FMF Stationery Project : Lindi - Press Release
Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) in partnership with Flaviana Matata Foundation (FMF) visited and donated school stationeries to underprivileged primary school students in Rural and Nachingwea Districts in Lindi on August 11th, 2014. The visit was focused on the improvement of education standards and the quality of education in Tanzania through distribution of school stationeries to needy students. Furthermore, the tour aimed at identifying challenges facing the education sector in Tanzania.
The Tour was led by Flaviana Matata, a Tanzania Fashion Model living and working in the United States of America and the founder of the Flaviana Matata Foundation, a non-profit organization, together with PSPF Marketing and Communication Manager, Ms. Costantina Martin. During the one-day visit to schools in Lindi Region, the convoy visited Mtua Primary School and Chemchem Primary School in Nachingwea District and Mnengulo Primary School and Litingi Primary School in Rural Lindi whereby a total of 700 needy students received stationery kits from FMF and PSPF. The stationery kits featured 12 exercise books, 3 pens, 2 pencils, 1 geometry and mathematical set, 1 eraser, and 1 student backpack. The stationery kit is intended to help students with theirs studies for one full academic year as per Tanzania syllabus.
The main aim of this initiative by Flaviana Matata Foundation and Public Service Pension Fund is to support the government of the United Republic of Tanzania efforts in making sure that every child in Tanzania receives formal education and have access to all the right tools to assist in the learning process. In addition, the visit focused on identifying challenges facing the education sector in Tanzania and motivating various stakeholders to join and participate in efforts to revive the sector through contributing in its development in one way or the other.
Speaking during the visit, Flaviana Matata explained that she was shocked to see Tanzania children receive formal education whilst subjected to difficult conditions involving lack of permanent classroom structures, children studying under trees, lack of toilets in schools hence running a risk of epidemics, shortage of teachers, lack of proper houses for teachers and teaching tools. Flaviana Matata promised that she will fight to engage other stakeholder in her effort to revive and improve the education sector in Tanzania.
This is the second time for PSPF to partner with Flaviana Matata Foundation in giving grants to students geared toward improvement of the education sector in Tanzania. During the first phase of the project a total of 1,500 underprivileged students in Pwani and Shinyanga regions benefited from the project. “We are expecting to reach a total of 3,000 underprivileged students in Tanzania especially in Tunduru and Monduli districts by the end of phase two of the stationery project championed by FMF and PSPF,” insisted PSPF Marketing and Communication Manager Ms. Costantina Martin.
In supporting government efforts to improve the quality of education in the country, Flaviana Matata Foundation has been collaborating with different institutions and Tanzanians at large in efforts to improve the quality of education in the country.