The government has reiterated its commitment to maintain cooperation with private institutions that promote sports at the grassroots level in the country.
Leonard Thadeo
This was said in Dar es Salaam by the Director of Sports in the Ministry of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, Leonard Thadeo, when commenting on the achievements attained by Right to Play from 2011 to 2014.
He said private institutions play a great role in promoting sports in a bid to facilitate government’s strategies to meet the millennium development goals.
“We have all reasons to recognise their contribution as they have channeled their project to local level, especially in primary and secondary schools, to provide an opportunity for rural students to participate in sports, therefore they have to be supported,” Thadeo said.
Right to Play Country Manager Josphine Mukakalisa pointed out achievements that have been attained in a period covering 2011 to 2014, which span from improving life skills in education to sexual and reproductive health, which has also contributed to improve their academic performances.
She said they are assisted by over 1200 coaches and teachers who lead sport and other play activities in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Dodoma, Mara and Kagera regions, particularly in Ngara District.
“Programme evaluation has shown the increased number of children by ten per cent reporting on positive life skills after participating in activities for a one-year period, which is done twice a week majoring on communication, leadership and peer support,” Mukakalisa explained.
She also mentioned projects that are to be implemented by the organisation, including the Play for the Advancement of Quality Education (PAQE) programme, in which over 100,000 children in the country will be reached within 130 primary schools.
Mukakalisa said the programme will aim to improve learning outcomes demonstrated by standardised test scores and grade completion for children and youth aged two to 15 years through a sustainable and replicable childcentred, play-based learning model.
“It has also focused to enhance policy environments that promote gender sensitive play-based learning approaches to achieve quality education,” she said, adding that the programme will start in October, this year.
By DEOGRATIUS KAMAGI, Tanzania Daily News