Buguruni Primary Deaf School has been crowned the national winner of the 2025 VIA Creative Program, a TotalEnergies initiative that uses creativity and art to promote road safety education among students.
The winners were announced today at TotalEnergies Marketing Tanzania Limited headquarters in Dar es Salaam, following a jury session held on October 13.
Ndalala Secondary School and Ubungo NHC Primary School took second and third place respectively.
As the top winner, Buguruni Primary Deaf School will represent Tanzania at the VIA Regional Competition on November 26, with an opportunity to qualify for the international finals in Paris, France.
TotalEnergies also pledged to implement the students’ recommendation to install road signages and signs indicating the presence of a deaf school in the Buguruni area.
Empowering Young Road Safety Ambassadors
This year’s VIA Program reached around 10,000 students across seven participating schools, surpassing its target of 7,000.
It also produced 105 new Road Safety Ambassadors and indirectly reached about 50,000 people, including families, neighboring schools, and community members engaged by the ambassadors.
The program promotes participatory learning, where students identify and propose practical solutions to improve road safety in their areas.
Speaking during the event, TotalEnergies Managing Director, Mamadou Ngom, commended the students for their creativity and commitment to road safety.
“At TotalEnergies, we are proud to be part of this transformative journey,” he said. “By investing in education and awareness, we are shaping a safer future for our children and communities. The number of students reached and engaged through VIA reflects our strong commitment to road safety and the well-being of the communities around our business.”
Ngom said the inclusion of a school for students with hearing difficulties marks a significant step toward inclusivity.
“This year’s edition is even more special because it includes Buguruni Primary Deaf School. It reinforces our commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind,” he noted.
He congratulated all participating schools — Buza, Makuburi, Mnadani, Ugindoni, Ubungo NHC, Buguruni Primary Deaf, and Ndalala Secondary — for their dedication to promoting safety through creativity and art.
Partnership for Safer Communities
The VIA Program is implemented by TotalEnergies Foundation in partnership with Nafasi Art Space, a local organization that has been working with schools for the past four years to advance creative learning and community engagement on road safety.
Lilian Hipolyte, Managing Director of Nafasi Art Space, said the initiative has directly involved more than 4,800 students and reached over 100,000 people across Dar es Salaam, Pwani, Morogoro, and Dodoma since its inception.
“The VIA Safe Mobility Program continues to inspire community-driven change. It empowers students to use creativity to promote safer mobility and spread awareness in their schools and communities,” she said.
She also pointed to tangible outcomes from previous editions, including the construction of a perimeter wall at Makuburi Primary School — the 2024 VIA winner — which has improved student safety.
Since the wall’s completion, the school has recorded zero accidents in the surrounding area, compared to one incident per month before.
Expanding Reach and Impact
The 2025 VIA edition saw the program expand to Dodoma for the first time and include Ndalala Secondary School in Temeke — its first-ever secondary school participant.
The initiative has helped students develop awareness of how to prevent accidents and encourage safe road behaviors.
This year’s program reached 10,000 pupils directly and engaged 50,000 community members indirectly — a significant rise from previous years.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), road accidents remain a major concern in Tanzania, with school-aged children being among the most affected.
VIA addresses this challenge by equipping young people with practical knowledge on road safety through creative education.
Students Inspired to Lead Change
Students who took part in the 2025 edition shared how the experience has changed their perspectives and equipped them to contribute to road safety.
Latifa Nassoro, a student from Ndalala Secondary School, said the program gave her vital knowledge about preventing accidents.
“I had no idea how to avoid road accidents until I joined this program. I am happy that I can now teach my family and friends about safety,” she said.
Farid Adam, a class six pupil from Ubungo NHC Primary School, said his school’s participation inspired teamwork and problem-solving.
“We have learned a lot and shared recommendations on how to reduce accidents in our school area. I hope the organizers and the government will consider our ideas,” he added.
Driving Change Through Creativity
The VIA Creative Program — short for “Vital Information for Awareness” — uses art and creativity to engage students in learning about road safety.
Through drawings, paintings, and performances, students express their understanding of traffic rules, pedestrian safety, and responsible road behavior.
By turning students into “Road Safety Ambassadors,” the initiative supports TotalEnergies’ broader sustainability goals under its Safe Mobility pillar, which focuses on protecting lives and supporting communities near its operations.
Since its launch in Tanzania, the program has reached over 32,000 students in Dar es Salaam, the Coastal Region, Morogoro, and Dodoma, and produced more than 320 young ambassadors.
Looking Ahead
As Buguruni Primary Deaf School prepares to represent Tanzania at the regional competition on November 26, hopes are high for the country to make it to the international stage in Paris.
Ngom expressed confidence in the students’ ability to carry the nation’s flag high.
“The children we celebrate today are not only future leaders but also present-day ambassadors of change,” he said.
He added that “Their actions and ideas are helping to create safer roads and stronger communities across Tanzania.”
Through programs like VIA, TotalEnergies and its partners continue to demonstrate how collaboration between schools, communities, and private sector actors can make a lasting impact — nurturing creativity, saving lives, and building a culture of road safety led by Tanzania’s youngest citizens.
