Monduli Member of Parliament Izaki Joseph Copriano, popularly known as Kadogoo, has extended school support to 200 students from economically disadvantaged households, most of them drawn from pastoralist communities in the district, in a move aimed at boosting access to education.
The assistance, which includes school necessities and transport fares, targets students admitted to schools located far from their homes an obstacle that has continued to affect enrolment and retention in Monduli.
The MP provided mattresses valued at TZS 35,000 each, 20 metal storage trunks, and transport support for students required to travel long distances to reach their respective schools.
Speaking after handing over the support, Mr Copriano said education remains his top priority in the district, noting that many children from poor families fail to continue with schooling due to lack of basic requirements.
“Monduli is largely a pastoralist district, and education remains a major challenge. This year, I have started with this support and I will continue working with the government and parents to address challenges facing the education sector,” he said.
He added that the initiative was also informed by the prevailing drought conditions, which have adversely affected Maasai communities during the dry season.
According to the MP, about 90 percent of Monduli residents depend on livestock for their livelihoods, and shortages of pasture and water directly weaken household incomes.
“When livestock is affected, it means the entire local economy suffers. Families find it extremely difficult to meet even basic needs, including education for their children,” he said.
Mr Copriano acknowledged that the support provided is not sufficient to meet the growing demand and called on development partners and other stakeholders to complement government and individual efforts in supporting education and other priority sectors in the district.
Before his election to Parliament, Mr Copriano served as Chairperson of the Monduli District Council for more than five years, a period during which he worked with various stakeholders to advance development initiatives in the area.
Among the partners he collaborated with is the Media Institute for Assisting Marginalised Communities (MAIPAC).
Through this collaboration, he launched a project to construct a protective fence around a water source in Selela village, Monduli District.
The project was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Tanzania through the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme.
UNDP’s Small Grants Programme coordinator in Tanzania, Mr Faustine Ninga, later visited the project and officially handed it over to the Selela Village Environmental Committee.
He expressed satisfaction with the initiative, describing it as strategic and impactful, and reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to supporting projects that improve community livelihoods.
Following the completion of the fencing at the Kabambe water source, MAIPAC plans to enhance the local water distribution system, a move expected to increase water availability for domestic use, agriculture and fishing.
Local leaders say the MP’s intervention will help reduce school dropout rates among children from pastoralist families, stressing that sustained collaboration between leaders, communities and development partners is key to addressing long-standing education and livelihood challenges in Monduli.