Amount of grant approved (£) : 2181
Year of grant: 2022
This project objective involves the purchase of both welding and tailoring equipment to help support deaf students enrolled in vocational training courses at a college in Matumbulu, Dodoma.
THE PROBLEM
There are over half a million deaf people in Tanzania. This is equivalent to 1.2% of the population. According to official statistics, over half of this group are illiterate, with no knowledge of Swahili or the English language. A very limited number of Tanzanian schools and education centres have resources to support deaf students or specialist teachers. Consequently, the majority fall far behind that of their peers, leaving them with very few job prospects.
Whilst the college in Matumbulu has a team of well-qualified experts and some limited resources such as classrooms and tools, there were not sufficient materials for comprehensive vocational training. This was holding back student development and the chance for the college to grow and expand.
WHAT TDT DID
By providing additional funding for training and equipment, the students can complete their courses, open a shop, and sell their goods on social media. The implementation of projects targeted to the needs of deaf students means they can secure a job in the future. It is important to provide centres dedicated to deaf individuals with enough resources and funding to make their work sustainable.
With help from funding from TDT, the college decided to move their premises to a bigger site in Matumbulu in January 2023. This allows for income generation through agricultural activities and selling of water to the local villages from the on-site bore hole. What’s more, the outcomes from the tailoring and welding lessons can be sold to benefit the Deaf Ministry and within the DCT market. Moreover, there is potential for collaboration with other Tanzanian organizations to market items made by disabled people.
In June 2023, 17 students graduated with the support of the TDT grant. Some stayed part of the production team, whilst others were helped to start their own businesses in the local town.
