Tanzania: Youth advocacy brings meals to a rural school
Story highlights
- Education Out Loud supports civil society organizations in Tanzania that advocate for government policy to prioritize school feeding programs.
- Joshua Mpossa and other young Tanzanians received training on effective advocacy to identify and address education challenges in their communities. This led Joshua to advocate for school meals to be served at his former primary school.
- In 2023, thanks to Joshua's advocacy, the school committee, parents, teachers and other community members collectively established a school feeding program, which has decreased students' absences from school.
“I am so happy that an issue I was advocating for is being addressed and children are now getting food at school.”
Joshua Mpossa wanted to make a positive change in his community. He knew that his former primary school did not serve meals at lunchtime and saw an opportunity to improve students' well-being and education.
Joshua, who attended Idugumbi Primary School, located in a rural part of Mbeya district in Tanzania, knows that when children must travel a long distance to school, going home for lunch means they might not return to finish their school day. He felt compelled to take action.
Joshua’s main occupation is farming, and he also works with Policy Forum, a network of Tanzanian civil society organizations working toward augmenting the voice of citizens to influence policy processes that support poverty reduction.
Policy Forum is part of the Kuyenda Collective, a rural youth collective working to improve the rights of rural youth to education in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The Kuyenda Collective is supported by Education Out Loud, GPE’s fund for advocacy and social accountability managed by Oxfam Denmark.
As an implementing partner of the Kuyenda Collective, Policy Forum trained Joshua and 13 other young Tanzanians on how to advocate for educational issues, such as better school infrastructure and resources. The trainees identified issues at schools within their own communities and set up visits at each school to speak with staff about challenges and find solutions by contacting key decision makers.
“We learned how to do advocacy, how to collect data, how to identify issues and figure out who needs to be involved. For example, if we have identified a problem that is small enough for the school community to take care of themselves, we convince the principal to call a parents meeting. We then have a sit-down and discuss the issue, after which the parents can decide what to do.”
The absence of school meals prevents students from learning
In February 2023, Joshua set up a meeting with principal Bahati Kombwe to discuss the challenges faced by students at Idugumbi Primary School.
Kombwe explained to Joshua and other youth advocates from the Kuyenda Collective that many of the school’s 350 students went home for lunch at midday and did not return for afternoon lessons because of long distances between home and school. For students who stayed at school for the afternoon, some had trouble concentrating because of hunger.
“When you don't have anything to eat at lunchtime, you will sit in class and keep thinking about how hungry you are; some even fall asleep. When you get lunch, you are able to listen to the teacher and understand.”
The beginning of the school feeding program
The next step was to engage in discussions with the school governing body. Determined to find a sustainable resolution, the youth advocates and the school governing body decided to organize a parent-teacher session aimed at finding practical ways to ensure every student received a proper lunch at school.
The parent-teacher session was pivotal in encouraging participation of the entire school community. Parents, teachers and other stakeholders joined forces and discussed the importance of school feeding for children's education. Everyone agreed that a school meal program needed to be implemented.
Implementation of the program began right away, with the community wholeheartedly embracing their participation, understanding the impact their contribution would have on their children's well-being.
The school provides cooking facilities and sometimes hires a cook to prepare the meals. Community members may contribute with the preparation of school meals or go to the school to serve the meals. A member of the school committee supervises school meal distribution and ensures the students are fed.
Since early 2023, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the school community, lunch has been served every day except for Wednesdays, which is a shorter school day.
“I have a child in grade 6 and a child in grade 1. I have seen great results since the school feeding program, even in their academic work.”
Advocacy keeps children in school
The advocacy training that Joshua and his peers received through the Kuyenda Collective supported them to become active and effective advocates, igniting a spark among civil society to help ensure that education better meets the needs of communities.
The implementation of the school feeding program at Idugumbi Primary School reduced the challenge of school absenteeism and is addressing the issue of inadequate nutrition.
“When the Kuyenda Collective came to the school, they listened to our challenges and gave us ideas on how we could provide food for the children. We worked on these ideas and now food is being provided at school."
The school feeding program is a strong example of how Education Out Loud can help build the capacity of civil society advocates to engage in education local planning and policy dialogue and affect positive change that benefits vulnerable populations.
Education advocates in Tanzania continue to encourage local and national governments to prioritize school feeding programs. These efforts are bearing fruit, thanks to a collaborative effort with Education Out Loud partners in Tanzania, including Policy Forum, Kuyenda Collective and the Tanzania Education Network/Mtandao wa Elimu Tanzania (TEN/MET).
“Education Out Loud's advocacy and community mobilization efforts are crucial for supporting school feeding programs, addressing the significant challenge of school dropout rates in various regions and improving students' academic performance.”
“If I study hard and do well, I will one day reach my goal to become a doctor. Eating lunch here at school helps me to be able to focus on my studies.”
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