For Immediate Release
East Africa’s Leading Learning Experts Convene in Kilimanjaro to Revitalize Regional Educational Research
FLARA Consortium Holds Strategic Planning Meeting to Drive Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessments Across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania
Machame, Kilimanjaro; Tanzania. – January 19, 2026
Today marks the opening of a historic three-day strategic planning meeting that brings together East Africa’s most experienced citizen-led assessment organisations to chart a transformative regional agenda for foundational learning. The Foundational Learning Assessments for a Regional Agenda (FLARA) Consortium Planning Meeting, hosted at Salinero Millie Lodge in Machame, Kilimanjaro, convenes leading experts from Uwezo Tanzania, Uwezo Uganda, and Usawa Agenda Kenya, alongside government partners and education specialists from across the region.
Addressing a Critical Evidence Gap in East African Education
The FLARA Consortium is launching a five-year regional initiative (2025-2030) designed to foster collaboration among Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania through large-scale, citizen-led assessments of foundational literacy and numeracy. This initiative aims to build a shared commitment to improving education data and inspire confidence among stakeholders.
“We are at a critical juncture for East African education,” said the Executive Director of Uwezo Tanzania (Mr Baraka Mgohamwende), opening remarks during this morning’s session. Since the Uwezo East Africa regional report based on the 2011–2015 assessments was published in 2017, no new harmonised, regional citizen-led assessment covering Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania has been undertaken. FLARA will help to fill this gap by re-establishing a coordinated regional assessment of foundational literacy and numeracy.
Decades of Proven Expertise
The consortium partners bring unparalleled experience in learning assessments. Collectively, they have conducted dozens of national and subnational assessments, reaching well over one million children aged 6–16 years, including both in- and out-of-school children. Uwezo Tanzania celebrates 16 years of citizen-led assessment experience and currently serves as the consortium chair.
Strategic Focus: Literacy, Numeracy, and Life Skills
Over the next three days, consortium leaders and government representatives will finalise assessment frameworks and agree on harmonised approaches to measuring foundational skills across the three countries. A key innovation is the integration of life skills and values assessment, including domains informed by child development research. This three-day meeting is about translating evidence into action, ensuring that assessment findings are effectively communicated to policymakers, educators, and communities to drive tangible improvements in learning outcomes
Government Partnership and Policy Alignment
A significant focus of today’s discussions centred on how the assessments will support and align with recent education reforms, such as the Competency-Based Curriculum, across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, ensuring relevance and policy coherence.
“The evidence we generate must directly support implementation of Tanzania’s Competency-Based Curriculum and education sector priorities,” stated Uganda’s government representative during workshop discussions.
Building Regional and Continental Leadership
By 2030, FLARA aims to deliver at least two harmonised national citizen-led assessments in each country and publish at least six national reports and two regional reports. These reports will disaggregate data by indicators of disadvantage, including location, schooling status, school type, parental education, socio-economic status, and gender, enabling a nuanced analysis of intersectional inequalities in learning outcomes.
“This work positions East Africa at the forefront of continental conversations on learning outcomes and progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4,” noted a consortium representative. “Our evidence will inform advocacy at the East African Community and African Union levels.”
Supporting District-Level Implementation and Local Action
A cornerstone of FLARA’s approach is capacity strengthening at the district level. The initiative will work in partnership with 135 community-driven organisations at the district level and engage 4,000 village leaders and 6,000 trained citizen volunteers to implement assessments in 70,000 households, reaching approximately 100,000 children per assessment cycle across the region.
“Our work extends beyond producing national reports,” explained Mr. Mgohamwende. “We are equipping over135 district partners with tools, training, and evidence to drive practical use of assessment data in schools and communities, ensuring that evidence translates to improved teaching and learning.”
Looking Ahead
The FLARA Consortium Planning Meeting continues through January 21, 2026, with opportunities for media professionals and stakeholders to engage in technical discussions, resource mobilisation, and regional advocacy planning, fostering collaboration and support for the initiative.
For inquiries, please contact:
FLARA Consortium Coordinator
Baraka Mgohamwende
Executive Director -Uwezo Tanzania
M: +255 717 245 312 |T: +255735041143
E: bmgohamwende@uwezotanzania.or.tz, www.uwezotanzania .or.tz
About FLARA
The Foundational Learning Assessments for a Regional Agenda (FLARA) Consortium is a five-year regional initiative uniting three citizen-led assessment organisations, Uwezo Tanzania, Uwezo Uganda, and Usawa Agenda Kenya, to conduct harmonised assessments of foundational literacy and numeracy across East Africa. The consortium aims to generate timely, representative, and actionable evidence to inform education policy and practice while strengthening district-level capacity for evidence-based decision-making. FLARA is grounded in over 15 years of experience and a proven commitment to reaching marginalised and out-of-school children across the region.
