An Education Project
Milele Elimu Zanzibar (MEZA I & II) is one among the project that is funded by Milele Zanzibar Foundation in in partnership with (Forum For African Women Educationalist-Zanzibar) that addresses the gender equality issue in education by specifically focusing on access to quality education and improving performance and completion rates for girls and boys at all levels of their education. This is a 3 years project has been implemented since 2015.
MEZA phase I major interventions focused on the following:
♦ Provision of Bursary to girls and boys living in difficult conditions from Form 1-4
♦ Setting up of STEM and TUSEME clubs to promote interest and improve performance
♦ Provision of Scholarship for the most vulnerable rural yet well performing health Sciences students
♦ Empowering mothers groups to enable them to support students and schools development.
MEZA phase II is focusing on two main issues: The issue of retention of students, especially marginalized female students living in poor districts, from lower to upper secondary into tertiary. It is also focusing on issues related to gaps in teaching and learning of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) subjects for secondary students, resulting in poor performance and ultimately declining interest in STEM studies and participation in STEM domains.
The primary outcome to be achieved in the MEZA II initiative is to improve performance of girls in STEM subjects and to increase transition of students studying STEM subjects from secondary to tertiary levels.
Implementation
A total of 150 vulnerable students (95 girls and 55 boys) from 10 districts of Unguja and Pemba have been supported through the provision of scholarship to help them improve their learning performance. School Uniforms, stationaries, toiletries, exams fees, tuition fees, school books and transport fro and to schools.
The same 150 students have been supported via establishment of STEM and TUSEME clubs as part of increasing of their passion to take STEM subjects on one side. On the other side is to increase their level of Life skills building like communication and problem solving techniques especially for girls.
Community and STEM mentors (60) have been supporting students to realise their dreams and keep good performance of their studies. The work of mentors is also to expose students into diverse STEM activities including designing of simple STEM projects that would ultimately inspire them to get into STEM careers. Students STEM competitions have been very critical in developing students academically as well as building their passion in STEM subjects. The competitions also act like a good space for improving students 21st century most needed skills: team work, time management, problem solving and critical thinking.