ZANZIBAR, Sept. 16 -- FOR some children, dropping out of school does not begin with a decision to leave the classroom. It can begin quietly with problems at home, poverty, teenage pregnancy, family conflict, social pressure or simply the feeling that nobody is listening.

By the time a child stops attending school, the problem may already have become difficult to reverse. But in some Zanzibar schools, a different approach is taking root and that is to say that if you dont give them a place to speak their problems, it becomes the reason(s) to leave school. This is the thinking behind TUSEME, a school-club initiative supported by the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Zanzibar.

TUSEME, meaning “Lets speak out,” uses...