Projects Overland: Teaching in Schools in Arusha

Projects Overland is a volunteer organization operated through the Anglican Church of Tanzania, under the constitution of the Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was created by native Tanzanian residents in response to the great needs of grassroots projects established to support impoverished people in their community.

Haradali School

Haradali is an English Medium school which was established in 2005 and officially registered in 2008. It started with a wooden house as the only classroom, three teachers and 31 students. But it grew quickly and already has almost 900 pupils and 65 staff members. Haradali is based on Christian ethics, but they welcome children from every cultural background and religion.It is both a pre- and a primary school and the teachers prepare a progressive book for each child which covers his or her academic information. Three school busses transport every day all kids who live too far from school to walk. Some of the kids are street kids,orphans or vulnerable children.

Maasai School Meserani

The Maasai School is located in the Anglican Church in Meserani, Arusha. The pre-school started in April 2011 with 70 pupils. Right now about 50 pupils are taught there, but not every day all of them can come to class because of different challenges. Some of the children even have to walk up to 5 km from home to school! Two teachers and one cook are occupied here, but volunteers from all over the world help a lot. Most of the kids only have one meal per day (in school they get Uji) and different health problems, like eye or skin diseases. So the teachers don't just teach them, but they also look after the children and their health. Right now a new school building is in process to be built with separated classrooms, because teaching different classes in the church makes it sometimes hard for the kids to concentrate (eg. they turn around and see what the kids of other classes are learning). The children in the school don't have uniforms and there is no agriculture around which could provide additional food.

St. Margaret's Academy

St. Margaret's Academy has grown from three students learning in the private house of Mama Tesha to over 450 students in three schools. The students benefit from solar lights and computers which integrate technology into the classrooms. The vision of the school is to educate AIDS orphans and children living with economic challenges. 225 of the students are orphans or underprivileged children and some are HIV positive. Despite vast challenges, the school is ranked one of the top in the country.