Waang'warai Primary School

Babati is the regional capital of the recently formed Manyara Region. It has a population of aprox 30,000 of which approx 50% are under 16 years  . Babati itself lies 175km south west of Arusha in northern Tanzania on the edge of the rift valley.

We first found the school on the outskirts of town in November 2006, when it had 381 students (approx 54 per class). The students were spread over 7 year groups using just 6 classrooms, three of which leaked when the rains came, none had doors or windows, all had mud floor and bare brick walls. As a place to inspire the next generation it was failing dismally. It was truly heart breaking to see the teachers and students struggle through each day. Walking away was not an option.

The boys had been challenged to a football match with a local school but were too afraid of the humiliation of not having a football that they declined the invitation. So I bought them a football and to see the smiles on the face of those kids, it was the best $10 I ever spent, until i received a delegation from the girls saying they too play football and can they have a ball!! For that day i felt as happy as Santa must do, it was a magical experience that something so simple could give so much happiness to so few for so little.

With the help of donations we took off the termite infested roof, built a supporting concrete lintel, added a further few layers  of bricks, put up new wooden A'frames and then reattached the iron roofing sheets. This was all completed before the short rains of December (2006) came. Then we put in metal window frames with glass panels, doors, cemented the floors, plastered and painted the walls of 3 classrooms inside and out. We then installed guttering and a water collection system which will be used during the dry season for irrigation of the school garden, and at the same time will prevent the erosion of the building foundations. We then started work on the 7th classroom which was a building site, to make it fit for purpose so that each year group can have a whole day's education. 

Working in partnership with the school development committee consisting of teachers, villagers, students and the district councillor and district education officer, and a representative from LTT oversees the development work we started to look at future needs and how they were to be met. Suddenly a committee, who until recently never dreamed that their school would be developed at all, pulled together an ambitious 5 year plan. The plan has been independently costed and 3rd party professional development school builders are being consulted to ensure that the prices are competitive.

The plans are: -

• Complete the remaining 4 classrooms to the specified standards
• Build 17 more pit latrines.
• Build 7 more classrooms to deal with the extra demands.
• Build 11 teachers houses

Whilst the inflation rate for building materials currently running at an estimated 10%, getting as much of the work done quickly is in everyone's interests. These costs are also awaiting further minor additions. LTT have asked that each teachers house has access to a tap, that all roofs have guttering and water barrels so that water can be collected and used during the dry season for garden irrigation. We are awaiting these costs. No allowance has been made for furniture or electricity.

We want to help renovate the existing buildings (cement the floors, plaster and the walls, put in windows and doors, put in new desks, give the teachers shelves for their books etc), build new buildings from scratch, put in water, irrigate land for teachers/student's gardens, improve the teaching standards, get English conversation groups up and running to build student's confidence (need suitable books and mediums of instruction), have football matches with other schools (need balls and kit, referees kit, whistle, flags, nets). We want to introduce computer technology for the school administration, so need a computer and computer trainers to train beginners. We want to have educational posters so that groups can study them, the list goes on as to what we want to give these kids a chance and give the teachers more value and so more satisfaction.