Airtel Tanzania’s SmartWasomi (also styled SmartWASOMI) initiative is extending digital learning support to more schools, providing high-speed internet connectivity, zero-rated access to curriculum content, and teacher training as part of a multi-year effort to improve education outcomes.
Launched in May 2024 by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, the programme is a partnership between Airtel Tanzania (through the Airtel Africa Foundation), UNICEF and the Tanzanian government via the Ministry of Education. It equips public secondary and primary schools with internet routers and free access to platforms such as the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) digital library and Shule Direct, removing data costs for educational materials.
By mid-to-late 2025 the initiative had connected more than 400 schools. Subsequent updates, including activity in 2026, indicate the network has grown beyond 500 schools. Recent school-level support has included teacher training and connectivity benefits at institutions such as Temeke Secondary School in Dar es Salaam.
Alongside connectivity, Airtel has run capacity-building workshops for teachers already linked to the platform. Sessions cover practical use of digital tools for lesson planning, interactive content delivery and tracking student progress. Training has taken place in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and other regions.
The broader target remains connecting more than 1,000 schools by the end of 2025 and scaling toward 3,000 over five years. The model combines free educational data, physical infrastructure and teacher upskilling to address barriers that previously limited digital learning, particularly outside major urban centres.
SmartWasomi forms part of Airtel Africa’s wider education efforts across its markets. In Tanzania it aligns with national priorities around ICT in education and aims to give both students and teachers consistent access to quality digital resources without the cost barrier of mobile data. Continued rollout will depend on sustained partnerships, infrastructure deployment and effective teacher adoption of the tools.
