More Greetings from Tanzania! Please help us to give the gift of education by sponsoring a child

Our time back in Tanzania is going too quickly. As always, there are so many things on our “to do” list to be covered on behalf of the charity during our short stay here.

After our busy few days at the school, last Saturday afternoon, we were back there for the Kisimani Kids’ Club. There were over 110 children. This now appears to be about the norm! It was great to see so many of them there, joining in the games, songs and activities and, generally, enjoying themselves. The highlight for most was receiving a small lollipop as they left – probably their only sweet of the week.

As well as pupils from Arise School, nearly half of the children at the Kisimani were from local families who are unable to afford to send their children to school. Sadly, their thin faces and ragged, ill fitting clothing suggested that they are probably never likely to get the chance of an education.

According to different figures, up to 20% of children in Tanzania still do not attend primary school. Roughly one third of the pupils at Arise School are from very poor families and are only able to attend with the ongoing support and commitment of sponsors. The majority, over 30, are from the UK and sponsored through ACE. Four children have Australian sponsors and one child is sponsored from the USA.

We would love to be able to offer more sponsored places to some of the local children we saw at the Kisimani on Saturday. They so desperately need the opportunity of schooling if they are ever to lift themselves out of poverty. Please help us to make this possible. A small donation can achieve so much for these children. It can change their life prospects immeasurably:

A standing order of £12 per month will meet the cost of schooling for one child, including all tuition costs, two school uniforms per year and daily porridge

A one-off donation of £150 will cover the cost of one child’s education for a year including two uniforms and daily porridge

As we waved goodbye to the children at the end of the afternoon, we were warmly beckoned into the home of a neighbour. Walking past their cows and stepping over the chickens, we were introduced to his wife and family, offered food and given a very welcome cold drink after a hot and tiring afternoon. It was good to experience first hand how, in a relatively short time, the school has become an accepted part of the community.

With your support, we can make it possible for more children from this poor community to have the opportunity of an education. Please sponsor a child.