MORE than 3bn/- will be invested over the next three years to improve the quality of education across the country, through strategic partnerships with the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) and Twaweza East Africa.

The announcement was made by Zuweina Farah, director of external affairs and Vodacom Tanzania Foundation, during the official opening of CSO Week 2025 in Arusha yesterday. 

The event was officiated by Prof. Adolf Mkenda, Minister for Education, Science and Technology.

“Through these partnerships, we aim to help strengthen the quality of education in Tanzania by supporting teachers with the right tools and helping young learners build strong foundational skills,” said Farah. “Investing in education today will unlock greater opportunities for future generations.”

In collaboration with TIE, the Foundation will equip 184 Teachers Resource Centers (TRCs) with ICT tools and reliable internet connectivity, aimed at supporting the government’s Teacher Continuous Professional Development (TCPD) initiative, known as MEWAKA.

“This digital infrastructure will enable over 300,000 teachers across the country to access professional development materials via the Learning Management System (LMS),” said Dr Angela Katabaro, director general of TIE. 

“It will help improve teaching quality in line with Tanzania’s revised 2023 competency-based curriculum.”

Dr Katabaro emphasised that digital empowerment of teachers is essential for raising education standards and bridging the digital divide, particularly in underserved rural areas.

In a complementary effort, Vodacom Tanzania Foundation is also partnering with Twaweza East Africa to expand the KiuFunza Pay-by-Skill programme, an innovative results-based approach that rewards teachers of grades 1 to 3 for helping students achieve mastery in basic literacy and numeracy.

The initiative will be implemented in 865 primary schools, reaching more than 360,000 early-grade learners across various regions.

“This partnership is about ensuring learning happens in every classroom,” said Anna Bwana, executive director of Twaweza East Africa. “We have strong evidence that Pay-by-Skill works. It motivates teachers and improves outcomes for children.”

Recent national education data reveals that over 60 percent of 10-year-olds in Tanzania struggle to read and comprehend a simple story. The Pay-by-Skill programme directly addresses this challenge by aligning incentives with learning outcomes.

The Foundation’s education-focused investments align with Tanzania’s national education priorities, Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4)—which promotes inclusive and quality education—and Vodacom’s broader corporate commitment to digital transformation, inclusive development, and innovation with impact.

Over the next three years, Vodacom Tanzania Foundation will provide both financial resources and in-kind contributions to enhance program implementation, research, monitoring, and advocacy. This includes support for teacher training, digital infrastructure, and community engagement.

The partnerships are expected to yield long-term benefits for Tanzania’s education system by improving learning outcomes, building a digitally empowered teaching workforce, and supporting the country's transition toward a knowledge-based economy.