Earlier this year, the staff from Tanzania-Experience went to visit the Nkoanekoli Secondary School which we have been supporting for the last few years. The aim of the visit was not only to give our staff a better idea of the school, but also to see the progress that has been made since our last donation.

Unfortunately not all of the students were around but some from form 2 and 3 were there to welcome us. At the moment the school has 130 students – ranging from 12 to 15 years old – and 11 teachers. Mr Amini, the headmaster of the school, greeted us warmly and took us on a tour.

We started off in the teachers’ room where he proudly told us about their new laptop and printer, which they use to prepare their own educational material. The school recently got connected to the national grid, so they finally have electricity. The tour continued to the new laboratories, where a lot of progress has been made although, due to a lack of finance, the project is taking longer than expected to finish.

Tanzania-Experience donated 2 million Tanzanian Shillings (about 900 US Dollars) to help the school with the laboratories and although not completed, we saw workers painting the new buildings. Mr Amini also showed us exactly what the money was used for. He has been putting all his efforts into making the school the best in the area and he told us about the many projects planned. At the moment three new classrooms are being built in hope of attracting more students.

It was inspiring to see Mr Amini so committed to his school, despite the lacking support from the government and many other problems. The biggest concern is finance; children have to pay 10,000 Tanzanian Shillings (about 4 US Dollars) for a term of 6 months. This money goes directly into the school’s needs such as school books, food, repairs, office equipment and renovations. Unfortunately only 60-80 children actually pay this fee which is why the school relies on donations. Even the teachers donate money to keep the school running.

The Tanzania-Experience staff posed for a group photo with the students and also had a quick look inside of the classes to see teaching in action. All in all our staff had a very interesting visit and will from time to time be back to see the progress being made.

Facts about the Nkoanekoli Secondary School

The school was originally built in the 1970’s. However, no proper initiative was taken to start the school properly until Mr Amini, the current headmaster, took it over in March 2013. At the beginning there were only three empty rooms where as now there are five properly equipped classrooms. More classrooms for new students are to follow.

Location? 4 km north of Usa River, 2.5 km from the Tanzania-Experience office

How many students? 130

How many forms? 1-3

Age group? Form 1: 12-13 years old / form 2: 13-14 years old / form 3: 14-15 years old

How many teachers? 11

School times? From 08:00 h to 16:00 h. One hour lunch break with lunch being supplied by the school. The headmaster aims at providing breakfast for the students from next year onwards.

How many classes per day? Between 9 and 10

Which subjects? Physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, geography, history, English, Kiswahili and civics. A religion class is planned for next year.

Important exams? Four internal exams that take place in April, June, September and December. Form 2 also takes part in a regional exam once a year in July.