So They Can was delighted to host a visit organised by the Australian International Development Network (AIDN) in May. With AIDN’s mission of more and better international giving and investing from Australians, a group of 15 dedicated individuals travelled to Kenya and Tanzania, to visit and learn about impactful Australian NGOs, like So They Can.

‘Having been extensively vetted and subsequently one of only 41 Australian NGOs awarded Full Accreditation by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), contributions to our programs by Australian investors are even more powerful. Additional funds that we can send to East Africa for the education of children, and the development of communities, increases our Regional Development Expenditure and accordingly, increases our funding from DFAT’

Cassandra Treadwell, CEO and Co-Founder, So They Can

The AIDN group visited So They Can’s team in Tanzania. Their morning at Mamire Primary School, one of our 34 government partner schools in Tanzania, provided firsthand insight into our sustainable Education Program. Since partnering with the school in 2018, So They Can has significantly improved infrastructure – providing a borehole, a 10,000L water tank and the renovation of 6 classrooms to ensure a safe learning environment for the 664 children enrolled. As part of combating climate change and ensuring a better environment for the future, So They Can installed efficient cooking stoves at the school, reducing the need for firewood by more than 85%. Our work in community sensitisation over that time, has resulted in girls’ enrolment increasing by 55%.

‘It was great to share the So They Can collaborative approach. How the Government, communities, schools, parents and students are all part of our success and part of the positive changes that we witness every day – especially the improved academic results, enrollment and transition rates. The main takeaways of the AIDN group was that they found our model unique and sustainable, and were impressed with how we embed crosscutting issues in the work that we do: child protection, disability inclusion, gender equality, climate change & environment, sustainability.‘

Roselyne Mariki, Country Manager, Tanzania

To showcase their approach to building the school’s sustainability, the Head Teacher took the group on a tour of the 4-acre school farm, together with So They Can’s Community Engagement Manager. With support through So They Can’s Shamba Letu project, food is produced to supplement the school’s feeding program, and generate income, which recently was used to buy a much-needed photocopier. The implementation of a new 1-acre drip-irrigation system in late 2023, means that their produce and income will  continue to improve.

‘Drought really impacts our community, and harvest seasons. With our new DIS, we can make our school farm sustainable.  It is an important learning experience in climate-smart agriculture for students, and teachers. It is also a great opportunity for the school to increase our income, to address some of our financial challenges and improve school infrastructure for effective education delivery.’

Daniel, teacher in-charge of Mamire Primary School Farm

Since So They Can’s inception, our work has been made possible with the support of dedicated individuals, companies and foundations in Australia, and beyond. Now, with 15-years of experience and evidence of the effectiveness of our approach, we have reached a critical inflection point to scale. It is committed Australians, like our AIDN visitors, who understand that together we can transform rural school communities, starting with access to quality education.

Mark Cubit, co-leader of the AIDN tour had not visited So They Can in the field for a number of years and was impressed at how the organisation’s programming had progressed over that time. He said it was obvious to the whole group that So They Can’s programs had had a significant impact on Mamire Primary School. Read more about AIDN’s 2024 Insight to Tanzania and Kenya here.