Africa-Press – Tanzania. US ambassador to Tanzania, Donald Wright has stressed the need for addressing the constraints Tanzanian girls face while in school and in their communities to enable them to complete their education.
The envoy made the remarks this week at a brief ceremony of winding up the Waache Wasome (“Let Them Learn”) project.
“This leads to better health for them and their children, increased employment opportunities, higher incomes, and a reduction in poverty for their households and communities,” he said.
According to Dr Wright, eliminating barriers to girl’s education has many positive ripple effects in society.
He commended the government for allowing teenage mothers to continue with their studies after giving birth.
The envoy heaped praise on the government for such a policy change, saying it signaled a more inclusive ap- proach to education in Tanzania and a positive step forward for Tanzanians.
“This shift aligns well with the demonstration of what young women have achieved under Waache Wasome project, when young people are given a chance, they thrive,” observed the US Ambassador to Tanzania.
Waache Wasome is a five- year project spanning from December 2016 to February 2022, costing around $14.75million under the funding of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The project has increased adolescent girls’ enrollment and retention in both formal secondary school and alternative education pathways.
Such a model has also empowered adolescent girls to create and achieve goals for their future while addressing social norms and economic barriers that have constrained their ability to remain and ex- cel in school.
Implemented by the World Education Initiative, Waache Wasome’s comprehensive model supports girls in Tanzania to set and achieve personal and educational goals.
The project also provides a tailored package of services to highly vulnerable girls who have dropped out of school due to pregnancy, early marriage, or other hardship.
In his rejoinder, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Omary Juma Kipanga acknowledged US’s support to educational projects in Tanzania.
“Through its embassy in the country, the US government continues to compliiment government’s efforts of promoting girl child education in the country,” explained the Deputy Minister on Sunday.
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