Lasting change starts with community ownership.

Our School Community project focuses on building strong relationships with schools, families and local leaders. By understanding each community's unique culture and priorities, we help establish effective School Management Committees, Boards of Management and engaged parent groups that support quality education and drive sustainable change.

Through our Champions Network, trained Champion Mothers and Fathers play a key role in strengthening child protection across our partner school communities, raising awareness about the importance of education, identifying children at risk of issues including Female Genital Cutting (FGC) and child marriage, and connecting with local families with support.

In Tanzania, the project also includes a community economic development component, with Community Farming and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) helping families build more secure livelihoods and invest in their children's education.

My Voice empowers students to take ownership of their education and future. Through workshops on child rights, child protection and the importance of education, students develop the confidence, skills and knowledge to advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their lives.

The project creates a safe space for children to speak up when their rights are not being upheld. When students raise concerns, trained partners can step in, working with families to resolve issues and ensure every child can attend school and learn in a safe, supportive environment.

At Manyara Primary School in Tanzania, one young student found the courage after a My Voice session to speak up about difficulties at home that were keeping him out of school. With support from the Police Gender Desk, his family came to understand the value of his education. Today he is thriving, and he recently topped his class of 84 students.

Children learn best in safe, inclusive and well-resourced schools. Our School Improvement project works alongside communities to upgrade school infrastructure, from building and renovating classrooms, kitchens, toilets and changing rooms, to providing desks and chairs so children no longer sit on the floor. We also supply educational materials, resources, and information technology like tablets and desktop computers, to make quality learning possible.

We help schools establish robust school feeding programs so children have the energy to learn, supported by school farms that provide a sustainable source of food. In Tanzania, schools grow their own produce with the support of local Champion Farmers, and sell any surplus to help fund other school priorities. We also work with schools to establish reliable access to safe water.

Community contribution (where possible) and commitment to education are central to every project. This shared investment builds genuine local ownership and ensures improvements are maintained and valued for the long term.

So They Can's School Improvement Project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

Teachers have the greatest influence on student learning outcomes. Through in-service training, mentoring and peer-to-peer network support, we equip educators with the skills, confidence and support they need to deliver quality education.

Our training is practical and responsive to each country's education system, helping teachers adapt to national curriculum changes and strengthen key skills such as lesson planning, classroom management and student assessment. We also provide pre-service teacher training to help increase the number of local teachers in marginalised communities such as Baringo, Kenya.

By investing in teachers, we strengthen the quality of education across the whole school community. Confident, well-supported teachers create engaging classrooms where students can learn, grow and achieve their potential.

So They Can's Teacher Development Project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

A strong start can shape a child's entire educational journey. Let's Learn focuses on developing foundational literacy and numeracy skills in pre-primary and lower primary students, helping children build the confidence and curiosity they need to succeed at school.

The project makes learning engaging and hands-on. Students read age-appropriate books, draw, share and listen to stories, and help create teaching aids from locally sourced materials. We support schools with books so children can read and develop a genuine love of learning. As their enthusiasm grows, so does their attendance and engagement at school.

So They Can's Let's Learn Project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

Educating girls is one of the most powerful ways to break the cycle of poverty. Girls who stay in school are less likely to experience Female Genital Cutting (FGC) and child marriage, and more likely to educate their own children, creating change that lasts for generations.

This project tackles the barriers that keep girls from finishing school, including period poverty, FGC, child marriage and limited access to reproductive health information. We share reproductive health information with girls and their mothers, run empowerment workshops and provide psychosocial support. We also provide washable and disposable sanitary products, so girls no longer miss school during their periods. Through our Champions' Network, community members raise awareness of the importance of girls' education and the harms of FGC and child marriage.

In Baringo, Kenya, where many girls are at risk of FGC and child marriage, girls' enrolment has risen significantly since the project began.

Our flagship Ambassadors of Hope initiative goes further. It gives girls at risk a scholarship to finish primary and secondary school, along with health care, psychosocial support and tailored mentorship, so they can become girls' rights champions in their own communities.

Shamba Letu (meaning 'our farm' in Kiswahili) empowers school communities to improve food security and fuel vital school feeding programs, as well as helping to generate sustainable income to support the running costs of the school. Nutritious school meals give children the energy to learn.

Working alongside teachers and students, our team shares productive agricultural techniques and climate-smart processes that increase crop yields. This includes practical, on-site support with land preparation, drip irrigation systems, seed selection and effective cultivation techniques. Schools develop productive crop farms, vegetable gardens and fruit orchards that support their feeding programs, while generating income through the sale of surplus produce.

The benefits extend well beyond the school gate. Students and teachers take their new skills home, helping families grow their own food, improve household nutrition and increase their income.

For many students, completing primary school is only the beginning of their educational journey. The Msomi Scholarship Project helps high-performing students from disadvantaged background access secondary and tertiary education by providing support with school fees, uniforms, books, transport, food and mentorship. Meaning "Scholar" in Kiswahili, Msomi removes the financial barriers that too often prevent capable young people from continuing their studies.

Moureen's story shows what this support makes possible. Growing up in East Pokot, Kenya, where many girls face early marriage and pregnancy, Moureen completed secondary school with outstanding results and was the only girl in East Pokot to receive a university placement that year. With ongoing support from Msomi, she went on to study a Bachelor of Education (Arts) at Kisii University.

Moureen is also committed to giving back. During her university holidays, she volunteered at a local high school, teaching English and Literature and inspiring other students to follow in her footsteps. "I want to be a role model to other girls in my community".

As more children complete primary school in our partner communities, access to quality secondary education has become an urgent priority. In the areas where we work, in Baringo in Kenya, and Babati in Tanzania, secondary schools face significant challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, school environments that are not inclusive of girls and students with disabilities, limited governance capacity, low parental engagement and a shortage of quality teachers. As a result, dropout rates are high and completion rates are low.

Building on the success of our 3 Phase Model in primary schools, we are extending our Education Program into the feeder secondary schools in our partner communities. By strengthening infrastructure, teaching quality, school governance and student wellbeing, we help ensure young people can continue their education, complete secondary school and prepare for meaningful employment.

Early results are already encouraging. In 2025, we supported the construction of the first girls' dormitory at Qash Secondary School in Tanzania, where many students previously walked up to 18 kilometres a day to attend class. The community contributed 10% of the project cost through local materials and labour. In its first year, the number of girls completing their secondary education rose from 47 to 178.

In Tanzania, our Teacher Internship project offers graduates from Mamire Teachers' College and other teachers' colleges a two-year internship placement in one of our partner primary or secondary schools. Approximately 50 interns are placed in our partner schools each year. They help ease local teacher shortages while gaining valuable experience putting their newly acquired knowledge and skills into practice.

Interns lead classes, collaborate with experienced teachers and bring fresh ideas and energy to their school communities, sharing new teaching methods with their peers. Many go well beyond the classroom, leading extracurricular activities, engaging parents and supporting students who have stopped attending to return to school.

Throughout their placement, interns come together for reflection meetings that support shared learning and mentorship. This builds the confidence and capability of the next generation of teachers, equipping them for long-term careers in education.