Virtues for Holistic Child Development in Tanzania

An evaluation project is underway to prove the effectiveness of implementing The Virtues Project model in schools in Tanzania.  A Tanzanian Virtues Project Master Facilitator partnered with a fellow Master Facilitator and program evaluation expert from the United States to conduct a small, voluntary exploratory study of 5 schools using The Virtues Project™ both to assess training needs and to begin gathering perceived and observable impacts.  The

The initial work was completed and funded via voluntary and crowd source funding from Virtues Project International Association and Two Gems Consulting Services.

The evaluation conducted site visits and interviews at five independently owned and operated schools across Tanzania which have used The Virtues Project™ as a mechanism to improve school climate without reliance upon corporal punishment. The schools were located in 4 different regions of the country:

Dar es Salaam: Red House: Pre-Primary
Mwanza: Joyland: Pre - Grade 3
Mugajwale: New Vision: Pre and Primary
Iringa: Two Wings: Pre - Grade 4 and Tender Tears, Flexible grade levels

All of the schools specifically forbid any form of child abuse, including caning and harsh language.

They all intentionally use The Virtues Project™ for both character development and to manage behavior.

One school specifically uses The Virtues Project™ for professional development of staff, however, positive impacts on both teachers and students are noted at all schools.

All of the schools have at least one director or teacher who has had a full training in The Virtues Project™.

Most sites practice only one or two of the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project™ intentionally, either by Speaking the Language of Virtues--reinforcing character development and positive behavior through the exploration of specific virtues weekly or monthly; Recognizing Teachable Moments--identifying the virtue that is needed and guiding young people back to appropriate behavior and/or by Setting Clear Boundaries Based on Virtues that clarify how students should conduct themselves.  

• Faculty report that their students excel in comparison to their local counterparts. 
• Pre-primary schools report increased demand because their students fare better upon enrollment in primary schools.
• Parents notice improvement at home. They report improved language as well. 
• Students improve behavior over time without beating and chastising.
• Students who have failed in other venues, learn to cooperate, achieve and excel at The Virtues Project™ schools.

Our project challenges at this time:  obtaining funding necessary for completion of comprehensive evaluation project, consistency in implementation, access to training and coaching for new teachers, ongoing staff development, including non-teaching staff; and new teachers (and parents also) must be convinced of the legitimacy of the practices.

Overall, we are very pleased with the progress of Ensuring Safety for Children in Tanzania Schools project.  Thank you for your caring and generosity that has made our work possible.  Your continued support is greatly appreciated to help us continue our training and evaluation efforts to prove the effectiveness of implementing The Virtues Project™ in Tanzanian Schools to improve school climate without reliance on corporal punishment.

• Lessons from Tanzanian Virtues Project Schools (DOCX)