Primary Schools For Africa Society: November 2019

Hello, all our friends,

October 2019 is a milestone occasion for Primary Schools For Africa schools. With the opening of the Classroom 5,6,7 buildings at Simba Milima Primary School and Tidivi Primary School, all five of our primary schools now have ALL of their classroom buildings to be able to teach Standard 1 to 7 classes. Yay!!

We can’t rest though. We still need Teacher Residences, Toilets, Kitchen/dining, and Teacher Centre buildings for a fully functioning school.

Simba Milima Primary School, Doffa Village, Tanzania

New Classroom 5,6,7 Building

The opening ceremonies for the Classroom 5,6,7 building were wonderfully organized by headmaster Loatha Paulo and the Doffa Village officials and local people. It’s always so much fun to be greeted by a group of elders who take your arm and “dance” you to the head table with their traditional dance. And the children’s singing and special military marching demonstration (with sticks in lieu of guns) were amazingly precise. Why they’re training this is a bit odd; Loatha says it’s good for discipline and co-operation. District Education Officer Sara Mollel (former headmistress of our Gongali Aslini School - nice that she got this promotion) cut the ribbon to two of the classrooms, but it was more fun to have a couple of eager kids cut the ribbon to the third classroom; a memory they will certainly cherish.

I was “robed” as an honorary village elder (Baba Alan) for the umpteenth time. The stick, by the way, in spite of its humble material, is a strong symbol of local authority.

Simba Milima School buildings

students cutting the ribbon to a new classroom

arrival at Simba Milima

Our sincere thanks to our school sponsor Chris Ronneseth and Safari Partners Inc for their generous yearly donation to maintain the progress of the school’s development - a new building every year!

Tidivi Primary School, Huduma Village, Tanzania

New Classroom 5,6,7 Building

Tidivi Classroom 5,6,7 building opening

Another Classroom 5,6,7 opening with similar ceremonies as Simba Milima. The significance of this school is that they have all 7 classrooms with all 7 teachers now. The event highlight; principal Augustino Mchomvu had a dozen kids each perform an energetic “dancing” speech of school needs; pleading for everything from electricity to water to more community and government support.

they are ALL smiles

traditional dance

Thanks to the RMC Class of '70 ex-cadets who continue to sponsor this school project.

a new preschooler at Tidivi School

Edith Gvora High School, Gongali Village, Tanzania

Our Project Manager Restus Sanka has informed us that our plea for site electricity and a direct graded road to the school has resulted in success. Tanesco (Tanzania Electric Supply Company) will provide the poles and overhead wires and we will wire the buildings. At the time of writing this, the road has already been graded. No more cross country bumpy, circuitous and muddy travels, and less isolation of the school in the rainy season. Yay!!

Flame Tree Vocational Centre, Bashay Village, Tanzania

A new water system is in place. Incoming piped water to the site and collected rainwater is stored in a 75,000 litre underground concrete storage tank and pumped uphill to 2-5,000 litre SIM tanks where it feeds by gravity to the Centre.

The Vocational Centre had been experiencing growing pains with unfilled positions of staff and teachers, however, a new Principal Frederick Laizer has been assigned who seems able and willing to dramatically improve administration efficiency as well as tackle issues including increased enrolment and course registrations. We also look forward to possible VETA registration of the Centre within the next year.

The site landscaping is healthy and vibrant with colourful flowers and healthy growth of trees and shrubs. The flame tree planted by donor Peter Pearse two years ago is growing fast and is about 15 feet high.

Restus under Peter Pearse's flame tree

water storage tanks at Flame Tree Vocational Centre

Student Awards

Gongali cash prize students

Restus is pumped about his new role as our School Superintendent. He’s come up with some great ideas to motivate students.

We are now awarding a cash prize to the top male and female student graduates from Standard 7; 100,000 Shillings (about 60 CAD) to the top boy and girl and 50,000 Shillings (30 CAD) to the second place boy and girl. We made the presentations this year to grads at both Gongali Primary School and Kilimamoja Primary School. We give the cash to the head teacher who will buy things like backpacks and school supplies for their first year in high school.

PSFA Scholarship Progam

We are also initiating a scholarship program for graduates of our one and only high school (Edith Gvora) who intend to continue on from Form Four level to higher learning, either with a college or vocational programs or with completion of 2 pre-university Form 5,6 years at a good private school, followed by university,.

Anyone who wishes to sponsor a student can contact Alan by email; psfa@shaw.ca, or phone; 250-920-6296.

2018 grad student Deborah Laizer is being sponsored by Tony and Beth Gvora. She is now attending Mwanza College in a 3-year program leading up to a university Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

The undersigned is sponsoring a sister and brother. Jackson Goi is currently in his second year of a Civil Engineering course at Arusha Technical College and his sister Elizabeth is completing Form 5,6 at Dodoma High School, to then continue on with medicine at University to become a doctor.