Enhancing Quality and Inclusive Education.
2. ENHANCING QUALITY AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION (EQIE) PROJECT
St. Justin Foundation has been working in partnership with the international organization Right to Play in the Serengeti District since 2020, under a project called EQIE (Enhancing Quality and Inclusive Education). This project aims to improve the quality of education and promote inclusivity.
The foundation carries out various activities in the community and schools, focusing on both primary schools and managing 10 reading centers and 5 sub-centers in the Serengeti District. These centers help children develop reading, writing, and arithmetic skills before they reach fourth grade. Additionally, children are taught various life skills, such as communication, confidence building, problem solving, and respect for others, all through play-based methodologies.
Other key activities by St. Justin Foundation include:
- Organizing sports festivals to highlight the importance of education for girls and children with special needs.
- Holding discussions with parents on addressing challenges faced by girls in reaching their educational goals. They also provide joint training with parents on how to support their children's learning outside of school.
- Identifying girls and children with special needs who are out of school, enrolling them back into the education system, and supporting them with essential school supplies like uniforms and notebooks.
SOME RESULTS OF THE EQIE PROJECT IMPLEMENTED BY ST. JUSTIN FOUNDATION:
- The community has become more aware of the importance of education for girls and children with special needs. They are now committed to helping these children achieve their dreams and are moving away from harmful traditions such as female genital mutilation (FGM), favoritism towards boys, and child marriages.
- Parents in project areas appreciate the training they have received, which has helped them allocate time for their children to study at home and monitor their school progress. They also fulfill their essential responsibilities towards their children.
- So far, the foundation has successfully identified and re-enrolled 166 out-of-school girls and 90 children with special needs. Some of these children are now back in school and continuing their studies.
- The foundation has played a major role in educating the Serengeti community to abandon outdated practices such as FGM, gender preference for boys, child marriages, and harsh punishments like physical abuse.
