“We are definitely not ready to say Goodbye!”

Three weeks ago, our two volunteers, Emma and Ellie, wrote about their first impressions of Arise School. Now rapidly reaching the end of their period volunteering, this second blog reveals something of the amazingly diverse and memorable experiences they have had whilst living and working at the school. They write:

“Week 5 of our African adventure, and we practically feel like locals! Our dala dala (local bus) trips are becoming second nature to us, and our market day experiences in Sanya Juu are becoming a lot easier. We now know roughly how much things cost and we are starting to see more and more familiar and friendly faces each time we go.

Back at Arise, progress is being made everywhere! Currently, all classes are undertaking their end of term exams, and all the children are working incredibly hard. The outdoor resource centre is now well underway, too. It will be a space used for small tuition groups and a space for the teachers to sit during break time. We are continually amazed at how fast the builders in Tanzania work. A job that would take about 3 months in England takes just 3 days here at an equally high standard! We have also been painting the hostel to eventually create an educational mural for all to enjoy!

Last week, we went on a long home visit to three of the students’ houses. We were astonished to see how far they walk to school each and every morning, and home again!! About an 8km round trip! Their continued enthusiasm for their education is admirable and I think we can all take a lesson from these inspiring young children.

The following day we helped turn Arise into a pop up dispensary. We assisted the KiCS* volunteers while they saw over 130 patients! We were so thrilled to see such a great turnout and so many people getting free treatment! It was a very long day but incredibly rewarding.

At the weekend, we had a break from our research and teaching and had the pleasure of going on safari with the KiCS medics! Over the 3 days we were lucky enough to see 4/5 of Africa’s “big five game”. It was so nice to see animals freely roaming around in the wild rather than behind bars in a zoo.

We’ve enjoyed our time at Arise so much that it is hard for us to comprehend the school term finishes next Thursday. It’s going to be so difficult saying goodbye to the children and teachers who we have grown so close to. Arise has become our second home and we are definitely not ready to say goodbye!”

KiCS (Kilimanjaro Community Support Project) is a Leeds based project which, this year, has taken out to Tanzania a group of 10 medical students from the UK.

A huge ‘Thank You”, Emma and Ellie, for all you have done as ambassadors for ACE in your time at Arise. We have it on good authority that you have been excellent with the children and proved yourselves as wonderful volunteers. We hope that you enjoy the remainder of your stay in Tanzania, including your time travelling. We know that you will return with many brilliant memories and experiences that will remain with you for many years to come.