In the picture is the official guest, Adam Malima, Regional Commissioner of Morogoro, representing the Minister of State (TAMISEMI), Prof. Riziki Shemdoe.By, John Kabambala-UN News -Kiswahili Partner.
The CAMFEDTanzania Annual General Meeting (AGM) of 2026 marked a defining moment in the organization’s journey, serving both as a platform to reflect on the remarkable achievements of 2025 and as a strategic forum to chart priorities for the year ahead. Bringing together education stakeholders, government representatives, development partners, community leaders, and direct beneficiaries of CAMFED programmes, the meeting stood as a powerful symbol of transparency, accountability, and collective decision-making. Guided by a spirit of solidarity and partnership, the AGM reaffirmed CAMFED’s enduring commitment to a world where every child has access to education, is protected, respected, and truly valued. This article takes an in-depth look at CAMFED Tanzania’s accomplishments in 2025 and how they have laid a strong foundation for the organization’s goals and priorities in 2026.
What Did CAMFED Tanzania Achieve in
2025?
In 2025, CAMFED Tanzania focused intensively on advancing access, participation, and equity in education for girls from the most marginalized social and economic backgrounds. Through its comprehensive support model, 38,928 students were directly supported during the year, bringing the total number of learners reached since CAMFED’s inception in Tanzania to 183,629. The support package included school uniforms, dignity kits for girls, learning materials, food assistance, transport, bicycles, and hostel accommodation. Discussions at the AGM emphasized that these interventions were not only about increasing school enrolment but also about ensuring retention, wellbeing, and academic success. Recognizing that safe and inclusive learning environments are central to quality education, CAMFED invested significantly in school infrastructure in 2025. A total of 66 gender-sensitive toilets were constructed across 33 districts two schools per district to improve health, dignity, and privacy for students, particularly girls. In addition, ten clean water wells were built in primary schools in Kilosa District as part of a water, sanitation, and hygiene initiative. The AGM highlighted these investments as critical in reducing absenteeism linked to health challenges and inadequate girl-friendly facilities.
Strengthening Life Skills and
Social Support Systems
CAMFED Tanzania significantly expanded its life skills education programme in 2025. A total of 1,639 teachers and life skills facilitators received specialized training across 35 districts, reaching 771 secondary schools. Through this programme, 535,127 students benefited from life skills education, including 189,180 girls and 345,947 boys. The AGM underscored the programme’s effectiveness in building confidence, promoting informed decision-making, and preventing challenges such as early pregnancies and child marriage. Child protection and safeguarding remained a core pillar of CAMFED’s work. Through awareness campaigns and targeted training for teachers, parents, and community leaders, understanding of child rights and protection mechanisms improved substantially. The AGM noted that these efforts have helped create safer environments in schools and communities, enabling girls to pursue their education free from fear of violence, abuse, or exploitation.
Supporting Pathways Beyond
Secondary Education
CAMFED
continued to provide targeted support for students transitioning beyond
secondary school. In 2025, a total of 1,738 graduates received scholarships for
higher education and skills training, including 1,257 university students, 225
enrolled in vocational training, and 256 pursuing diploma programmes. The AGM recognized
these achievements as clear evidence of CAMFED’s long-term commitment to
nurturing a skilled, confident generation of young women capable of
contributing meaningfully to national development.
Miss. Helina John Lukindo, As a Special Seats Councillor, Gairo District in Morogoro Region.
Women’s
leadership and empowerment remained central to CAMFED’s strategy. By 2025, the
CAMFED Alumnae Network (CAMA) had grown to 80,311 members. These young women
emerged as community leaders, mentors, and champions for girls’ education. The
AGM reported that 64 CAMA members held local government positions, 283 actively
participated in electoral processes, and five women were elected as councilors
in the 2025 general elections.
One of
the elected councilors shared her vision of using her leadership position to
support her community, particularly girls facing social challenges related to
education, skills development, and economic opportunity demonstrating the
ripple effect of investing in girls’ education. “As a Special Seats Councillor,
I will use my leadership position to work closely with the community,
stakeholders, and various institutions to empower girls and women, especially
those facing social challenges. I will promote girls’ education, life skills
training, and entrepreneurship, as well as expand economic and social
opportunities. Additionally, I will advocate for safe and supportive
environments for girls to enable them to achieve their full potential. My goal
is to ensure that investment in girls’ education and development yields
positive outcomes for families, communities, and national development as a
whole”.
