DVV International is a German International NGO working in the field of adult/non-formal education and development. DVV International’s vision is to fight poverty through education and support development. As the leading professional organization in the field of adult learning and education (ALE) and development cooperation, DVV International has committed itself to supporting lifelong learning for more than 50 years. DVV International provides worldwide support for establishing and developing sustainable structures for Youth and Adult Education.

In 2020, DVV International started its system-strengthening activities for sustainable adult education in Tanzania. In this context, the regional office will be relocated from Ethiopia to Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) by mid-2021 in order to be able to effectively support non-formal adult education for poverty reduction on-site and in the region.

As part of DVV International’s regional approach in East Africa, outreach activities in the form of conferences and exchange visits have already taken place. It became apparent that Tanzania faces similar challenges in the sector as other countries in this region. Although the Tanzanian government has introduced a variety of policies and projects in non-formal adult education to strengthen educational opportunities for youth and adults, coordinated and effective implementation is still a challenge. Youth and adults in rural areas in particular are still hardly reached by these educational measures, which is reflected in the high illiteracy rate of about 25 percent.

The government regards the literacy of the population as a basic element for the advancement of economic development in the country. State and civil society actors from Tanzania were able to get to know the successful work of DVV International in exchange visits to Ethiopia and Uganda. The Community Learning Centre and the Adult Learning and Education System Building Approach were evaluated very positively as methods to improve literacy and educational opportunities for the people of Tanzania. DVV International’s engagement will therefore focus on the implementation of these approaches in order to support the Tanzanian government in establishing an effective adult education system. The focus is on literacy and livelihood promotion.