A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Public Administration of Mzumbe University
One of the pillars of UN-SDG 4 is to bring gender equality. This study set out to assess the role of NGOs in promoting the girl child education in the pastoral communities, with respect to the Maasai tribe, in the context of inclusive, equitable and lifelong learning for all. The study based on three specific objectives that sought to assess the role played by NGOs in promoting girl education in the pastoralists‘ community, to identify gaps in the promotion of education, and the steps taken to promote girl-children rights and bridging the gender gaps. The research approach which was used in the study was qualitative. The sampling techniques used in selecting respondents of the study were convenience sampling, purposive sampling, and stratified sampling. Data collection methods used in the study were questionnaire, field notes, focus group discussion and interview. In relation to the first objective of the study, the findings reveal that NGOs operating at Monduli district have been promoting girl education through various mechanisms. These are awareness raisings among the pastoralist communities; providing scholastic materials, initiating and supporting various income-generating activities and engaging directly with the school and teachers. In the second objective of the study, the findings reveal that gaps that hinder the promotion of girl education include; harmful cultural practices, unsupportive family/community structures, parents‘ negligence, lack of information, poverty as well as legal and policy gaps. In the final objective of the study, the findings show that NGOs promote girls‘ rights through legal support against harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, and fighting against child marriages. NGOs have been striving much to promote girl child education in pastoralists‘ communities but the participation of girls in education remains a challenge due to existing gaps which hinder the effectiveness of the promotion. Thus, the government should increase support to NGOs and education to stakeholders on how to use local resources for changing the existing situation.