Developments from July 2007 to November 2008
September 4 2010
Very good progress has been made on the learning and resource centre at Shiri-Mgungani and on the support for students in school.
The first building of the centre is on the verge of completion. In January 2009 this building will house a much needed kindergarden and will host our first pedagogical seminars. In addition, we have been able to lay the foundations of the hostel and of the three rooms of what will ultimately be our main block consisting of a science laboratory, a computer laboratory and a library/conference/internet facility for teachers, students, administrators and parents. With generous donations from private donors and (amongst others) the Procter and Gamble Alumni Association in Geneva, we plan to finish the science laboratory by mid year 2009 so that it might be available for the second half of the school year.
Owing to very generous donations from the NGO FOTIS of Geneva, from the Munich International School, and by way of The International School, Florence we are now able to support more than 60 students in primary and secondary education and we will increase this number to 70 at the beginning of the new school year in January 2009. It is important to stress that these students have their education guaranteed either to the end of primary school or to the end of secondary school.
We are planning carefully for a major transfer of secondary school science and mathematics textbooks with the support of the charity, The Cicely Foundation in UK. In the meantime we transfer as best we can afford, a range of science, maths, and English as a Second Language textbooks as well as other pedagogical materials in support of the very many disadvantaged students in northern Tanzania. These books – an invaluable educational resource - are sold to schools, students and teachers at a nominal price and have been extremely well-received.
An important development in May 2008 was WATU’s collaboration with the BATA Shoe Company in Kenya in providing the girls of Longoni Primary School in Moshi with shoes.
WATU would like to take this opportunity to thank our many supporters. We are confident that we will be able to realize our objectives and impact a very wide range of students indeed. We believe that without the empowerment that education brings individuals find it very difficult to make the most of their lives. It is in the shared hope that we are making a difference in this area that we thank our donors and encourage others to think of supporting us.
Finally, People’s Participation in Education (WATU) is now not only registered in Tanzania but has also received official recognition in Switzerland under the name of Association WATU. Details may be consulted in the documents section as can the previous progress report.
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