Archive for the ‘Kisarika Classrooms for Forms 5 & 6’ Category

A Report by Marian & Doug Williamson

Saturday, May 8th, 2010

BTT Members who stayed at Usagara in early 2010

Our second visit to Tanzania.  This time we arrived just before the rains and yet everything was as lush and green as we remembered from our last visit.  The gardens at Usagara House are a delight - full of colour and wonderful shrubs and flowers.  We saw Kilimanjaro from the garden in the moonlight and we saw stars as never before.  North Uru is truly a beautiful place to relax and enjoy.

Our visit was part holiday, part work in Kisarika School and part visits to some of the other projects supported by BTT.  (more…)

News of Recent BTT Projects

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

Judy Rimmer has brought news and photos from her visit to Uru this summer - See the 2009 gallery for lots more photos!

Kisarika Secondary School
Form 5 Centre – We were told initially in March that the Tanzanian Government Inspectors had said ‘no’ to Form 5 starting in May 2009 as the necessary facilities were not all in place. However, they recognised the need for this level of education and they changed their minds, giving permission and support to open. 

Kisarika Form 5 in 2009

Kisarika Form 5 in 2009

In May 42 students were enrolled to Form 5 (see photo), a great achievement for such a young school.  They were all boys as there is only one dormitory facility at present.  The money for 2 of the 3 classrooms required (see photo below) was raised through Sweyne Park School and friends, £5340 has been sent out. Currently there are no former students from Kisarika’s Form 4 last year.  However, Mr. Macha, the head teacher, will be assisting his students with their Form 5 selections in good time this year.  The Library is completed and of course there are excellent kitchen and dining room facilities. The dormitory being used was built a few years ago with funds from elsewhere.  Another Science lab is still needed.

Marie Taylor from Sweyne Park and her colleague Jane Davenport climbed Kilimanjaro in August to raise money for 3 causes, one of which is Kisarika Form 5, and the latest figure we have is that a total of over £3000 + gift aid was raised.  Kisarika-Marie-and-Janes-successful-climb
Headteacher’s House – This is very close to completion.  Yet again work has been delayed because of the urgency of other work such as Form 5 buildings.  It now has power and the windows are nearly all in.

Other developments at Kisarika (not UNCODET/BTT) – Mr. Macha has built a maize mill to grind all the maize for the school lunches on site and prevent the students from having to walk about 2 km during school time to get it done.  It was built with money raised through the community and is also a facility for community use.  It is making a good income for the school.  This shows the school is not depending entirely on BTT help but using its own initiative as well as looking for funds for specific developments elsewhere.  

The Pig Project

Pig Project Residents - Aug 09

Pig Project Residents - Aug 09

This is a project which we knew had been completed, but Judy’s visit this summer was the first opportunity to get photos.  This project is now well underway.  The photos show the impressive wooden building housing 8 3-month-old piglets at present.  They come in at 6 weeks when weaned.  At 6 months the males and some females go for sale and other females are kept for breeding.  There are extra rooms for females with young.

News of Projects November 2008

Monday, March 2nd, 2009
Saying farewell:  Brian Wind, Evarist Momburi, Judy Rimmer and MarieTaylor

Sayin farewell: Brian Wind, Evarist Momburi, Judy Rimmer and Marie Taylor

At the last committee meeting we had two very special visitors: Evarist Momburi, who is the Project Officer of the UNCODET committee (the Uru half of BTT), and Marie Taylor, the teacher coordinating the link between Sweyne Park and Kisarika schools. It was great to have their direct input and to hear how things are progressing.

Evarist gave us the following update on the projects:
The memorial plaque for Kate Spiller, who was head of Sweyne Park School, is now in place in Kisarika school. As Evarist said, “UNCODET will treasure Kate’s love and contribution for the growth of the school, and the link between the two schools.”

(i) The construction of the Nurses’ House at the Rononi Dispensary has started but unusually heavy rains and the subsequent state of the roads have caused problems and delays. UNCODET hope for completion by the end of October.

ii) The construction of the Head’s House at Kisarika was in its last stages. A supplementary budget had been agreed and further money sent in July. Its completion would mean that Mr. Macha, the Head teacher, could move in and the Deputy Head could move back into the original house.

(iii) The Government has provided some money which can be used for any fittings and furniture still required for the labs at Kisarika.

(iv) UNCODET was still awaiting delivery of the equipment for the Mrawi Dispensary and the provision of staff. UNCODET Members were in discussion with Moshi District Council about this serious delay.

The BTT committee have allotted the rest of our current funds to:
Mrawi primary school
for the construction of a dining hall annex with small kitchen. This is planned to start in Jan 2009; when complete, all primary schools in Uru North will be able to provide covered accommodation for pupils to eat their vital midday meal.

New Project Proposals that we wish to support
(i) Msiriwa Secondary - Construction of one more Classroom to accommodate the new intake. The cost will be shared between Moshi District Council, the Community and BTT. The request for our share would be about £4,080 depending on the exchange rate. It was hoped to start this by mid July 2008 to try and meet the deadline for student selection in mid December 2008, but unfortunately we do not have the funds yet.
(ii) Kisarika Secondary - Construction of two Classrooms for Form 5 & 6.
Courses would start in 2009, if classrooms were finished in time, offering local opportunities for A-level for those who complete O-level studies successfully. We would like to support this and our share would be about £7843. We were delighted that Marie Taylor could promise that Sweyne Park, Kisarika’s link school, would fund raise for this project.