Our evaluation consultant is about to visit the five schools that have graduated from the TINFA program in 2020. Sustainability is one of our main focus. We want to find out if the TINFA program is still operating in these schools. If so, how, and if not, why.

TINFA’s definition of sustainability for schools is measured 2 years post-graduation from the program:

Because we know that sustainability is difficult to attain, we are asking our current 12 schools to begin planning for the future. For example, PAXAN is working to meet sustainability goals with community-based plans for fundraising as well as the use and maintenance of equipment. The plans include detailed schedules, troubleshooting, and shared responsibility for the equipment.

In the short term, the most challenging criteria to meet is acquiring 5000 QTZ (around $650 USD) in the sustainability fund for the school, so that in the immediate future, the school can pay for technology expenses, and has a system to pay for them. (internet, equipment breakdown, equipment replacement). Long term, we find that keeping the internet connection is the most difficult sustainability criteria due to competing needs of the schools and the high cost of internet.