Virtues for Holistic Child Development in Tanzania

The Virtues Project (TVP) was established in Tanzania by 2014.  Over 100 teachers were trained since then to use The Five Strategies of TVP in pre and primary schools.  Fifteen teachers became trainers to support the program. Over 20 community schools adopted TVP but due to movement of teachers in and out of schools, taking on new careers or advancing their careers with lack of evolving mechanism to follow up with the schools, TVP has not been implemented to the fullest.

Refresher training was conducted at one of six pre and primary schools that participated in our evaluation program:  RED House Pre School, Dar es Salaam:  50 students and 4 teachers. 

What we have learned:

• For assistant teachers (non-professionals or on job trainees) and new teachers, more time is needed to learn new concepts and change mindsets toward discipline.  Since there is a close link among TVP, Child Development (CD) and Child-Centered Teaching (CCT) methodology, teachers’ understanding of CD and CCT helps with the application of TVP to avoid giving unrealistic assignments, tasks or using an irrelevant approach in teaching that will cause children to misbehave. 
• Teachers’ understanding of the impact of their service as promoters of community well-being, helps them look at their service differently, more seriously and become more receptive to the application of TVP as it becomes more relevant. 
• Parents/guardians engagement in the progress of their children and an introduction of TVP to them is crucial for the wider and bigger success of the program to avoid confusing the children with a different approach towards discipline at schools and home.
• There is a need for more regular sessions to assist teachers to overcome different challenges they encounter in applying TVP in their schools.

We thank you for your continued support for our important work of Ensuring Safety for Children in Tanzania Schools.  It is only through your generous giving that our work is able to continue.  Your donations cover the costs of travel, meals, lodging, and The Virtues Project training.

"The Virtues Project empowers individuals to live more authentic meaningful lives, families to raise children of compassion and integrity, educators to create safe, caring and high performing learning communities, and leaders to encourage excellence and ethics in the workplace.  It has inspired and mobilized people worldwide to commit acts of service and generosity to heal violence with virtues."

We are happy to report that the four schools that we trained in the Five Strategies of The Virtues Project remain committed and enthusiastic months later as they continue to implement the Five Strategies in their schools, replacing the practice of caning with positive discipline.

Our contact with these schools, now via phone and email, allows us to continue to provide support to the school staff.  We share with them the common challenges experienced at the different schools and how each school handles these challenges.  We are also connecting the schools in order that they are able to support one another directly and learn from each other's practices and stories. When we have resources we are planning to have a reflection and refresher meeting because that is what is needed now.

The fifth school identified to participate in our project awaits the funding necessary to activate the training team.   The training expenses include travel, lodging, meals and facilitation expenses for a team of three facilitators for four days.  

We thank you for your helpfulness and generous support of our project and for sharing our project with your family, friends, and co-workers.  Your support helps ensure that these children receive an education in a safe and caring environment, one that is committed to using the language and practice of virtues.