How can we use the MOJA Platform in Tanzania?
13 September 2024 | Joseph Masonda | DVV International ALE Benefits of ALE In Africa Community Learning Non-formal education
Tanzania
With an overwhelming amount of content scattered across the internet—whether for learning, inspiration, or information—it's easy to find yourself endlessly searching through links. When it comes issues related to Adult and Non-Formal Education (ANFE), the challenge intensifies, especially considering the diverse range of Ministries, organizations and policies involved in ANFE across Africa. Each country and organization has its programmes or initiatives, making it difficult for practitioners to find relevant information quickly in one place.
In Africa, many organizations are implementing promising initiatives aimed at promoting non-formal education and community development, including skills-building programmes designed to create lasting change. But as an adult and non-formal education practitioner—whether you're a programme officer, communications expert, facilitator, or educator—finding specific resources and others who may be involved in similar programmes for collaboration and knowledge exchange can be time-consuming and frustrating.
Imagine, however, a digital platform dedicated to addressing these challenges. However, there is a digital platform where you can share and tap into knowledge, connect with colleagues, and gain direct access to other adult educators in Africa who are dealing with similar challenges, allowing you to learn from their experiences. This is exactly what the MOJA platform offers—a digital space designed specifically for ALE practitioners and professionals across Africa. The MOJA Community offers members the ability to create profiles for themselves and their organizations, share insights, connect with others, and spread the word about their activities and events. This enables more impactful work and promotes enhanced community development.
MOJA, launched in 2021, is Africa’s first and only digital platform focused on ALE and ANFE. It has expanded since then to serve the entire continent. For practitioners in Tanzania, the platform has already become a valuable tool, allowing stakeholders to share best practices, learn from one another, and network. But there’s always room for more people and organizations to benefit from its offerings.
MOJA is a dynamic, user-generated platform - meaning the more we, as practitioners, contribute, the more useful it becomes. In our recent efforts to promote it in Tanzania, communications personnel, programme officers, IT experts, and ALE practitioners came together for a workshop organized by DVV International on September 3rd at the DVV International Regional Office in Dar es Salaam. The workshop's goal was to explore how best to leverage MOJA for advocacy and knowledge-sharing within their organizations.
One common concern raised during the workshop was: What if I’m not a skilled writer? Many participants expressed a fear of sharing stories because they didn’t feel competent enough to write effectively. However, the workshop covered writing basics, from structuring stories to writing for impact, conducting research, and ensuring ethical practices. Participants learned how to craft stories that resonate while discussing challenges they face in storytelling. This hands-on session gave everyone the confidence to share their work. As well as this, the MOJA Communications Handbook offers easy solutions to writing articles, as well as other ways of raising the visibility of your activities and organisation.
Representatives from the Institute of Adult Education (IAE), Tanzania Education Network (TENMET), University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), UNESCO, and Tanganyika Christian Refugee Services attended, and after the workshop, they selected topics related to their initiatives to write about. They agreed to share these drafts within a dedicated WhatsApp group for peer review before uploading them to the MOJA platform. This WhatsApp group, which includes communication personnel from various organizations, the Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST) and President's Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG), as well as ALE practitioners, serves as a space for advocacy, networking, and collaborative learning.
The journey to promote MOJA and our initiatives has been both exciting and challenging. But the end goal is clear: to advocate for the incredible work being done in ALE and NFE in Tanzania and around Africa, ensuring that our initiatives reach a broader audience for exchange and learning and make a lasting impact. Through platforms like MOJA, we can connect, learn, and inspire change – whether through the networks we build, the knowledge we gain, or the partnerships we build.
So, are you or your organization part of the MOJA platform yet? Do you have a story to share or a resource to contribute? Follow the links below to get started, and if you want to connect with like-minded individuals in Tanzania directly, join our WhatsApp group. We welcome your ideas and recommendations on how we can continue to grow and improve this powerful tool for the ALE community.