KISWAHILI
TAARIFA KWA VYOMBO VYA HABARI
Wataalamu wabobevu wa Elimu Afrika Mashariki Wakutana Kilimanjaro Kuhuisha Utafiti wa Kikanda wa Elimu.
Muungano wa FLARA Umefanya Kikao cha Kimkakati cha Kupima Stadi za Awali za Kusoma, Kuandika na Kuhesabu nchini Kenya, Uganda na Tanzania.
Machame, Kilimanjaro; Tanzania, January 19, 2026
Leo ni ufunguzi wa kikao cha kihistoria cha siku tatu cha mipango ya kimkakati kinachowaleta pamoja taasisi zenye uzoefu mkubwa zaidi barani Afrika Mashariki katika tathmini zinazoongozwa na wananchi wenyewe, kwa lengo la kuweka ajenda ya kikanda ya mageuzi ya ujifunzaji wa msingi. Kikao hicho cha Muungano wa Foundational Learning Assessments for a Regional Agenda (FLARA) kinachofanyika Salinero Millie Lodge, Machame, Kilimanjaro, kinawakutanisha wataalamu wakuu kutoka Uwezo Tanzania, Uwezo Uganda na Usawa Agenda Kenya, pamoja na washirika wa serikali na wataalamu wa elimu kutoka eneo lote.
Kuziba Pengo Muhimu la Ushahidi katika Elimu Afrika Mashariki
Muungano wa FLARA unaanzisha mpango wa kikanda wa miaka mitano, 2025 hadi 2030, uliolenga kurejesha ushirikiano kati ya Kenya, Uganda na Tanzania kupitia tathmini kubwa za stadi za awali za kusoma, kuandika na kuhesabu zinazoongozwa na wananchi. Mpango huu unashughulikia pengo la dharura la ushahidi, kwani zaidi ya muongo mmoja umepita tangu kufanyika kwa tathmini ya mwisho ya kikanda ya ujifunzaji wa msingi, hali iliyowaacha watunga sera na wadau wa elimu bila takwimu za sasa za kuongoza mageuzi na afua za elimu.
“Tupo katika hatua muhimu kwa elimu ya Afrika Mashariki,” alisema Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Uwezo Tanzania, Bw. Baraka Mgohamwende, katika hotuba ya ufunguzi wa kikao cha leo asubuhi. “Ni miaka kadhaa imepeta sasa nchi za Kenya, Uganda na Tanzania, hazijaweza kufanya tathmini ya kikanda iliyounganishwa na kuoanisha mbinu. FLARA itabadilisha hali hii.”
Uzoefu wa Miongo Kadhaa Uliohakikishwa
Washirika wa muungano huu wana uzoefu wa kipekee katika tathmini za ujifunzaji. Kwa pamoja wamefanya tathmini 29 za kitaifa na ngazi ndogo za kiutawala, wakifikia zaidi ya watoto milioni 2 wenye umri wa miaka 6 hadi 16. Na Uwezo Tanzania inaadhimisha miaka 16 ya uzoefu wa tathmini zinazoongozwa na wananchi na kwa sasa inahudumu kama mwenyekiti wa muungano.
Mwelekeo wa Kimkakati, Kusoma, Kuandika, Kuhesabu na Stadi za Maisha
Katika siku hizi tatu, viongozi wa muungano na wawakilishi wa serikali watakamilisha mifumo ya tathmini na kukubaliana mbinu zilizooanishwa za kupima stadi za msingi katika nchi tatu. Ubunifu muhimu ni ujumuishaji wa tathmini ya stadi za maisha, ikijumuisha maeneo yanayotokana na tafiti za ukuaji wa mtoto, sambamba na viwango vya kawaida vya kusoma, kuandika na kuhesabu.
“Kikao hiki cha siku tatu kinalenga kubadilisha ushahidi kuwa vitendo,” alieleza Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Uwezo Uganda, Dkt Gorrette Nakabugo, katika maelezo ya jumla ya asubuhi. “Hatutekelezi tathmini pekee, bali tunahakikisha matokeo yanawafikia watunga sera, walimu na jamii ili kuleta maboresho ya kweli katika matokeo ya ujifunzaji.”
