THE Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has launched a robust strategy to ensure Tanzania prepares digital professionals with a strong foundation to address challenges and provide solutions for various social, economic and digital developmental activities.

One of the key strategies is the initiation for the establishment of digital clubs for pupils and students right-away from nursery, to primary, colleges up to universities levels.

Dr Jabir Bakari, TCRA Director General unveiled this here recently when speaking on International Girls in information and communications technology (ICT) Day.

He underscored the need for establishing digital clubs in educational centres saying the move was of multiple benefits to the Country.

Dr Bakari said that digital clubs are essential tools for bringing together pupils, students and scholars to discuss and exchange experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and ICT subjects, leading to solutions that mitigate various social economic challenges of the communities from different walks of life.

He appealed to young innovators to make the most beneficial use of free valuable resources of frequency spectrum, numbering, postcode and domain names provided by TCRA free of charge to innovators for testing their incubate projects that will help to propel Tanzania into digital and blue economies.

Various beneficiaries of these clubs, including primary school students from Unguja such as Ibtisam Khalfan Abdallah (Turkish Maarif School), Sarinah Salmin Sharif (Laureate School), Zuhra Said Salum (Salim Turky School) and Balqis Salum Khamis (Bububu School), have developed a system to purchase electricity and directly bill LUKU meters, removing inconveniences among service users.  This technology enables the user to buy Luke Units and Top up the Luku Metre directly from the very mobile phones.

They encouraged their peers to take full advantage of this opportunity to join digital clubs so as to enable them to come up with various methods to drive the nation digitally, as the current economy is driven by digital technology revolutions.

Other primary school students from Pemba, including Hidaya Mohamed, Ahlam Ali (Michakaini A), Kauthar Mohamed (Al Khamis Camp) and Rayyan Masoud (Michakaini B), stressed the significance of this opportunity and promised to enhance their talents.

The students confirmed seeing the fruits of digital clubs within a short period as they have begun to achieve other positive results, such as developing solutions for Online Safety education.

Digital clubs have not only reached primary schools but also secondary schools. Some beneficiaries from Kijitonyama Secondary School in Dar es Salaam, including Tupokigwe Gwamaka, Keyline Mathias, Princess Wilfred, Ilham Suleiman, Rosemary Sanonga and Irene Basiga, shared how the club helped them develop a project involving an Interactive ICT Career Exploration Game for girls.

The students underscored the importance of digital clubs and acknowledged that achieving a digital Tanzania was possible by taking essential steps like creating clubs that help connect, exchange ideas, discuss and engage in activities related to this technology.

Additionally, various stakeholders have supported TCRA's efforts to plant the seed of digital clubs starting from early childhood education. "Strike while the iron is hot," said SUZA Assistant Trainer Khailiya Masoud.

He added that TCRA has seen a solid opportunity by starting with young innovators in planting the seeds of digital literacy that will germinate for the benefits of digital Tanzania. So far, digital clubs have reached a total of 548 institutions countrywide.

Many students reached by these clubs have shown great appreciation for the opportunity and pledged to work on it, aiming to bring significant changes in solving various societal issues, many of which are driven and enabled by ICT expertise, the cornerstone of digital operations.

TCRA will continue to plant digital seeds among students, teachers and parents should embrace this opportunity and prioritize it by giving students the chance to work on it, as it is expected to nurture various talents in the ICT field, thus enabling Tanzania to have technology experts capable of driving the digital economy.