April 2, 2021
There are many reasons behind TFFT’s “why” that guide our work daily. Today, young people are approximately three times more likely to be unemployed than adults. Nowhere is this more true than in Sub-Saharan Africa where the youth bracket is approximately 200 million people. For many children, education ends after primary school. Right now, an estimated two million children between the ages of 7 and 13 years old are out of school in Tanzania. Children from vulnerable and low-income households are three times less likely to attend school than those from wealthier households. Equitable access to quality education is a massive barrier which limits children’s prospects for opportunity, success, and a bright future. This reality is what our team remains dedicated to addressing each day over the past fifteen years.
While much has changed over the years as we continue to grow, our “why” has remained the same: transform the trajectory of a child’s life through the power of education. Together we are creating a world in which all children, regardless of their circumstances, are able to reach their full potential. We already have made that a reality for the TFFT scholars and alumni.
Tanzania’s future will be shaped by educated and engaged youth. This generation of leaders are redefining expectations by taking action and contributing to society in meaningful ways. But, we must sustain our work so young leaders can continue to seize opportunities and dream big. To continue to pursue our vision, important work lies ahead, and we’re asking for your support.
With this year’s Annual Fund underway, we are excited about what 2021 holds for the TFFT community. Alongside you, innovative partners, and other stakeholders, we are proud to have become a trusted change agent in Tanzania. This year, we wish to build on that momentum and generate even greater outcomes. In order to pursue our mission of securing quality education and emotional support for orphan and vulnerable children so that they may reach their full potential and thrive in their communities, we aim to raise $100,000 during this year’s Annual Fund campaign. An Annual Fund gift ensures that we can best care for our TFFT community at all times. This fund covers the expenses that enable TFFT to operate day to day – providing the infrastructure that supports the impactful work that TFFT is focused on all year long.
This work includes supporting the 109 scholars who are currently in the Scholarship Program and the 34 alumni who have graduated from the Program. Beyond receiving education at an English medium boarding school, TFFT scholars benefit from our auxiliary programs. The auxiliary programs are based on TFFT’s Whole Child Approach to education which places equal emphasis on social-emotional care and academic success for educational outcomes. Because students do not learn in a vacuum, we invest in social emotional development, mental and physical health, and coaching and mentorship. Your contribution to this year’s Annual Fund makes it possible to continue to fuel the dreams of our scholars, alumni, as well as empower the parents and guardians of these beneficiaries.
In addition to building upon the strong foundation of our Scholarship Program, TFFT’s Teacher Training Program will continue to spark creativity and innovation in the classroom by equipping teacher with training and resources. Teacher quality is one of the largest indicators for student success. Because quality teaching is central to achieving access to high quality and equitable education for all learners, TFFT’s Whole Child Approach includes taking stock in the teachers that make learning possible for our scholars. Our incredible Teacher Training team requires your support to continue to generate widespread change within classrooms across Tanzania.
Finally, we enter 2021 with the excitement of breaking ground on the Learning Centre. With a foundation of 14+ years of work invested in Tanzania, it is time to expand our scope and increase our impact on the country’s educational structure. TFFT seeks to catalyze ambitious improvements for the education landscape in Tanzania through the creation of an interactive Learning Centre. The Learning Centre will offer 6 programs: a Literacy Lab, a NGO and Social Entrepreneur Incubator, a Higher Education Advisory and Scholarship Center, a Teacher Training Facility, a Technology and Computer Training Center, and a Library and Resource Center. This Learning Centre will be the first facility of its kind in East Africa. With this Centre, access to quality education will no longer just be provided to those learning in a traditional setting such as a school or university. This new endeavor will expand our current programming by creating learning opportunities open to the community, in the community. The facility will enable us to harness and incubate local ideas that help solve local challenges. Quality resources and tools will be provided to a much larger percentage of the population, inclusive of non-traditional learners. To learn more about the Learning Centre, click here.
We are grateful to tackle ambitious work in 2021 with you at our side. As we continue to target the needs of children, teachers, and the community, your role remains as important as ever. We hope you share in the pride of what the TFFT scholars, alumni, and trained teachers have accomplished in the past 15 years. We thank you for your support in advancing this work by contributing to the Annual Fund!