How Education Helps Shabani Haji Mustafa Reclaim His Dreams
In Kidahwe, a rural community where long distances and poverty continue to push many children out of school, 15-year-old Shabani Haji Mustafa once believed his dreams had ended before they had even begun.
Today, Shabani is back in school, confident, disciplined, and full of ambition. But his journey back to education was not easy.
For years, the road to school felt impossible. Every morning, Shabani walked long distances to reach Kidahwe Primary School. By the time he arrived, he was already exhausted. Sometimes, he had no food to eat during break time. His school uniform was torn. His shoes were worn out. He had no school bag, no exercise books, and often no pens to write with.
Yet despite all the challenges, he still loved school.
I never stopped valuing education, even during the moments when continuing felt uncertain. What challenged me most was not a lack of ambition, but constantly trying to learn while carrying burdens no child should have to carry alone. Still, somewhere within me, I always believed that if given the right opportunity, I could become more than my circumstances
The shame of poverty slowly began affecting his confidence. Sometimes teachers would ask students to submit homework, but Shabani had not completed it, not because he did not want to learn, but because he simply had no exercise books to write in. Afraid of embarrassment and punishment, he would run away from class or hide whenever lessons became difficult.
There are moments when you begin to question your place in a classroom, not because you lack intelligence or discipline, but because every day becomes a quiet struggle to keep up without the basic tools needed to learn confidently. Over time, that reality affects how you see yourself. I slowly became silent, withdrawn, and uncertain of my own potential
As the struggles continued, Shabani became discouraged. He lost confidence in himself, became skeptical about education, and slowly disconnected from learning altogether. In 2024, while in Standard Three, he dropped out of school. Instead of being in class, Shabani spent most of his days roaming around the streets with nothing meaningful to do. The lack of direction exposed him to dangerous influences and an uncertain future. Meanwhile, his parents worked tirelessly on farms, struggling day and night just to survive, but they still could not meet his basic school needs.
Eventually, Shabani joined them in farm work.
Leaving school was never truly a decision of the heart. It was the result of feeling disconnected from an environment I deeply wanted to belong to. Even while spending my days away from class, there was always a part of me that imagined returning, learning again, and building a future that looked different from my present
Even then, seeing other children walk to school each morning continued to affect him deeply.
Seeing other children walk to school each morning reminded me that education is more than just lessons in a classroom. It represents opportunity, dignity, and hope. Although I was no longer attending school at the time, I never stopped admiring those who could continue learning, and I quietly hoped that one day I would have that chance again.
But everything changed one day.
After meeting a teacher (Mr Gilead Rubavu) from Kidahwe Primary School, Shabani learned about the MEMKWA Programme, an initiative designed to support children who had dropped out of school and help them return to learning. That conversation became the turning point of his life. He enrolled in the programme and, for the first time in a long while, began feeling seen, supported, and valued.
Implemented by the Government of Tanzania, the programme is part of the Equitable Access to Quality Primary Education for Out-of-School Children in Tanzania initiative, led by UNICEF in partnership with the Education Above All Foundation and supported by the Qatar Fund for Development through COBET and primary education pathways and Restless Development Tanzania as an implementing Partner
What changed my life was not simply returning to school, but meeting people who reminded me that my future still had value. Sometimes a single conversation, a single teacher, or a single opportunity can completely reshape the direction of a young person’s life. That moment helped me begin believing in myself again
Through the programme, Shabani received essential learning materials and support that removed many of the barriers that had once pushed him out of school. With books, school supplies, and encouragement from teachers, he slowly rebuilt his confidence.
Receiving books, school supplies, and support may appear ordinary to some people, but for me, those things represented something much greater. They restored my confidence and allowed me to participate in school with pride rather than fear. For the first time in a long while, I felt prepared to learn and fully engage in my education
Today, Shabani is thriving in school. He enjoys Kiswahili, English, and Mathematics. He participates actively in class, understands the importance of discipline, and has rediscovered his self-worth
Education has helped me rediscover discipline, confidence, and purpose. I now participate actively in class because I understand my future is worth investing in. The programme did not only return me to school, it helped me see possibilities in myself that I had almost forgotten.
Teachers at Kidahwe Primary School describe him as transformed, from a discouraged and withdrawn child into a focused student filled with hope again.
He is now active in class, disciplined, and eager to learn,” one teacher explains. “You can see the confidence growing in him every single day. He is no longer the boy who hid from lessons. He is now a boy who believes in himself and inspires others around him.
Beyond the classroom, Shabani carries a big dream, he wants to become a professional footballer. But unlike before, he now understands that education is part of achieving that dream.
Football remains my dream, but education has taught me that talent grows stronger when it is supported by knowledge, discipline, and critical thinking. I now understand that learning opens doors far beyond the classroom and gives young people the ability to shape their own futures with confidence
For Shabani, school is no longer a place of shame. It is now a place of possibility.
