Adult Education Centre

Providing a free six-month course in the basics of business

At Give A Heart To Africa, we run a free Adult Education Centre where disadvantaged women learn basic business skills.  We offer classes in English, business, and computer skills.  The school runs Monday to Thursday, from 9 a.m. to noon (local time).  Each class is taught by a volunteer (or volunteers) in combination with a local Tanzanian teacher.

English

English is the (unofficial) second language of Tanzania.  The language is required in many jobs, especially if people will interact with tourists.  The students we accept into our school come with varying levels of English.  Tanzanians speak different amounts of the language largely depending on how much schooling they have had previously.

At GHTA, we divide our students into two groups.  Group 1 has limited or no knowledge of the English language.  Group 2 has a basic or good grasp of the language.  We teach the same core curriculum in both classes, however, the pace and progress is different.  Group 1 relies more heavily on our Tanzanian English teacher to explain concepts and the students require more practice.  This group moves more slowly through the curriculum and learns the basics of English within six months.  Group 2 is able to move more quickly through the lessons and to learn more, and more difficult, English concepts.

In both groups, we have “conversation Thursday” classes.  These classes allow the students to practice having conversations in English and try out the concepts they have learned in class that week.  “Conversation Thursdays” are wonderful days for our students and our volunteers to learn more about each other’s lives and cultures.

Business

In the business class, students learn the basic concepts of business.  The curriculum was developed from business and marketing classes and textbooks in Canada and tailored specifically for the realities of business in Tanzania.  The students learn the basics of accounting, sales, and marketing in their classes.  Students also have to write a Business Plan and a Marketing Plan during the course, and have to execute 3 hands-on assignments.  The business curriculum is structured to equip students with enough knowledge to help them start a small business.

Computer Skills

Having basic computer skills helps our students run their businesses more efficiently and effectively.  Many of our students have never spent time on a computer.  Because of this, the first thing we teach in the computer skills class is typing.  Students use the program Mavis Beacon to practice.  Once they have learned to type, students learn the basics of Microsoft Word and Excel.  They use Excel often for their assignments from the business class.

In the second semester, students have an outing to an internet cafe in town.  Here they learn how to open an email account and even to join Facebook if they are interested!  Many students are excited to have an email account so that they may stay in contact with the volunteers once they have returned to their home countries.