Tambua: helping teachers notice every child

In most classrooms, a child who struggles to see the board, hear the teacher or keep up with the lesson looks like every other child. Nobody has asked the right questions, so nobody writes anything down. Tambua exists to change that.

What Tambua is

Tambua is a tool for ordinary teachers in Tanzania. It helps them notice learners who may have difficulty with seeing, hearing, walking, using their hands, communicating, learning, remembering, concentrating, accepting change, controlling behaviour, making friends, worry or sadness. Then it gives the teacher practical next steps, in Kiswahili and English.

The word tambua means to recognise, or to notice. That is the whole idea: a child can only be supported once someone has seen them.

Who it is for

• Teachers screen learners on an ordinary Android phone, one question per screen, in about five minutes for each child. They see who may need support and get guidance they can use in class the same day.
• Head teachers and academic masters see every class at a glance, follow referrals and print a report for the school.
• District officers, NGOs and government partners see where learners are and whether they are being supported, by region, district and school. They see totals, never names.
• Parents and guardians create a free account, keep their child's details in one place and ask the child's school to link them, so they can follow screening and support.

How it works

1. Screen. The teacher answers plain questions about what a learner can do. Consent is recorded first.
2. Flag. Tambua shows the areas where the learner may need support. Every result says clearly that it is not a diagnosis.
3. Support. The teacher gets short, practical guidance for each area, and can refer the learner for assessment.
4. Track. The school and its partners follow coverage and referrals, so no child is screened and then forgotten.

What Tambua will never do

Tambua screens and flags. It never diagnoses. Only a qualified professional can assess a child. A result in Tambua is a reason to look closer and to act, not a label. The words in the app reflect this: may need support, refer for assessment, never a diagnosis.

Privacy first

A learner's named record stays with their teacher and school. Partners and government see totals, and small groups are hidden so no child can be picked out. Parents see only their own children.

Where we are today

Tambua is in its pilot in Tanzania. The screening questions are our own wording, built on the functional areas of the WG/UNICEF Child Functioning Module, and they still need to be validated. Teachers and families will never pay. Schools, programmes and government fund the work.

If you run a school, a district programme or an NGO and would like to take part, get in touch.