponsorship of college and university students from poor households.
Beneficiaries will be members of the TASAF’s Productive Social Safety Net Programme and those who qualified for the support to get education at higher learning institutions.
Under the agreement, TASAF will provide HESLB with names of students under its programme and the loan’s board will ensure they get bursary for education, if possible, by 100 per cent.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Permanent Secretary in the State House, Dr Moses Kusiluka said the gesture is indication of the government’s efforts to support students from poor households.
Dr Kusiluka said at least 782 students who are beneficiaries of TASAF have secured full loan paid to the higher learning institutions and some 2,500 currently in high schools are likely to follow suit as they join colleges and universities.
If all goes well, he said, the government plans to ensure that all needy students from poor households get support for education, which is basic right thus accord all equal opportunities.
On his part, an Assistant Director, Human Resources-Institution at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mr Sebastian Inoshi, urged the two government institutions to ensure the agreement is fulfilled.
He said it is high time for government institutions to work together in helping solve problems facing people and help improve their livelihood.
Mr Inoshi, who represented the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, Dr Leonard Akwilapo, noted that in 2019/2020, the government disbursed 450bn/- that benefited 132,392 students. He said the amount increased to 570bn/- in 2021/2022, benefiting 160,000 students.
He directed leaders to submit records of implementation of the agreement at least twice a year to the ministry, saying it is the government’s aim to support the people. He also stressed on the need for both institutions to have a common database of beneficiaries of the MoU.
HESLB Executive Director, Mr Abdul-razaq Badru noted that plans are underway for both HESLB and TASAF to have a common system of names of the students.
TASAF Executive Director, Mr Ladislaus Mwamanga said signing of the agreement pens a new dawn for children from poor families to study without difficulties.
“From next year, these students will not have any problem in loan disbursement, for the two institutions will have a common list of those who deserve support,” he said.
