By Prosper Makene
The National Institute of Transport (NIT) has planned to visit 20 secondary schools in Tanzania’s gas-rich regions of Mtwara and Lindi to sensitize female students in the area to study science subjects.
The Institute’s Project Environment, Social Safeguards and Gender Focal Point Officer Dr. Nuru Kitara said: “In January next year, we are planning to visit 20 secondary schools in Lindi and Mtwara regions to promote the participation of female students in science subjects.”
NIT Students demonstrating some of their innovations an an exhibition in Tanzania
He further said that the outreach programme to visit secondary schools intends to promote the participation of female students studying science started in Dar es Salaam as pilot and now taking off to other regions in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.
“Through the visit to secondary schools, the NIT team will introduce the female scholarship programme that will be offered at our institute as the move to increase female enrolment in aviation programmes,” he said.
He noted that: “Following the reception of the funds from the World Bank through East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP), our Institute through CoEATO has allocated fund worth USD 170,000.00 (TZS 392,445,000.00) to offer scholarships to Tanzanian female students to pursue Bachelor’s Degree, Diploma and Short Course Programmes in Aviation and Transport Operations. “We believe that after our visit to secondary schools, more positive changes will be seen in our enrolments since many of the female students do not understand the advantage of studying science subjects,” He concluded.