PROJECT UPDATES - 23 May 2026
Hello, all our friends,
2025/2026 has been a busy year.
On our trip to Tanzania in May, at 3 of our primary schools, we officially opened 6 new buildings and at one, we have a wonderful multisport field.
This year’s trip was long overdue. The last one was October 2024. The 2025 trip was canceled at the last minute due to political unrest that created travel challenges. But this one certainly made up for it with wonderful and memorable events at three primary schools.
I had the pleasure this visit to be joined by our guests, Chris Park and Natasha Bilton, from Victoria, Australia.
The celebrations at each school start off with an incredible and spectacular greeting. Picture this:
Our car arrives at the site and stops in front of a wall of approximately 200 students and teachers, singing and waving leafy plant branches, (a symbol of agricultural prosperity).
No sooner than getting out of the car are we swarmed by them, and buoyed (literally at one school, where I was lifted up upon the shoulders of two female teachers) by their energy, are carried to the presentation area. I enjoyed the reaction of Chris and Natasha. It's a understatement to suggest that they were just a little surprised and overwhelmed.
Our car arrives at the site and stops in front of a wall of approximately 200 students and teachers, singing and waving leafy plant branches, (a symbol of agricultural prosperity).
No sooner than getting out of the car are we swarmed by them, and buoyed (literally at one school, where I was lifted up upon the shoulders of two female teachers) by their energy, are carried to the presentation area. I enjoyed the reaction of Chris and Natasha. It's a understatement to suggest that they were just a little surprised and overwhelmed.
The agenda is the usual entertainment of student singing and dancing, adult tribal dances, speeches, presentation of certificates, and exchanges of gifts.
TIDIVI PRIMARY SCHOOL
Tidivi now has its full complement of 10 buildings with the official opening of the new kitchen and dining hall, a preschool building and a student toilets building.
The new Preschool building’s sponsors are Chris and Natasha. Our heartfelt thanks to them for their generosity. As we know, the school’s main sponsor is the 1970 graduating class of the Royal military College of Canada. On this visit, we have installed a plaque on the administration building commemorating the generosity of 60 RMC alumni. It's interesting to note that Chris Park is the son of RMC donor Don Park. I find it so satisfying and amazing that we have a donor that is a second generation of the alumni.
The preschool building is a new feature for a government school,. The teachers felt it was so important for young children to get a head start in their education. Ours a wonderful building with beautiful graphic symbols painted on the interior and exterior walls as effective learning tools, thanks to a very talented local artist.
A new Student Toilets building with flush toilets that will hugely improve student hygiene. We are extremely grateful to our ongoing sponsor, Mr David Green of Victoria, BC,
The new Kitchen/Dining Hall is now in full operation. The students have a daily nutritional meal of makande (nuts, maize and beans).
With the addition of a future sports field, this school will be complete and will continue its academic success as one of the best schools in its district.
I noticed how wonderfully landscaped this site has become, in particular the practical use of the strips of land in front of the teachers residences for the growing of crops and fruit trees.
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| Natasha, Restus, Chris, Alan |
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| Administration Building w/ RMC plaque |
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| Teacher Neema Mlaki, students, RMC plaque |
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| the festive greeting |
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| guest official presenting to certificate to Chris |
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| Chris and Natasha with teaching staff |
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| certificate presentation to Natasha |
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| panoramic view of preschool interior |
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| the opening setup organized by Restus |
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| preschool graphic |
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| village gift of a goat to Restus |
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soccer balls for the kids
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AYATSERE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Ayatsere is our orphan school project, partly because of its isolation and the challenging road (mudway at times) to get to it.
This year, we added a new Administration building thanks again to the generosity of our doors Chris and Natasha. So now it lacks only a Kitchen/dining Hall and a Student Toilet building, however, major upgrades are required for a few of its earlier buildings due to erosion of foundations on its sloping site.
The new Library component of the Administration building is dedicated to the memory of Natasha's dad, Kent N. Bilton, who was a lifelong afficionado of libraries.
We are pleased to acknowledge the generosity of one of our ongoing Canadian sponsors, Lonnie Swanlund. At her request, a plaque has been installed at one of the teachers residences and is dedicated to the memory of her mother Marlene Watson.
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| the ribbon cutting for the new Admin Bldg |
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| the new library, in memory of Natasha' father |
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| plaque in memory of Lonnie Swanlund's mom, Marlene at entrance to teacher residence |
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| Restus's chicken gift |
SIMBA MILIMA PRIMARY SCHOOL
After 10 years of development, this school, like Tidivi, is now complete thanks to the vision of our generous sponsor, Mr Chris Ronneseth (Safari Partners Inc) and family. It has everything needed to continue its academic success as one of the best government public schools in its district.The school now has a complete facility; all 10 buildings. We officially opened a new preschool building and student toilets building, as well as a new sports field (football, netball, and volleyball).
The new 2-classroom Preschool building with its colourful design, and the new Student Toilet building here are the same designs as at Tidivi.
The new Sports Field is for football (soccer), netball (basketball without dribbling), and volleyball. This is so important for students, not only for physical fitness, but to develop teamwork, self-confidence and school spirit.
But the ‘pièce de resistance’ is the recent drilled bore hole that gushes copious water thanks to the NGO, TRIAS, that funds needed projects throughout Tanzania. The resulting benefit has been the ability to plant vegetable gardens and thousands of trees.
We are indebted to NGO TRIAS, who organized borehole contractor MVIWA ARUSHA to provide water to the site, and WWF Tanzania for the trees.
Finally, we cannot thank enough the schools sponsor, Mr. Chris Ronneseth of Safari Partners Inc and his family, for their amazing generosity of this successful school that now appears in its large flat surroundings like an oasis in the desert.
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| preschool graphics |
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| teacher vegetable garden |
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| netball |
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| Alan watering a new tree planting |
A Relaxing Diversion
Chris and Natasha had the opportunity to experience a hike to the local elephant caves located in the dense forest on the slopes of the Ngorongoro crater.
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the precarious stream crossing
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In Summary,
We are happy with the progress of construction at our remaining schools. Aslini Primary School only needs replacement of a substandard Teacher Residence building. Patricia Elizabeth Primary School and Edith Gvora high School are about 50% complete of its full complement of buildings.
Our success with buildings, however, is dampened by the need for so much more to be done; furniture in some buildings, ongoing building maintenance and upgrades in some cases, supplementing the general shortfall in government-supplied textbooks and classroom materials, reliable year round water, regular or solar electricity, library books, food programs. But despite the challenges, the schools still have great school spirit and manage to produce superior academic results compared to other government built primary schools.
On a final but important note, our success to operate our charity in Tanzania is attributed to one person only; our talented and professional building manager and my good friend Restus Sanka, who not only builds these attractive and durable buildings, but organizes our openings celebration experience and enhances our comfort by arranging wonderful accommodation and a car for me to drive. (and the occasional surprise birthday cake). Thank you so much Restus. We are indebted to you.
Thank You to all the generous donors who have supported us over the past 16 years. We can't thank you enough.
How To Donate
Visit PrimarySchoolsforAfrica.com and click on the "Donate" button, or send a cheque made out to:
"PSFA Primary Schools For Africa Society", and mail to:
3301 Wordsworth Street, Victoria, BC, V8P4B9
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