About Finnish Special Education in Africa
DISABILITY IS NOT INABILITY
At FSE, we believe that every child is special, with unique combinations of abilities and needs that affect learning. We believe that all children deserve the opportunity to learn in ways that make the most of their strengths and help them overcome their weaknesses.
Our Team
The FSE team is composed of people from Finland, Tanzania, and the United States, both young and old, all dedicated to improving the lives of Tanzania’s youth. Click the button below to learn more about each member of the team!
Our Interpreters
Meet our most experienced interpreters! Pictured from left to right, Witnes, Vitus, Lydia, and Onesmo proudly represent FSEA, forming our initials in sign language while wearing our logo. We are incredibly grateful for their dedication and hard work towards improving the education of deaf students in Arusha!
History of Finnish Special Education in Africa
A Journey Towards Inclusive Education in Tanzania
Early efforts focused on supporting education for deaf children in Arusha, Tanzania.
Funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFA), this project aimed to train special education teachers at Meru Primary School Deaf Unit (MPSDU) in digital learning
A learning center was built next to MPSDU, equipped with fiber-optic internet, computers, and digital learning tools
National test scores of deaf students at MPSDU exceeded the average scores of all MPS students, enabling more deaf students to continue secondary education.
Themi Secondary School in Arusha started admitting more deaf students..
We raised the funds needed for school meals and organized school meals in 2018 and 2019 together with the villagers. As a result, the number of students at the school more than doubled from 350 to over 720, among them a dozen children with disabilities.
Finnish Special Education in Africa - Tanzania (FSE TZ) was officially registered in Tanzania. Partnership with the Abilis Foundation strengthened, allowing sign language interpreters to be placed in secondary schools.
Three sign language interpreters were recruited to assist deaf students at Themi Secondary School, Veta Njiro Vocational Training Centre, and Arusha Technical College.
All deaf students in Form Four at Themi Secondary School passed their national exams.
The number of sign language interpreters increased to five. FSE FI leaders Antti Komulainen and Eva Forssén received the "Global Philanthropist of the Year" award from Fingo, recognizing their commitment to inclusive education.
Launch of "Arusha, Especially!", a new project aimed at further developing special education in Tanzania, improving digital learning, and expanding inclusive education efforts.
OUR IMPACTS
90%
Exam Pass Rate for Deaf Students - Improving learning outcomes and academic success through specialized support.
5
Schools Empowered - Enhancing learning environments with digital tools, teacher training, and accessibility support.
9
Sign Language Interpreters Hired - Bridging communication gaps for deaf students, ensuring equal education.
LEARN MORE ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
English Version
Finnish Version
Three Perspectives
EQUALITY
The assumption is that everyone benefits from the same support. This is equal treatment for everyone.
EQUITY
Everyone gets the support they need. This is the concept of ‘affirmative action’, thus producing equity.
JUSTICE
Everyone can participate and thrive because the cause(s) of the systemic barriers have been removed.
