"Improvement of teaching methods and diagnosis of parasitic diseases in agricultural schools network LITA as part of improving the quality of education in the field of animal husbandry in Tanzania" a new project implemented by the Foundation Science for Development.

The Foundation Science for Development would like to inform that within the frame of Polish Aid Program realizes project “The improvement of teaching and diagnostics of parasitic diseases in LITAs’ schools as a component of enhancing the standards of education of breeding livestock in Tanzania” (no. 58/PPR/2015) co financed by The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The general aim of the project is improvement of standards and quality of education of LITA students in the scope of animal health. It is going to be done by creating possibilities of providing laboratory diagnostics of parasitic diseases in farms and companion animals. Increasing the potential of knowledge and skills could serve as a base for better profits of husbandry in LITAs’ herds as well as in local farms. It is presumed that by creating laboratory base and practical training of the staff and students may have an impact on elevation of general level of public health. The beneficiaries of the project will be four agricultural schools which are administered by the Livestock Training Agency of the Tanzanian Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development in Dar-es-Salaam. There are four schools qualified to the project: Buhuri (Tanga), Kuikulula (Karagwe), Mabuki (Mwanza), and Temeke (Dar-es-Salaam). LITA schools are very popular in Tanzania. There are nearly 2200 students throughout in all (eight) LITA campuses. The graduates of LITA schools mostly work as specialist-advisors on husbandry and agriculture. Within the frame of the project the beneficiaries will conduct a rehabilitation of the rooms chosen for didactic and laboratory activities of Parasitology. Subsequently those labs will be equipped with laboratory gears such as microscopes and others, which will be delivered from Poland. The basic element for the advancement of quality teaching will be achieved by training of the staffs and students of particular LITA schools. Those activities will be provided by the lecturers of the Division of Parasitology and Invasiology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW. Students will be taught the basic aspects of Parasitology and Invasiology, pathogenesis of parasitic diseases and a practical approach to clinical and laboratory diagnostics of parasitic infections of animals. It is presumed that by the implementation of relevant knowledge and experiences of Polish lecturers to the LITAs syllabuses. It would be significantly possible to improve the quality of teaching of students. That can be achieved by the increase of practical skills of sampling and parasitological examinations in laboratory. It could give in a long term profits in the animal productivity in LITAs’ herds as well as in local farms. This has to be considered as a main priority for the local communities as the majority of Tanzanian population work for a living from husbandry and agriculture. The project executers belief that the accomplishment of the project would have an impact on traditionally very good relations among Tanzanian and Polish people and that would promote the idea of the Polish Aid Program in Poland and worldwide.