Kisasa Primary School now has over 600 pupils, which will rise to over 700 after the new intake in January 2011. The local municipal government has worked with us all along, and will continue to partner with us as we try to resource the school further. They provided plans, block for two classrooms, expert advice, teachers and some of the desks. They have painted the buildings and provided the lavatory blocks.

We are committed to ensuring that the school receives ongoing financial support. We have now supplied all of the required books for the current curriculum, given the head teacher a budget for resources such as wall charts, sports equipment etc., and supplied her and her staff with a brand new laptop and ‘Gorilla’ power pack to enable extended use during the school day.

We recently commissioned our representative in Dodoma, Joseph Biseko, to carry out research with teachers, parents and the education authority as to how best serve the interests of the children at the Primary School, which is being regarded by Local Government as a model establishment. We are now investigating the possibility of installing electricity and subsequently IT resources, supporting some children with long term medical needs, helping to further the head teacher’s education, and introducing an ambitious school meals programme*.

We are also looking to the future and considering where our students will continue on to their secondary school education and how we can support them further. Azar is to facilitate a team of students from the UK in October 2010 to work in the local Secondary School for two weeks. This school is badly under-resourced and we want to establish a new, ongoing partnership support there.

*See how you can help us to get this off the ground!