Mwanza, TANZANIA. On February 1, 2020, the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania awarded graduation certificates to the 25 students of the U.S. Embassy’s English ‘Access’ Microscholarship Program at St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) in Mwanza. The students (13 female and 12 male) successfully completed their two-year biweekly after-school English classes, focusing on English language, community development, and civic engagement. The U.S. Embassy supports five additional Access classes throughout Tanzania – in Mbeya, Lindi, Tanga, Unguja, and Pemba. In early 2020, the Embassy will open additional classes in Unguja, Tanga and again in Mwanza.
During the graduation ceremony, Public Affairs Officer Brinille Ellis commended the Access Program students for their dedication. “Through this Access program, you have gained far more than proficiency in English language. You have become leaders and models for your community. Through volunteer projects, you have taken the same enthusiasm that has built your success in the classroom, and you have applied it to community development, wildlife preservation, and an unyielding effort to reach higher and further than ever before.” During the ceremony, students presented class projects in English highlighting the community service work they conducted during the course of the program. 
The Access Program provides a foundation of English language skills to talented 13-20 year-olds from economically disadvantaged sectors through after-school classes and intensive sessions. Access gives participants the English skills that can lead to better jobs and educational prospects. Participants also gain the ability to compete for, and participate in, future exchanges and study in the United States. Since its inception in 2004, more than 350 students in Tanzania and 150,000 students in over 85 countries have participated in the program. For more information, visit: https://americanenglish.state.gov/.