“A Place Where Work Feels Like a Life Changing Experience” 

This week’s blog is written by a young Tanzanian we have known for a number of years. Douglas, now aged 24 years old, has been volunteering at Arise School since early February this year. In particular, with an old friend of his, Rumisha, Douglas has been using his knowledge and skills to develop the competence and confidence of both staff and children in the use of ICT. He writes:

“A place where work feels like a life changing experience,

The shade of hope for the community.

A fortress for the young ones growing up while their life dreams remain intact.

A place so friendly to be called home away from home, like a paradise within a paradise.

Early this year in February I started my journey with Arise Community School,

I had never been there before, only dreamt of some day until I did.

My expectations were blown into bits as I made my way round the school,

So much to admire and so much to aspire at the same time.

I knew Frank, (the director), and his wife, Salome, and some of the few guys working there but the biggest fish of them all was an old friend of mine, Rumisha Christopher Ulomi. We are literally brothers as we practically grew up together. Sometimes we’ve had to split apart according to the laws of life itself but we usually wind up together on turns of events and on this one will be working together at Arise as it turns out.

We do some work with the teachers, kids and the school in general.

We run the school’s stationary, help the administration office when needed to and contribute with ideas as the school is yet to grow.

We aim to train the teachers ICT so that they may find it handy in their daily tasks and also hope that they’ll be able to transfer the knowledge to their young pupils eventually.
Each day we take about 40 minutes after the class hours and teach a pair of teachers ICT during the week days.

It’s quite clear that the world has developed so much even for a third world country (Tanzania)

It’s hardly an option for technology.

We hope to extend our hands of knowledge to the community by offering stationary services, such as typing, printing, photocopying, scanning etc, which is merely inadequate in these areas.
So, having said all that, I do quite enjoy a game of football with the kids when my hands are not full.

I love spending time with the kids, it’s always fun.

I hope that each day will be more adventurous in these experiences and that I can always be a source of help to everyone in need of my help.”

Douglas Issai Ndanshau