Bahati kwa Manyata

Bahati means [good] luck and according to The Arusha Times, Manyata Primary School has had some good luck! They have received Tsh60 000 000/- to refurbish the school.
The report states that this rural school is a high achiever and has a role of some 300 students.

I was closely associated with the Manyata (the Times article spelt it, Manyatta) over a number of years and this time will be the subject of another blog when I get to it. But we supplied desks, renewed the rood and carried out other rehabilitation work. Our greatest success was with the environmental project.
Lilian was educated there and her story has been told previously.

It is with some delight then, that I read of the bahati that has come to the school. (I hope there is money in the budget to improve the access 'road'.) I wonder if the same teachers are there. My friend, Tito the Headteacher is not for he was moved on and died. Kitomari who named his daughter after Mag had high standards, so perhaps he remains - I don't know.

This is perhaps one of the problems of education that I witnessed. It is difficult to attract staff to rural schools because there is always a problem with water. Usually no electricity. And travel is a problem and dangerous with overloaded buses or Landrovers.
The district school inspectors have power and are able to cause the transfer of a teacher. And they are able to accept a bribe not to cause the transfer of a teacher. So I guess an inspector can load a school with good or bad teachers. There is much more to this for another time.

But I want to climb on my soapbox, but in this blog.
The sixty million shillings is a very good thing because the outcome will be to improve the lot of a number of people - especially the students as I would hope the funding will cover a few items in the way of teaching aids. But the builders and suppliers will benefit and the school will be able to attract better teaches.

Hang on though. The school is achieving very well the way it is, so will better facilities improve future outcomes? I'm playing the devils advocate here - and of course it will.

But what I am coming to is this - and believe me, I have had a lot of experience.
When I first arrived in Tanzania the national average was 6% of primary student were able to go on to secondary school. Six percent! It is much better that that now, but still low.
However, after these bright young people are educated, there are no jobs for them. I have no idea how to address this but effort need to go into this problem.
There are side issues. One portly Australian told me that he would not employ a local - 'it is easy to bring in a PhD from India, give him a room and a bag of rice and he will be happy!' If this is the attitude, what hope have the young Tanzanians got?
There are well educated Tanzanians selling beer but their potential is much, much greater.

So, in my opinion, the sixty million shillings would be better spent in sustainable job creation - what and how, I'm not too sure, but there are answers.
In all of this one of the fundamental problems with aid is the targeting of it. The West is inclined to impose its perceived priorities which is sometimes misdirected.

Anyway, change is difficult to implement, but unless issues are raised, change has no chance.