Ushirikiano na Serikali na Ulinganifu wa Sera
Sehemu kubwa ya majadiliano ya leo imejikita katika ushirikiano na serikali na ulinganifu na mageuzi ya hivi karibuni ya elimu katika ukanda. Wawakilishi kutoka wizara husika za kitaifa za Uganda, Kenya na Tanzania wanashiriki kikamilifu katika kikao hiki ili kuhakikisha tathmini zinaendana na mifumo ya Mitaala inayozingatia Umahiri na mipango ya kimkakati ya sekta ya elimu.
“Ushahidi tunaouzalisha lazima uunge mkono moja kwa moja utekelezaji wa Mtaala Unaotegemea Umahiri wa Tanzania na vipaumbele vya sekta ya elimu,” alisema mwakilishi wa serikali ya Tanzania wakati wa majadiliano ya ulinganifu wa ushirikiano.
Kujenga Uongozi wa Kikanda na Bara
Kufikia mwaka 2030, FLARA inalenga kutoa angalau tathmini mbili za kitaifa zinazoongozwa na wananchi na zilizoanishwa katika kila nchi, pamoja na kuchapisha angalau ripoti mbili za kikanda. Ripoti hizi zitachanganua takwimu kwa kuzingatia viashiria vya mazingira magumu, ikiwemo eneo, hali ya kwenda shule, aina ya shule, elimu ya wazazi, hali ya kiuchumi na kijamii, pamoja na jinsia, ili kuwezesha uchambuzi wa kina wa ukosefu wa usawa katika matokeo ya ujifunzaji.
“Kazi hii inaweka Afrika Mashariki mstari wa mbele katika mijadala ya bara kuhusu matokeo ya ujifunzaji na maendeleo kuelekea Lengo la Nne la Maendeleo Endelevu,” alibainisha mwakilishi wa muungano. “Ushahidi wetu utachochea utetezi katika ngazi ya Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki na Umoja wa Afrika.”
Kusaidia Utekelezaji wa Ngazi ya Wilaya na Hatua za Ndani
Nguzo kuu ya mbinu ya FLARA ni kuimarisha uwezo katika ngazi ya wilaya. Mpango huu utafanya kazi kwa ushirikiano na mashirika Zaidi ya 135 yanayoongozwa na jamii katika ngazi ya wilaya, na kuwashirikisha viongozi wa vijiji 4,000 na wajitolea raia 6,000 waliopata mafunzo, ili kutekeleza tathmini katika kaya 70,000, na kuwafikia takribani watoto 100,000 katika kila mzunguko wa tathmini.
“Kazi yetu inaenda zaidi ya kutoa ripoti za kitaifa,” alieleza Bw Mgohamwende. “Tunaviwezesha washika wetu Zaidi ya 135 kwenye nazi ya wilaya kwa zana, mafunzo na ushahidi wa kuhamasisha matumizi ya vitendo ya takwimu za tathmini shuleni na katika jamii, kuhakikisha ushahidi unatafsiriwa kuwa maboresho ya ufundishaji na ujifunzaji.”
Mwelekeo
Mkutano wa Mipango wa Muungano wa FLARA unaendelea hadi tarehe 21 Januari 2026, ukitoa fursa kwa wanahabari na wadau kushiriki katika majadiliano ya kitaalamu, uhamasishaji na utafutaji rasilimali, pamoja na mipango ya utetezi wa kikanda ili kuimarisha ushirikiano na uungwaji mkono kwa mpango huu.
Mawasiliano: Kwa maelezo zaidi, tafadhali wasiliana na:
Mratibu wa Muungano wa FLARA
Baraka Mgohamwende
Mkurugenzi Mtendaji, Uwezo Tanzania
Simu ya mkononi, +255 717 245 312, Simu ya ofisini, +255 735 041 143
Barua pepe, bmgohamwende@uwezotanzania.or.tz , www.uwezotanzania .or.tz
KUHUSU FLARA
Muungano wa Foundational Learning Assessments for a Regional Agenda, FLARA, ni mpango wa kikanda wa miaka mitano unaounganisha mashirika matatu ya tathmini zinazoongozwa na wananchi, Uwezo Tanzania, Uwezo Uganda na Usawa Agenda Kenya, kufanya tathmini zilizoanishwa za stadi za awali za kusoma, kuandika na kuhesabu katika Afrika Mashariki. Muungano unalenga kuzalisha ushahidi wa wakati muafaka, unaowakilisha hali halisi na unaotumika katika vitendo ili kuarifu sera na utekelezaji wa elimu, huku ukiimarisha uwezo wa ngazi ya wilaya katika maamuzi yanayotegemea ushahidi. FLARA imejengwa juu ya uzoefu wa zaidi ya miaka 15 na dhamira thabiti ya kuwafikia watoto waliotengwa na wale walio nje ya mfumo wa shule katika ukanda mzima.