As we continue to celebrate International Women’s Day, we honour women like Anna Lulandala, who are improving their lives and communities through Adult Learning and Education (ALE). Their dedication shows the transformative power of ALE in addressing immediate challenges and improving livelihoods.

Adult education isn’t just about acquiring knowledge, it meets our needs right now. It tackles our daily challenges and makes life better. (Anna Lulandala)

In Kibaha DC District, located in Tanzania’s coastal region 40 kilometres from Dar es Salaam, ALE is opening doors for communities by equipping individuals with essential literacy, entrepreneurship, business, agricultural knowhow (such as livestock management), civic education, health, nutrition, and pre-vocational skills.

Anna Lulandala, a dedicated 55-year-old Special Needs Education Officer at Kibaha Municipality, is a passionate advocate for inclusive ALE. She works tirelessly with groups of individuals with disabilities, ensuring they have access to opportunities for growth and development.

She leads several entrepreneurship groups, where she facilitates training in diverse income-generating activities such as agriculture, business, and fisheries. Her commitment extends to her close collaboration with the adult education officer at the RUVU JKT Community Learning Centre (CLC), a learning hub in the Kibaha District. The RUVU JKT CLC is one of the four pilot CLCs facilitated by DVV International at Kibaha District, they serve as centres to enhance access to adult education and lifelong learning opportunities, promote individual and community development, and address local needs through tailored services.

In January 2024, she participated in skills development training at the RUVU JKT CLC, specifically focusing on agriculture and fish farming. Her motivation was clear - to gain the expertise necessary to effectively train the members of her entrepreneurship groups, enabling them to establish sustainable income-generating activities and improve their overall quality of life. This impactful training was organized by the Kibaha District Adult Education Officer, bringing together seasoned experts in agriculture and fish farming. An extension officer shared invaluable insights into sustainable agricultural methods, while a fisheries officer provided practical guidance on fish farming techniques utilising readily available resources and minimal capital investment.

Inspired by the training, Anna decided to lead by example. At her home in Mlandizi, she built her own fishpond to demonstrate the tangible possibilities that such training offers for income generation. She constructed a simple fishpond measuring 6 meters long and 2 meters wide. Remarkably, since completing the training, Anna has already harvested from her pond twice.

The initial harvest, within six months, yielded an impressive 90 kilograms of salmon, generating approximately 690,000 Tanzanian Shillings ($260). This was achieved with an investment of 300,000 TZS ($113) in fish feed and fingerlings. This success changed her view, solidifying her belief in the power of adult education to address immediate needs and provide a vital pathway for those who may have missed out on formal education.

Anna didn’t stop there. She utilised her newly acquired skills to train facilitators within the disabled people's groups she oversees in Kibaha DC, equipping them to independently implement these income-generating activities and enhance their livelihoods.

Her second harvest, this time of catfish, yielded 75 kilograms, resulting in an income of around 600,000 TZS ($226). This additional income is used to meet household needs like food and is reinvested back into growing her business.

Right now, Anna faces one principal challenge: water. She relies on tap water to fill her fishpond, leading to higher water bills. But she has a plan. With the increasing profitability of her fish farming venture, she is planning to invest in the construction of a well at her home, ensuring a sustainable and cost-effective water source for her fishpond.

Retirement is coming soon. These programmes give me a way to keep earning money and caring for my family long after I stop working. It’s a lifeline adult education provides.

Anna's dedication extends beyond her personal success. She continues to passionately support her groups of individuals with disabilities, facilitating their engagement in diverse skills development and entrepreneurship activities through ALE opportunities. Many are already actively involved in agriculture and fisheries. She also utilises the Kibaha–RUVU JKT CLC as a vital platform to connect with other individuals with special needs. Here, they can discuss their challenges, share their progress, and collaboratively plan for future initiatives.

Anna Lulandala’s story shows the potential of ALE to transform lives, not only by imparting essential skills but also by creating platforms for community-led innovation and sustainable development. Through her efforts, Anna demonstrates that when Adult Education is accessible and tailored to the needs of marginalised groups, it can be a catalyst for change that uplifts entire communities.