We have lots of things to keep us busy for the year and we hope with your on going support we can realise them.
On the 8th January 5 GAP years students and a team leader from Quest Overseas arrive in the hot, green lands of Babati, they will be starting our new project, that of building a residential agricultural training centre. First the fence, then the houses and borehole, then the farm. Over the next 3 years we will be transforming this barren landscape into an oasis that can be copied by other farmers who can then farm themselves out of poverty. A holistic demonstration farm. during those 3 years we will be handing back the Waangwaray School farm to the school as promised. In addition the volunteers will be building a well at the Frederick Sumaye School.
We have a head teacher from a UK primary school coming out to visit for a week to observe and talk with the Waangwaray primary school teachers. She will then draft for us a training plan that we can offer to subsequent teachers to come out and follow, this capacity building in the teachers is vital if we are going to raise the standards.
We have a team from the USA who are coming out to install a pump at the Sinai Primary school. It is the second stage of their water project and will bring water to the school for the first time ever. Impacting over 500 students and allowing the school to start growing fruit, firewood and timber trees which they can then use or sell as they see fit, using the funds to buy books and other teaching materials.
We have two mature volunteers coming in Fen/March to help complete the Sinai Kindergarten and build a new staff toilet. They will also be working with the community groups advising on their small businesses and health issues.
We have also been instrumental in establishing the Babati Girl Guides group. Having visited the Arusha Girl Guides and seen how fantastic they are, it seemed logical that Babati should start a group. We are hoping to raise the funds to cover the training costs at a 4 day seminar. (£400)
In the summer we want to start to build the houses on the agriculture centre, where future volunteers and Trustees can stay when visiting. It will be basic, but no more basic than the people we are working with.
We will we hope be continuing with the teacher Training for English and we have asked the Maths teachers of all the Babati schools to form groups and identify the problems they face when teaching maths. We hope then to run a seminar to address those problems because the standards being achieved by the students is frighteningly low.
Our reading competiton will continue and with the funds for books and prizes we can roll it out to other schools.
Our first batch of sponsored students at the Kwaraa Secondary School continue into their last year and we have found a sponsor for 3 more girls to start this year which is very exciting. we hope we will also continue to support Phillipo, our deaf student who last year was top of his class in EVERY subject.
None of this work is possible without your loyal support and I know that the people we are helping are hugely grateful for everything we are doing and have done. Just £5 a month can make a fantastic difference, so please consider helping us.
