Virtues for Holistic Child Development in Tanzania

PROGRESS OF THE VIRTUES PROJECT IN TANZANIA

Background:

The worsening of moral degradation in Tanzania has contributed to the intensity of corporal punishment to extent of parents resulting into using severe physical and psychological violence against their own children such as burning of hands, locking their children in wardrobes, beating to loss of consciousness etc. The schools have been no better where children would be beaten to unconsciousness or caused physical harm. This calls for well planned scaling up of the virtues project across Tanzania targeting a sample of parenting groups and schools and document the inception and outcomes to be able to develop model schools and parents of which communities and government authorities can learn from.

Recent steps we have taken:

• We have been able to receive financial support to translate the Virtues Cards and Virtues Project introduction materials into Swahili for easy training of Swahili speaking parents who are a majority.
• The materials have been reviewed and now we are organizing a group of teachers and coordinators who are working with parents’ groups and children to go through a testing training.

The next steps will be raise funds to print a certain number of cards packs and materials and pick few schools and parenting groups in one of the district and start piloting in collaboration with social welfare officers of the government and start documentation of the way the process is unfolding.

Thank you for your charitable support which has enabled us to translate the materials needed to give parents and teachers positive alternative tools to violence.  Your continued support will help us to print cards and teaching materials and help us expand our training and testing in collaboration with the government of Tanzania.  Help us bring evidence to the government so that The Virtues Project can be implemented throughout the country of Tanzania with government funding.

It has been 14 years since The Virtues Project was introduced in Tanzania through a community school program.  Awareness was created at the community level on the importance of pre-school education and these communities would develop their own schools, appoint potential teachers who then received training from the program.  Over 30 schools were established this way across Tanzania and some of them have progressed to primary level. Recently, we have received funds to evaluate the impact of The Virtues Project in Five of these schools. 

What we have learned:

• Students excel in comparison to their local counterparts.
• Pre-primary schools report increased demand because students fare better upon enrollment in primary schools.
• Parents notice improved behavior at home. They report improved language as well.
• Directors and faculty in the two larger schools (in Mugajwale and Iringa) are eager to share The Virtues Project with their colleagues locally.
• Students improve behavior over time without beating or chastising. In one case, a parent contacted the school specifically because no one at school or in the neighborhood was complaining about their child anymore.
• Older students see themselves as leaders and guides to younger students.
• Students who have failed in other venues, learn to cooperate, achieve and excel at The Virtues Project schools.

 Based on those findings, the recommendations are:

• Support expansion of The Virtues Project as a set of strategies and mechanisms for eliminating corporal punishment, including legally sanctioned “justifiable correction.”
• Consider a secondary analysis outcome study to document whether perceived academic outcomes between The Virtues Project schools hold up in comparison to their local counterparts.
• Set up a pilot in government schools to test the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project.
• Support full implementation of The Virtues Project in schools and the training of on-site or regional facilitators.

 In order to strengthen The Virtues Project in Tanzania, the following immediate steps are recommended and require financial support:

• Translate the Educator Virtue Cards and basic introductory materials for The Virtues Project training for schools.
• Validate translated cards and materials by having local facilitators review.
• Conduct a training for teachers in one of the schools to test all translated materials.

Thank you for generosity.  Your continued charitable giving will allow us to strengthen evaluation efforts, and more importantly,  help ensure the safety for more children in Tanzania schools.