2020 PROJECTS
Community meetings in October of 2019 led to the development of priorities and a plan for 2020. Top priority was the installation of solar energy at Dumbeta Secondary School in order to supply electricity to the school. The completion of a classroom building at Gichbord Primary school to help alleviate severe overcrowding was the second item on the communities list of priorities. Connecting Lamay Primary School to the public water supply, building a labor maternity ward at Dumbeta, and purchasing a photocopier for the schools were also identified as high priorities.
DUMBETA SECONDARY SCHOOL SOLAR PROJECTIn the fall of 2019, none of Dumbeta Ward's five schools had electricity. School electrification has been shown to improve student performance, enhance teacher satisfaction and benefit the community in multiple ways. Without electricity students do not have access to educational content available on the internet. By supplying electricity to Dumbeta Secondary School, we sought to have a positive impact on school enrollment, school attendance, test scores, graduation rates, and ultimately, the economic health of the whole community. The government did not have any plans to extend the national electrical grid to the schools in the foreseeable future. Even if grid power was available, solar energy has many advantages. It is a sustainable form of energy not dependent on the burning of fossil fuels. There are lower installation and infrastructure costs. The school will not have to pay a monthly utility bill and therefore ongoing costs will be lower. And, finally, solar powered schools are not susceptible to grid blackouts, which happen frequently in Tanzania.
STATUS:COMPLETED MARCH 2020 PROJECTED COST: $4,122 |
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GICHBORD PRIMARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM CONSTRUCTIONGichbord Primary School is faced with extreme overcrowding. It has 372 students and only four classrooms. Several grades have to double up in the same classroom. In 2014 the local government started to construct a new classroom building. However, due to lack of funds this building was never completed. Our first project for 2020 is to complete this partially constructed building. When it is completed it will provide the school with two additional classrooms and an office.
STATUS: Completed August 2020 PROJECTED COST: $10,620 PROJECTED COMPLETION: July 2020 |
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LAMAY PRIMARY SCHOOL WATER PROJECTLamay Primary School currently is the only school in Dumbeta Ward without a water source on the school grounds. In order for there to be water for drinking and washing, students must bring water from a public water tap that is over a mile from the school. The lack of water also makes it impossible to cook lunch for the students. The construction of a water line connecting the school to the public water utility will be our second project for 2020
STATUS: PROJECTED GROUNDBREAKING: JULY 2020 PROJECTED COST: $10,176 |
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DUMBETA DISPENSARY LABOR/MATERNITY WARDIn 2019, 69 infants were born at Dumbeta Dispensary. This number is expected to increase now that the dispensary medical staff live on the grounds and are available to attend births at any time. Currently there is no dedicated room for laboring or post-partum mothers. Women give birth in exam rooms, often at the same time other patients are being seen. Due to a lack of beds, mothers and infants are sent home within an hour or two of birth. The World Health Organization recommends that mothers and infants be observed for at least 24 hours after delivery. This practice has been shown to reduce postpartum and neonatal complications and death. The Rafiki Village Project plans to build a labor/maternity ward adjacent to the existing dispensary. It will have a labor room, a post-partum observation room with infant warmers, and a nurse’s station/office.
STATUS: PROJECTED GROUNDBREAKING: LATE 2020 OR EARLY 2021 PROJECTED COST: $23,827 |
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PHOTOCOPIER FOR DUMBETA WARD SCHOOLSThe five public schools in Dumbeta Ward do not have a photocopier. Currently, when teachers need to make copies of educational materials, examinations, or student assignments they use a commercial stationary store in the nearby town of Katesh. This is expensive and cuts deeply into the schools’ limited budgets. A shared photocopier would allow schools to spend money on other things. The solar energy project at Dumbeta Secondary School will provide sufficient electricity to operate a photocopier. Therefore it will be housed at the school.
STATUS: PROJECTED PURCHASE APRIL 2020 PROJECTED COST: $1,100 |
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