Jambo Bukoba- a short-term project to promote sport in schools in Tanzania

A new and innovative project that was currently implemented in norh-western Tanzania connects the aim of development with sport. The German Foreign Office supports this project that was implemented in cooperation with the Tanzanian Ministry of Information, Culture and Sport. The project aims to promote sport in schools, to foster the development of children and young people in one of Tanzania’s poorest regions and, in the long term, to strengthen regional sports structures. Enlarge image Schoolchildren in Tanzania (© picture-alliance/dpa) “Jambo Bukoba” means “hello Bukoba” and thus indicates the capital of the Kagera region in north-western Tanzania, where the project is taking place.

To support the project, the German Foreign Office is seconding Sebastian Rockenfeller, a sports and development expert working for the German Olympic Sports Confederation, to the region.

For some years sport wasn’t even on the curriculum in Tanzanian schools. However, training courses for sports teachers have successfully been established in the region with assistance from the German Olympic Sports Confederation’s promotion schemes and with funding from the German Foreign Office.

Having started by taking a look at sport in the country’s schools and at the country’s traditional culture of movement, Mr Rockenfeller is now working with local partners to develop a teacher training course oriented both to the needs and problems of the country and to the various target groups.

The teacher training course will focus on exercises to improve social skills and teachers’ ability to convey concepts like fair play, cooperation and communication. The aim is to enable teachers to promote their pupils’ social, emotional and physical development, but also to give them a basic knowledge of how to organize a sports lesson, an insight into the role of sports teachers and basic first aid skills. Teaching boys and girls together also plays a crucial part in fostering gender equality.
Enlarge image Children playing in Zanzibar, Tanzania (© picture-alliance/dpa) In a second phase, the project aims to use sport not only for its inherent value but also to help promote concrete development goals, e.g. in the fight against HIV/Aids. In keeping with the best practice concepts of the “Sport for/in Development” scheme, specially trained teachers and coaches will organize a programme in their schools and clubs which will include, among other things, movement games specially developed to impart information about HIV/Aids.

The project is being implemented at the invitation of Kagera region with support from the Tanzanian Ministry of Information, Culture and Sports, and is being financed by the German Foreign Office. The project is also part of the Tanzanian sports promotion plan “Sport for all, excellence and national development” and complements the existing “Jambo Bukoba” projects.