The Girl-Child and Government Service Provision.pdf - Tanzania ...

as the pupils’ learning environment very difficult. In such adifficult learning environment, both boys and girls tend toperform poorly. But it is clear that girls under poor conditionssuffer more and perform more poorly.The above situation has caused an increased presence ofNGOs and CSOs in different communities in Tanzania. Byconservative estimates the number in Tanzania has risenfrom about 200 NGOs/CBOs in early 1990 to over 2,000by mid-1997 (TANGO 1999). During the financial year2002, for example, WVT constructed 363 classrooms and154 teachers’ houses, provided 2,459 desks and distributed8,588 textbooks. About 1,000 primary schools in 13 regionsbenefitted (WVT annual reports for 2002 and 2003).Another factor mentioned as contributing to poor performanceby both boys and girls in primary schools visitedwas absence of feeding programmes in those schools.Only one out of five schools had a programme. Duringinterviews, some parents and children admitted to nottaking a regular breakfast.Early Childhood Careand DevelopmentIn Kagera Region the extent of household poverty is increasingdramatically. Two of the four houses visited hadserious roofing problems. Whenever it rains, family members,including children, have to move from one place toanother to avoid the leaks.The majority of rural households that were interviewedconsisted of poor families struggling to make ends meetwhile trying to ensure that their children get milk, nutritiousfood, adequate clothing, medical care and other basicnecessities.Mr Joseph’s story (Case story 1) is typical of the poorhouseholds. He is among those parents who admitted thattheir little children most often go to school in the morningwithout eating anything. They will eat their first meal ataround 3:00 p.m., when they are back from school. Occasionallythey have leftovers in the morning.Case story 1Thomas Joseph is a father of four children, two sons and two daughters. He lives in Kitwe village(Karabagaine ward in the Bukoba Rural District in Kagera Region). When asked about how he is faring as aparent in meeting his daily necessities and those of family members, he responded:“My children are doing well at the moment and the two eldest are in their primary schooling. However,at the moment I am not able to buy them shoes so that they can ‘comfortably’ attend school. I am in a verypoor financial situation, and the condition has remained so for many years now. I am a farmer and depend oncoffee as the mainstay for my family. But at present I only expect to harvest 60 kilograms of coffee [his annualproduction level], and, after selling my produce, maybe then I will be able to buy shoes for my two dear[school]children.”However, during our discussion it was very evident that he won’t be able to purchase those shoes. Onepair of secondhand shoes costs TSHS 3,000 (US$3.00). His coffee will sell for only TSHS 4,800. What elsedoes he do to sustain his living? His story continues:“Apart from coffee farming, I engage myself in a small business of selling charcoal that has a good marketin town. I buy one bag of charcoal [about 25 kilograms] at TSHS 1,000 here in my village, and by using mybicycle [the main family asset] I take it to town [about 20 kilmeters], where I sell it for TSHS 1,700, getting aprofit of TSHS 700. However, out of the 700 that I get, 200 will be used to pay levy and another 200 I will useto at least drink some tea, since I usually leave here very early in the morning.”This means, then, that Mr Joseph will take home a profit of TSHS 300 for each bag of charcoal. He indicatedthat each week he sells three bags, for a profit of TSHS 900. At the end of the month he expects tohave earned approximately TSHS 3,900 (about US$3.90) – if all goes well.40 The Girl-Child and Government Service Provision