fUTURE pROJECTS
School KitchensIn 2018 the Rafiki Village Project constructed a school kitchen at Gijega Primary School. The other four public schools in the ward currently do not have school kitchens. A school kitchen coupled with a school lunch program makes it possible for students to receive a daily hot meal at school. Many of Dumbeta Ward’s children come from families that are only able to provide one meal a day. Malnutrition and hunger are common and have a negative effect on school performance. The kitchen at Gijega School has had a huge impact on the lives of the students. The community is eagerly awaiting the time when it will be possible to build school kitchens at the remaining schools.
ESTIMATED COST: $10,000 PER KITCHEN |
Teacher HousingMany Tanzanian public schools provide subsidized housing for teachers. These homes typically are next to the school and include a plot of land for teachers to grow their own food. Housing and farmable land helps supplement meager teacher salaries and makes it possible for teachers to support a family. Housing next to schools ensures that teachers can get to school even during the rainy season when roads often become impassable. Finally, teacher housing integrates teachers into the community and allows them to get to know their students and parents and understand the challenges they face. Except for several of the head teachers, all of Dumbeta Ward’s teachers currently live in town. The construction of teacher housing is a high priority for the community.
ESTIMATED COST: $20,000 PER HOUSING UNIT |
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School Solar PanelsCurrently, of the Ward’s five schools, only Dumbeta Secondary School has electricity. A 2014 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs report identified multiple ways that school electrification directly benefits communities in the developing world. The report cites multiple studies that have linked school electrification to improved school performance, attendance, graduation rates, teacher retention and gender equality. Without electricity classrooms are dark and gloomy on cloudy days. Lighting helps extend school hours and makes it possible for students to study in the early morning and evening. Perhaps most importantly, electricity makes computers and internet access possible. The internet access is essential for exposing students to a broad set of information and experiences that are central to their education, socialization and future employment.
ESTIMATED COST: $2500 PER SCHOOL |
School ToiletsDumbeta Ward’s school children are currently using unsanitary pit toilets. Children either wash their hands in a communal water bucket, or if there is no water simply wipe their hands on the ground. It has been proven that improving bathroom hygiene will improve student health, attendance and school performance. In 2016, the Rafiki Village Project helped Gijega Primary School connect to the public water supply. This makes it possible for new bathroom facilities with modern flush toilets and sinks to be constructed for students as soon as funds are available. Constructing toilet facilities at Dumbeta Secondary School is also a priority for the community. The inability to manage their periods at school and the shame and stigma this causes contributes to lower graduation rates for girls throughout the developing world. Constructing hygienic and private bathrooms at Dumbeta Secondary school will help ensure that female students will have the same opportunities as their male peers.
ESTIMATED COST: $25,000 PER SCHOOL |
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Rainwater Collection and Storage for SchoolsDumbeta Ward has a semi-arid climate. During November and December the region receives most of its annual rainfall. The community depends on subsistence farming for survival. Lack of precipitation limits crop yields and the variety of crops that can be grown. During years with less than expected rainfall the community faces true hardship as food supplies run low. Most of the winter’s heavy rains are simply lost to run off. The long metal roofs on the ward’s school building are ideally suited to collect rainwater. If rainwater can be collected and stored, and low tech drip irrigation systems installed on school agricultural land, the schools could grow substantial amounts of food which could be eaten by students and teachers or sold to help meet school expenses. All that is needed are rain gutters, storage tanks and low-tech drip irrigation systems.
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