Students in Tanzania, and particularly those studying in the Coast Region, are rarely introduced to realistic options for careers and means to further their education after graduating from O Level Secondary School. Without fully understanding their options, many students leave secondary school without fully understanding their options and make ill-informed career decisions.

Understanding the Issue:

Many students in O-level secondary school in the Kibaha Coast Region theoretically know what career they want to persue after graduating from school. However, very few are actually given the opportunity to fully understand the necessary steps to reach their goals. Unlike students in bigger cities such as Dar es Salaam who are more frequently exposed to career information, students in remote areas are left at a disadvantage and rarely get the opportunity to hear about what is really available to them. Futher, students who are not receiving grades high enough to continue to A Level Secondary School (a large percentage due to the region’s underfunded schools) need to be informed of other options aside from attending A Level, including the possibility of attending technical and teachers colleges instead of returning home or seeking petty street jobs.

Community Solution:

NTC plans to kick off a yearly camp in January, 2010 designed to bring twenty of the region’s best Form 4 students together for a three day leadership, skills training, and career information camp. The “Uhuru (freedom) Mentoring Camp” will be held at Kwala Secondary School the weekend of January 22-24, and feature speakers from different careers as well as exposure to different scholarship opportunities available from the government, use of Kwala Secondary School’s computer and internet access, and lessons in filling out applications and letter writing. While no scholarships will be given out at this year’s camp, students will learn about what opportunities are available to them in a fun and interesting way, and NTC hopes to support the future attendees of the camp in subsequent years.

Headmasters from several secondary schools in the region will ask their students with the highest academic performance and leadership skills to apply to attend the camp. NTC will provide transportation, all meals, accomodations, and all the necessary resources to carry out the camp. By introducing students to their options after O level secondary school, NTC will allow students to make intelligent and well-informed decisions about their futures and avoid wasting the education they worked so hard to obtain.

Fundraising Goal: $1,500.00