The Community, Volunteers and ACE Working Together to Complete the Fourth Classroom

A few months ago, one of our blogs described how the local community had given donations of sand, cement, building materials and their labour to start building a fourth classroom at Arise Community School. We are delighted that, not only has the building work on this continued but, also, further work has been made possible following donations from a group of medical students from Leeds University who visited the school recently whilst volunteering through the Kilimanjaro Community Support Project (KCiS).

In addition, two volunteers from the Netherlands, Jonathan and Raquel recently spent some time at the school and have also very substantially contributed to the fourth classroom. Jonathan writes:

“Over the past eight years, I have been coming to Tanzania every other year to help wherever help was needed. I have known Frank since 2007 and I have worked together with him, mainly on building projects. This time, I brought my girlfriend, Raquel, along.

Most of our day is spent at the school. We help in the classrooms, play with the children and give them what they all want: love and attention. The money we raised in the Netherlands has been put towards further work on the fourth classroom which has to be finished before January in order to accept students for class three. We see the happiness on the children’s faces. Happiness and innocence children need. Innocence children wouldn’t all get at home. The children respect each other, talk English together and never neglect anyone. There are children amongst them who are physically challenged. Outside Arise, they would not be respected; they would be bullied and they might even get beaten up. At the school, no such thing is happening. It’s a safe place, at any time, for everyone.

From the pictures you can see how much has been done so far in building this next classroom in this beautiful community. Also, you can see our job of painting the school and the attendance board. There is so much more to do, we wish everybody can experience being here. In all the places I have seen, I haven’t seen such an effective project. All run by the community, step by step a better and more gentle environment is created here. And that’s all because of the fabulous education these children receive here, from their teachers, but also from the wonderful staff. A place to support. A project to visit. A happy experience!”

Jonathan and Raquel (the Netherlands)

We are very grateful to Jonathan, Raquel and the KCiS volunteers for all their help and support in recent weeks. We are now ever more hopeful that it will be possible to complete the fourth classroom for the start of the new school year in January 2016. This will enable up to a further 35 children to have the opportunity of an education. We still need to raise enough money for the roof, windows, door, plastering and painting. Please help us to complete on schedule by donating now. Thank you.