It takes a village...

It’s true that it takes a village (or in our case, a hive!) Thanks to friends, family, and generous donors, we were able to accomplish so much this past year. One of these generous donors was a friend from Canada who raised funds to renovate Asali’s classroom at the Langoni Primary School. For the first time in the history of the Langoni Primary School, we have power in a classroom! The renovation provided our students with a classroom that is structurally sound, safe, and comfortable. Most government schools in Tanzania have poor study environments, making it hard for students to learn. Thanks to donations from our “hive,” our students and teachers have desks, visual aids, school supplies, books and access to curriculum and educational resources that are not usually available in Tanzania.

“Charles Godfey (Asali-sponsored teacher at Simba’s Footprints) “We have all been working hard to ensure that our students have access to materials as well as a conducive learning environment. By renovating the classroom we have created a space that can bring positive outcomes to the students’ learning.”

This past January, at the start of a new year, Asali expanded into two more public primary schools in our community. Both Margot and Charles met with the headmasters of the Mji Mpya Primary School and Miembeni Primary School to introduce the program and select the students. We are now working with 270 primary school students through this English program and will continue to offer teacher development trainings at each school.

Why is learning English so important?

Progression from one level to another in public schools is not automatic; it depends on national examination results overseen by the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) at the end of Standard 7, Form 4, and Form 6. Many students do not pass their exams and are forced to prematurely terminate their education. Although it is possible to retake a year, many children from poor families lose the incentive to continue and do not do so.

Our ultimate goal is to be working with all 5 of the primary schools in our community!!

Our students and teachers alike are very thankful to have friends like you that are willing to give generously and sacrificially to support their education!