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Only 15 per cent of Tanzania's population receives post-primary education and less than 1 per cent obtains a university degree. In fact, the statistic for upper secondary school enrolments in Tanzania (6 per cent) lags significantly behind that of other sub-Saharan African nations (27 per cent on average). Not surprisingly, Tanzania's vulnerable youths are even less likely to receive post-primary education. In the Kilimanjaro Region, young people who cannot addord to attend and attain higher education are "forced to eke out a living on plots less than one acre." Given the choice between peasant farming and the "promised land" of the streets, many children and young people turn to the streets. This cycle of poverty and vulnerability in Tanzania will continue through generations unless there is a proactive break in each family's cycle. Access to education can be such a break. In its work to support Tanzania's most vulnerable children since 1997, the Mkombozi Centre for Street Children has enabled access to primary and secondary education for the children in their care. Today, many of Mkombozi's former street children are growing into adulthood, and they continue to mature and succeed beyond the expectations of many. In order to raise more funds, Mkombozi has launched an Education Endowment Campaign. The objective is to raise Tsh 100 million by 30 April 2007. Funds raised for the campaign will be directly invested in an "endowment account" which provides sustainable accrued interest for the school fees of all Mkombozi's youths who are eligible to further their studies. Mkombozi's goal is to create support structures that enable young people to lead independent and productive lives. Studies show that the salaries of those who successfully completed secondary education are significantly higher than the salaries of Tanzanians who did not complete secondary and tertiary education. The studies also show that the rate of return on a college education in the form of a salary is still low in Tanzania, compared to other like-sized countries. This would indicate that the entire country (both educated and non-educated) is still suffering from slow development and that the national economic strategy for development remains focused on agricultural export. In the face of such statistics, and based on years of research and experience in Tanzania's most vulnerable rural communities, Mkombozi knows that education alone cannot definitively alleviate the risks of an impoverished family, but it is a crucial beginning. Given that 50 per cent of the Tanzanian population are children and young people, it is imperative that national resources are equitably shared to respond to their needs. Mkombozi's own Participatory Action Research shows that Tanzania's children and youth need social services and that key investment areas include high-quality education at all levels, vocational training and employment opportunities. Further information