Teachers in Kilosa District, Morogoro Region, and Manyoni District, Singida Region, say support programmes for students who dropped out of school are helping them resume their education and pursue their ambitions.
The teachers say financial difficulties, teenage pregnancies, early marriages and challenging family circumstances continue to prevent some children, particularly girls, from completing their education.
However, support from CAMFED and local authorities is giving some of the affected students a second chance, with beneficiaries returning to school or progressing to technical colleges and universities.
Kilosa District Secondary Education Academic Officer Milandu Kinyonga said CAMFED currently supports 34 of the district’s 56 secondary schools.
He said the council had asked the organisation to expand its coverage to reach more students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We do not want students to finish Form Four and remain idle. That is why we provide them with reproductive health education and entrepreneurship skills so they can engage in small income-generating activities while at home,” he said.
Kinyonga said some beneficiaries had started small businesses, while others were engaging in farming activities, including watermelon production.
He added that CAMFED was also helping schools improve learning conditions, particularly in areas where accommodation facilities were inadequate.
Some schools have received 20 beds and 40 mattresses to support students who need to stay at school, he said.
“CAMFED has provided various forms of support to these students, and we are seeing significant improvements in their academic progress through its collaboration with the Kilosa District Council,” Kinyonga said.
The programme has also helped some students from disadvantaged backgrounds advance to higher levels of education, including Forms Five and Six, colleges and universities.
Kilosa District Education Equipment and Statistics Officer Sebastian Msuya said CAMFED had become an important partner in efforts to keep vulnerable students in school.
He cited Mazinyungu and Gongwe secondary schools among those that had benefited from improvements to accommodation facilities. Other students have received financial assistance to meet essential school expenses.
Students travelling long distances to school have also received bicycles to ease their daily journeys.
“We have made considerable efforts, together with the council and CAMFED, to bring students back to school. When a child drops out for various reasons, including pregnancy, she is supported to return after giving birth, and her academic progress is monitored,” Msuya said.
He said the council, CAMFED and other education stakeholders also held review meetings to assess projects, identify challenges and improve support for students.
At Mazinyungu, a non-formal education centre serving students who have dropped out of school, Life Skills teacher Ruth Chahiwa said the programme was helping learners resume their education after interruptions caused by different circumstances.
She said six students received CAMFED support in 2024, followed by another six in 2025, bringing the total to 12.
Some of the beneficiaries have completed Form Four examinations and progressed to colleges and universities, she said.
“CAMFED has supported them with essential school supplies, including bags, shoes and exercise books. Students who live far away have also received bicycles,” Chahiwa said.
She added that meeting these basic needs had helped students regain confidence and concentrate on their studies.
In Manyoni, CAMFED mentor teacher Beatrice Mwanga said the organisation had supported Form Three and Form Four students over the past three years, but the demand for assistance remained high.
She called for the programme to be extended to students in lower classes to help prevent more children from dropping out.
“Our request is that support should also reach students in lower classes because the need is great. CAMFED has done a lot, and many students appreciate the assistance because it has increased their desire to learn,” Mwanga said.
The teachers said continued support was necessary to help vulnerable learners overcome financial and social barriers to education.
They added that helping students return to school was not only about restoring their access to classrooms, but also about giving them another opportunity to build independent lives and achieve their future goals.