When Airtel Tanzania partnered with Dar Teknohama Business Incubator (DTBi) under the umbrella of COSTECH in July 2017, the vision was clear: empower youth, especially girls and women through ICT, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Nearly a decade later, that vision is visible in classrooms, community projects and small businesses across Dar es Salaam.
At Kijitonyama Secondary School, Headmistress Madam Halima Juma describes the Airtel Fursa Lab as a legacy inherited from Kijitonyama Primary School after its elevation to secondary status.
“I found the Lab already transforming lives,” she says. “It benefits students, teachers and even members of the surrounding community entrepreneurs, Form Four leavers and university graduates through structured ICT and business training.”
Before her current posting, Madam Juma served as head of Salma Kikwete Secondary School. At the time, the school owned only three computers reserved for administrators. Students lacked direct access to digital tools.
Yet those same students consistently excelled in science and ICT competitions. Many progressed to Advanced Level studies in science combinations.
Their advantage stemmed from participation in programs hosted at the Airtel Fursa Lab and the University of Dar es Salaam Computing Centre.
Through the “SmartGirls” competition, students from Salma Kikwete competed against elite English-medium institutions such as Feza Secondary School and Alpha Girls Secondary School, often outperforming them.
“The exposure and hands-on experience gave our students confidence,” Madam Juma notes. “They were not intimidated by international schools.”
The Lab addresses a structural gap in public education: limited ICT infrastructure. Government schools without computer facilities now access free internet, projectors and structured training.
At Kijitonyama Secondary, students use technology not only for academic research but for innovation. They design products, conduct market analysis and develop income-generating ideas under the school’s new slogan: “Change education to money.”
The results are measurable. The school has won three ICT trophies, including awards from SmartGirls competitions. Students frequently participate in exhibitions organised by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, including innovation showcases in Tanga.
Beyond technical skills, learners are trained in pitching ideas, debating and professional presentation—competencies essential for the digital economy.
The Lab has produced practical solutions to community challenges. Students have developed a solar-powered cooking stove, a smart irrigation system, a sensor-enabled smart dustbin for children with disabilities and a navigation cane prototype for visually impaired students from Jangwani Secondary School.
The projects integrate physics concepts with computer applications, demonstrating interdisciplinary learning in action.
The programme’s scope extends beyond students. Young entrepreneurs and women from various districts attend short-term training sessions, with promising projects receiving seed capital and technical mentorship.
One beneficiary, Devota Kimei, credits the Lab with transforming her business approach. After digital marketing training, she shifted from basic social media use to structured online growth strategies, significantly expanding her customer base.
Madam Juma offers a personal testimony as well. Her 22-year-old son, Islam Jumanne, a Form Four leaver, honed his ICT and investment skills at the Lab.
Today, he trains university students in cryptocurrency and digital investment platforms while professionally working as a heavy machinery driver.
The Lab’s entrepreneurship modules, she says, shaped his discipline and market understanding.
According to DTBi data, the Airtel Fursa Lab programme has reached 4,075 beneficiaries since inception: 2,515 pupils and students (61.7 per cent); 658 primary and secondary teachers (16.1 per cent); 626 youth and women entrepreneurs (15.4 per cent); and 276 individuals from vulnerable groups (6.8 per cent). Gender participation is nearly equal, with women slightly exceeding men overall. Notably, 64.4 per cent of entrepreneur beneficiaries are women, underscoring strong progress in economic empowerment.
Emmanuel Mwinuka, Administrative Officer at DTBi, says in 2025 alone, DTBi conducted digital literacy training for 785 people; 355 men and 430 women.
Additionally, 799 girls received ICT training, including 787 students and 12 small entrepreneurs. Web development training sessions, while still male-dominated, reflect gradual diversification in technical participation. During the International Day of the Girl Child 2025, 30 students attended a dedicated ICT session.
The programme operates under several pillars: empowering youth in STEM and entrepreneurship; ICT and innovation training for teachers; digital skills development for vulnerable groups; women-focused ICT and business programmes; and girls in STEM and innovation initiatives.
Computer Science teacher Rukia Butenge, who supervises the Lab at Kijitonyama Secondary, commends Airtel Tanzania—particularly through Airtel Money—for sustaining free access to equipment and internet connectivity.
“These services are offered at no cost to students,” she emphasises. “The Lab has changed not only our school but the surrounding community.”
The Airtel Fursa Lab demonstrates how strategic collaboration between a telecommunications company and a national innovation incubator can narrow the digital divide in public education.
From three computers in an administrator’s office to a fully functional digital innovation hub, the transformation reflects more than infrastructure growth. It represents a systemic shift: technology as a tool for learning, income generation and social problem-solving.
Madam Juma concludes, “The Lab has proven that when government schools are given access to technology, they can compete, innovate and lead.”
