Beyond the travel brochures touting Zanzibar as a tropical paradise lies the reality on the ground for a lot of Zanzibarians, that of poverty and lack of opportunities. The people of Zanzibar are known to be socially conservative and this is reflected in them sending their children to either full-time or part-time Islamic schools from an early age.
With a team of UK born and educated Muslims, ARISE seeks to empower Zanzibarians through educational and welfare empowerment. We seek to create the next generation of young Zanzibarians whose pride in being Muslim seamlessly marries with a profound understanding of the world around them through a rigorous education covering core subjects including Mathematics and the Sciences.
Our work is deeply informed by Islamic values and principles. This ethical framework guides our approach to education and poverty relief, ensuring that our activities align with the principles of compassion, social justice, and the pursuit of knowledge central to Islam.
We strive to make our programming culturally sensitive and relevant to the predominantly Muslim population of Zanzibar. This approach helps us build trust and rapport with local communities, enhancing the effectiveness of our programmes.
Empowered Zanzibar communities where education and welfare support create pathways out of poverty.
To transform Zanzibari communities through educational programs that blend religious and secular studies, and alleviate poverty through food assistance, healthcare support, and vocational training.
At Arise International, we are committed to advancing education in Zanzibar through a comprehensive approach that combines religious and secular studies. Our core curriculum support aligns with the Zanzibar national curriculum, focusing on subjects such as Kiswahili, English, Mathematics, and Sciences. We supplement this with after-school tuition to ensure our students receive the additional support they need to excel.
Recognising the importance of technology in today's world, we place a special emphasis on developing technological skills that will prepare our students for both local and remote employment opportunities. Alongside this, we integrate Islamic Studies into our curriculum, providing a holistic education that respects and nurtures our students' cultural and religious heritage.
Our commitment to relieving poverty in Zanzibar extends beyond the classroom. We have established a food assistance program to support individuals and families facing food insecurity. This program ensures that our students and their families have access to nutritious meals, reducing the burden of poverty on their daily lives.
Additionally, we provide healthcare support to address the medical needs of our beneficiaries. Our vocational training opportunities are designed to equip individuals with practical skills, enhancing their employability and helping them achieve financial independence. These initiatives work together to create a comprehensive approach to poverty relief in the community.
Arise International is committed to serving and engaging the local community. We work closely with local institutions to expand our reach and impact. This includes collaborating with schools to share resources and best practices, benefiting a wider range of students.
We also engage with mosques and youth centres to host educational events. Our Community Liaison Officer regularly visits the community and organizes events to ensure that our programs remain relevant and responsive to local needs.
We recognise that the quality of education depends greatly on the skills and knowledge of our teachers. To this end, we organise quarterly teacher training sessions, providing 16 hours of professional development annually for each teacher. These sessions focus on integrating the latest educational research and best practices into our teaching methods.
Our Educational Advisory Group, consisting of local educators and our staff, meets bi-annually to review and improve our teaching methods. We place particular emphasis on fostering critical thinking skills, equipping our teachers with the tools they need to encourage independent learning and analytical thinking in their classrooms.
To support our educational programs, we provide a range of resources to our students. This includes supplying school books and materials essential for their studies. In each of our classrooms, we have established Resource Corners, each stocked with at least 100 books, 20 educational posters, and 10 hands-on learning tools.
Understanding the challenges some students face in accessing education, we also provide transport assistance. This ensures that financial constraints or geographical distance do not prevent any child from receiving the education they deserve.
We have introduced project-based learning (PBL) assignments in our upper primary classes, with one project per term focusing on local Zanzibari issues. This approach not only enhances our students' research and presentation skills but also engages them with real-world problems in their community.
Our teachers receive basic training on PBL methodologies and are provided with a list of project ideas relevant to Zanzibar. Through these projects, students learn to synthesise information from multiple sources, develop their own interpretations, and present their findings – valuable skills for their future academic and professional lives.
To ensure the effectiveness of our programmess, we have implemented robust monitoring and evaluation systems. We track student performance regularly, allowing us to identify areas where additional support may be needed and to celebrate our students' achievements.
We also conduct ongoing impact assessments of our various initiatives. This data informs our continuous improvement strategies, ensuring that our programmess remain effective and relevant. By maintaining this cycle of assessment and improvement, we can adapt our approach as needed to best serve our students and the wider community.
Our work is deeply informed by Islamic values and principles. This ethical framework guides our approach to education and poverty relief, ensuring that our activities align with the principles of compassion, social justice, and the pursuit of knowledge central to Islam.
We strive to make our programming culturally sensitive and relevant to the predominantly Muslim population of Zanzibar. This approach helps us build trust and rapport with local communities, enhancing the effectiveness of our programs. At the same time, we maintain an inclusive approach, providing our services and support to all eligible beneficiaries, regardless of their religious beliefs. Our Islamic ethos inspires our commitment to serving humanity as a whole.
Unpacking Factors Influencing School Performance in Zanzibaar.
UNICEF Innocenti, May 2024
Understanding Child Poverty in Zanzibar
UNICEF Tanzania 2020
New project updates