Economic Empowerment and
Climate-Resilient Livelihoods
In the area of economic empowerment, CAMFED implemented entrepreneurship and climate-smart agriculture programmes in 2025. A total of 493 young women received business training, and the acquired knowledge was cascaded to an additional 2,943 women across 33 local government authorities. Furthermore, 329 women were trained in climate-resilient agricultural practices. The AGM highlighted economic empowerment as a cornerstone of women’s independence, agency, and voice within their households and communities. Through its financial inclusion initiatives, CAMFED provided grants to 8,125 young women and loans to 638 women to establish and expand small businesses, with a total investment of TZS 1.79 billion. According to discussions at the AGM, these interventions have increased household incomes, reduced dependency, and strengthened women’s participation in family and community decision-making.
Giving Back: Strengthening
Community Solidarity
Support for the most vulnerable children remained a strong expression of community solidarity. Through contributions from empowered young women, 30,331 children received school uniforms and learning materials, including 28,515 girls and 1,816 boys. The AGM recognized this initiative as a living example of the positive cycle of change that CAMFED nurtures within communities.
What Did CAMFED Tanzania Take Pride
in During 2025?
Among the achievements CAMFED Tanzania celebrated most in 2025 was the government’s official approval and adoption of the life skills textbook “My Better World”, developed through rigorous research and expertise. The book was rolled out for use in all secondary schools nationwide. Speaking at the AGM, CAMFED Tanzania’s Executive Director, Anna Sawaki, described this milestone as a powerful validation of evidence-based approaches to life skills education. At the policy and advocacy level, CAMFED worked closely with the government to integrate proven practices into national education systems. Key achievements included the approval of the life skills curriculum, the launch of the National Re-entry Policy for Schoolgirls, and the signing of memoranda of understanding with TAMISEMI. The AGM acknowledged these milestones as foundations for long-term, systemic change.
Research, Evidence, and the Road
Ahead
In the area of research, CAMFED conducted critical studies on adolescent reproductive health, women’s leadership in education, and sustainable livelihoods. Findings revealed that women now occupy 55 percent of leadership positions in education, with stronger representation at primary school level compared to secondary schools. Looking ahead to 2026, CAMFED Tanzania has set ambitious yet strategic priorities. These include reaching 29,091 additional marginalized girls, expanding life skills programmes to 41 new districts, and supporting 886 additional schools while maintaining a strong focus on quality implementation. The 2026 goals also include providing higher education scholarships to 1,966 students, strengthening child protection systems in schools and communities, and reaching 9,027 young women through economic empowerment initiatives. These investments were described at the AGM as essential building blocks for sustainable, community-driven development. CAMFED Tanzania also plans to remain actively engaged in the development and review of education and youth policies, strategies, and guidelines. Through collaboration with public and private sector partners, the organization aims to mobilise additional resources and opportunities for students and young women nationwide.
A Vision Rooted in Evidence,
Solidarity, and Impact
Beyond statistics and plans, the AGM gave space to powerful testimonies from girls and young women whose lives have been transformed through CAMFED’s work. These stories brought the data to life and reaffirmed the human impact behind every intervention. Representing the Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI), Morogoro Regional Commissioner Adam Kigoma Malima on behalf of the Minister directed all Regional and District Education Officers nationwide to ensure the immediate use of the approved life skills textbook in secondary schools, underscoring the government’s commitment to youth development.In conclusion, the CAMFED Tanzania AGM 2026 painted the picture of an organization that is learning, growing, and guided by evidence and solidarity. The successes of 2025 have laid a strong foundation for the 2026 agenda, which seeks to deepen impact in education, economic empowerment, and young women’s leadership. Under the theme “Invest in Education for Sustainable Development,” CAMFED Tanzania continues to demonstrate that investing in girls is, ultimately, an investment in the nation’s future.
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