Tinga Tinga Tales ECD Programme, Tanzania

 

WeGiveBooks, Puffin Books, Tiger Aspect Productions, Classic Media, and The Pearson Foundation (whew!) are conducting ECD Training with 90 teachers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Thirty teachers have been trained every day. The training is for in primary school teachers across Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  

Using TingaTinga Tales books, participants learn about different teaching methods emphasizing Early and Emergent literacy. As we know, learning is not based on only reading books. The use of drawn images, dancing and singing are all a part of learning. 

During the training, the teachers have been taught how to use simple tools to make learning materials. There are so many things just lying around on the streets like paper and plastic products and all of these things can be used to create teaching tools. Upendo Maeda from the Bunge Primary School says, “The recycling of materials can reduce the environmental pollution in a city like Dar es Salaam. Every time I make the budget for my class the head teacher tells me that we don’t have money to buy the teaching materials. Now, after this training,I can make my own tools using simple materials.” “This program is very good for the teachersin rural areas where there are no teaching tools,” said Eliaich Mosha from the Tungi Primary School.

The teachers have been given a classroom set of TingaTinga Tales books from the “We Give Books”programme which provides books as the result of people reading books online. For more information, please visit www.wegivebooks.org. The TingaTinga Tales books tell African animal origin stories like why Elephant has a trunk and why Monkey swings from trees.

Mr. Clarence Mwinuka, coordinator of Early Childhood Development (ECD) at the Ministry of Education, visited the workshop. Mr. Mwinuka said that the government is working hard to improve teachers’ skills in Tanzania. “We have a plan based on improving ECD, but we are very happy to see how the private sector can help. The Ministry of Education is always open to companies assisting us in the schools,” he said. 

After the training each participant will train five additional teachers, who will also be given TingaTinga Tales books, teacher training materials and a CD containing TingaTinga Tales shows in both English and Swahili. These materials will be used by participants during their own ECD trainings back in their home districts.

by Isack Nyasilu