The Vodacom Tanzania Foundation has announced a TZS 3.25 billion investment over the next three years to strengthen the education sector in Tanzania through new partnerships with the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) and Twaweza East Africa.
The announcement was made during the official launch of the 2025 Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Week, graced by the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Adolf Mkenda.
Speaking at the event, Zuweina Farah, Director of Corporate Affairs at Vodacom Plc and the Vodacom Tanzania Foundation, said:“Through this partnership, we aim to improve the quality of education in Tanzania by equipping teachers with the right tools and helping students build strong foundational skills. Investing in education today opens more doors for future generations.”
In collaboration with the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE), Vodacom will equip 184 Teacher Resource Centers (TRCs) with digital devices and reliable internet connectivity to support 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 learning materials through a Learning Management System (LMS), in line with the country’s new 2023 competence-based curriculum for basic education.
Dr. Angela Katabaro, Acting Director of Curriculum Training at TIE, said:“Empowering teachers through digital technology is critical to delivering quality education. Our partnership with Vodacom allows us to scale up the MEWAKA program and bridge the digital divide.”
Additionally, Vodacom Foundation's partnership with Twaweza East Africa will support the expansion of the KiuFunza Pay-by-Skill initiative, which incentivizes teachers in Grades 1–3 to help students master foundational skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
The program will be implemented in 865 schools, reaching over 360,000 early primary school learners. National statistics indicate that 60% of 10-year-old children in Tanzania still struggle to read and comprehend simple stories.
Anna Bwana, Executive Director of Twaweza East Africa, stated:“This partnership ensures that learning happens in every classroom. We have strong evidence that Pay-by-Skill works it motivates teachers and improves outcomes for children.”
Vodacom Tanzania’s education investment aligns with Tanzania’s national education priorities, Sustainable Development Goal 4 (quality education), and Vodacom’s commitment to empowering people through inclusive education, digital transformation, and innovation for meaningful impact.
Over the three-year period, the Vodacom Foundation will contribute both funding and technical support toward program implementation, research, monitoring, and advocacy.