From tables to transformation: How a simple intervention improved learning for 16,116 students in Tanga

In classrooms across Tanga City Council, the once-familiar sight of students squeezed onto broken benches or kneeling on dusty floors is slowly becoming a thing of the past.

Thanks to the supply of tables and chairs to Secondary Schools in Tanga City Council to Improve Learning Environment Project implemented under the TangaYetu programme, 16,116 students (3,846 in public secondary and 12,270 in primary schools) now learn in more digni­fied, supportive environments with desks, tables, and chairs that meet their needs and give them space to thrive.

Implemented under the TangaYe­tu Programme, the initiative focused on providing quality furniture to 10 public secondary schools. But it wasn’t just the delivery that made the difference, it was the way it was done.

Locally made, locally owned

Unlike conventional aid models that rely on external suppliers, the furniture was made by local carpen­ters in Tanga City, many of them youths and persons with disabilities.

This approach not only strength­ened the local economy, but also built capacity andensured commu­nity ownership of the community change being sought in Tanga City.

Patrick Waziri, TangaYetu’s Pro­gramme Coordinator, shared details of this ambitious project. “We want­ed to involve as many community members as possible, particularly local artisans. They were provided with our standards and guidance, and their work significantly contrib­uted to both the education sector and their own livelihoods,” he said.

“Through this project, I worked with Nyere Secondary, Chumbageni, and Magaoni schools to make 400 desks and chairs. The work employed seven youths in my workshop, giving them earnings that enabled them to start their own ventures,” says Amani Zindwani Mchome, who is a local carpenter who was among the youths contracted to make the desks.

The process was participatory from start to finish. Schools identi­fied their needs, and the allocation was based on clear data gathered in collaboration with local education authorities. Distribution of the desks and chairs was monitored by the school management teams, ensuring that every table and chair reached where it was needed most and in the right quality.

Learning with dignity

The new classroom setups made an immediate impact. Students and teachers alike observed a nota­ble improvement in how classes were conducted. With reduced overcrowding and improved seat­ing arrangements, student attention to teaching and comfort in class increased.

Teacher Mwajabu Ally of Majengo Primary witnessed the heart-break­ing consequences firsthand. “With­out proper furniture, students were restless and distracted. The lack of sitting facilities also affected a class­room order, making teaching a real challenge”

Such basic infrastructure improve­ments have often been overlooked in education development, but with TangaYetu Programme the evidence is clear. A 2016 study by the World Bank titled what matters most for school infrastructure? concluded that adequate classroom furniture directly supports student concentra­tion, attendance, and academic per­formance, especially in crowded or under-resourced settings.

Rashid Majaliwa, a parent in Kisi­matui Village had this to say: “The project has given our children digni­ty. They no longer sit on dusty floors, and we, as parents, see the pride in their eyes when they come home and talk about their desks. It’s more than just furniture, their confidence has been built.”

Building beyond the classroom

The school furniture initiative is part of TangaYetu’s broader push to improve the quality of education in the city. While flagship innovations like the STEM Park Tanga reaching over 30,000 students receive much of the attention, the furniture pro­ject stands as a powerful reminder of how foundational needs must be addressed first.

Unlike digital tools or curriculum reforms, desks and chairs are visi­ble, practical, and immediately felt. Teachers report that students now arrive on time, settle more quickly, and stay more focused during class. School administrators, in turn, have formed maintenance committees to ensure that the furniture is cared for and sustained.

A model for future expansion

Looking ahead, the TangaYetu team is exploring opportunities to replicate and expand this model. Phase II of the Programme plans include partnering with vocational training centers and youth groups to produce school furniture on a larger scale, for Tanga.

“This project notably eased our burden and gave our students a bet­ter environment to focus on their studies.” says Adam Silwano, a teach­er at Macechu Secondary School

A quiet revolution in education

At its core, this project is about more than tables and chairs. It’s about the dignity of students, the pride of local artisans, and the belief that meaningful change often starts with the basics. It was an interven­tion whose results were tangible. Each student now sits at a desk that was not there before.

In a city where youth are increas­ingly seen not as passive recipients but as active co-creators, this project reminds us that the foundations of learning are built not just on books and blackboards, but on the simple act of having a seat at the table.