Update: October 2021

Schools I have become a theme for Convoy of Hope in Tanzania. Before I left Tanzania Convoy of Hope wanted to show the team what a successful child feeding program looks like in a school. We all embarked on a tour of Ngaramtoni Primary School just outside Arusha to witness first hand the vast improvements the school has gone through since Convoy of Hope’s programs started five years ago.

Ngaramtoni Primary School

The school in question once had a high truancy rate where students either came to school hungry, unmotivated to learn and in poor health. When Convoy of Hope came in to help, the school went through a huge transformation. This transformation resulted in more students eating nutritious meals at school, motivated in the classroom to learn, and more have healthy habits.

Hand Washing Practices:

Convoy of Hope installed a hand wash station, helped set up a kitchen to cook large amounts of food for the students, and helped find funds to build a special building for students with disabilities. All of this caused the school to become one of the desirable places to send children to be educated.

Just like the Maasai tribe, parents at this school are encouraged to be involved in the community programs Convoy of Hope has established. This could be helping with funding for the food for meals, able to pay school fees of their children, and being involved in their children’s education.

Children Feeding Program:

The kitchen serves over 1,000 meals to students and staff using the latest cooking technologies. Below pictures shows a modern cooker which keeps the food hot and cooked in a fraction of the time it takes cooking on a three stone fire.

School Garden Program:

We also have the opportunity to tour the schools garden where just like the Maasai school, is where the student agricultural club learns about techniques of growing plants. This garden had a problem with drainage of water during the rainy season. I was apparent that the water channels dug into the raised flower beds just pooled and caused the roots of the plants to rot. Another problem faced by the school’s garden was the fact some neighbor’s livestock would get into the garden and eat the plants.

Also, the fact bugs like locusts is still a problem in the city school’s garden as well. I would learn the reason for all the locusts is that every so many years during a stretch of drought the locusts become a huge problem for crops. Around the time I was in Tanzania the drought had been going for at least three years.

Education Program:

The school’s headmaster gave us the opportunity to talk with some of the parents who children go to the school and how Convoy of Hope has helped them generate income in supporting their families. We did see the children, but we did not have time to play with them. They were very curious about us, and most just said hi from windows of the classrooms.

Back To Milestone Club:

Before giving Convoy of Hope our observations for community development, we all had one last lunch at the Milestone Club in Arusha.

What I Tried: Tanzania beans with ugali. and a Sprite that taste better then the ones at home.

Randomness:

This is also where we all received a gift of shuka (Maasai red wrap) for being a part of the Convoy of Hope. In a way, all these white people with shukas on did look funny to the locals. But I love my shuka!

After lunch, we all headed back to Convoy of Hope headquarters to give our insight into what would help strengthen the various programs.

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