Nuns with a microphone at a lectern

Inauguration

On 21st September we were privileged to be included in the celebrations for the inauguration of the new Sisters of Mary Boys’ School in Dodoma, Tanzania.

This new boys school will be the 13th school for the Sisters and their second school in East Africa following the success of their school for girls in Kisarawe, near Dar es Salaam. It is the culmination of many months of dedicated, collaborative work by the Sisters to bring this programme to fruition.

With the support of the Diocese who provided the land, the help of the Ministry of Education with permits and accreditation, the district commissioner who assisted with the building of the access road and the generous donations of our friends and supporters who have provided the funding for the build, services, care and education needed for the boys.

A group of boys waving flags

The inauguration was attended by team members from World Villages for Children, the friends and supporters of the Sisters of Mary projects, the District Commissioner and the Minister for Education Hon. Prof. Adolf Mkenda who also represented His Excellency Hon. Philip Mpango, Vice President of Tanzania.

The Minister was full of praise for the support provided by donors to the project and the dedication of the Sisters in bringing it to reality for the poorest boys of Tanzania who had no access to secondary education. He pledged his support for the new programme and made a special thank you to the Sisters of Mary “for the services you are giving to poor Tanzanians, regardless of their religion”.

The pilot building was completed  in early September 2023  and the Sisters welcomed 110 new boys into their care. The new programme will eventually house and educate 1,200 of the country’s most deprived boys from throughout the regions including Arusha, Hombolo, Kibaigwa and provide full academic and vocational education to get the children ready for good jobs.

“Tanzania was conceived on the belief that all humans are created equal. Everybody should have an equal opportunity for education... So the services that are going to be offered here, that are offered here now, and the services in Kisarawe, are unique in offering privilege that would have been impossible for kids like these to enjoy. I can only say asante sana, thank you very much.”

Hon. Prof. Adolf Mkenda, Minister for Education in Tanzania
A group of nuns, priests and World Villages staff members next to a plaque

Boys like Baracka, who we visited yesterday (20th Sept). He is 15 and has an older sister. He lives in Hombolo with his mother, a polio survivor, who is severely disabled and so is unable to earn enough to sustain the family. Without money for uniform or books, secondary education was out of the question for Baracka and so he had very little to hope for until he met Sr Margie in May this year and was offered one of the first places at the boys’ school.

We met Baracka at school on Wednesday and visited his home to meet his mother. She is earning a little living by taking in sewing and is so very grateful to the sisters and our donors for Baraka’s  chance at school so he can  make a new life for himself and care for her in the future.

Thanks to you,  Baracka is loving his time at school. He has settled in well and is growing strong and healthy with regular nutritious meals. He is in pre-form 1 lessons – learning Maths and English in the mornings ready for the new school year in January 2024. In the afternoons all the boys love to play football and they are very excited for the completion of the new school football pitch later this year.

A group of boys in school uniform sitting in a group

Bringing more boys to school in 2024

In January 2024 a further 50 boys will join the school and this 160 will comprise the first academic year of the school.

Life here in Tanzania is harsh for those without the means to support themselves. The families we have visited within the communities lack the most basic means of survival like water, electricity and access to healthcare. The families are desperate and the children live neglected and suffer the stress caused by such an existence. They cannot go to school because without money for uniform or books they are frequently chastised by their teachers and excluded. Without education they have no hope for a different and better future.

With your kindness and the dedicated work of the Sisters they now have the chance of a place at school, their own bed to sleep in at night, proper nutrition and access to education. They enjoy the freedom of childhood, make new friends, pursue hobbies and sports and look forward to a better, poverty free future, thanks to you.

sign on a wall which says "The Sisters of Mary Boys Town School Dodoma, Tanzania 2023"
A group of boys in school uniform sitting on chairs, some are hugging each other
Four boys in school uniform
a group of children some dressed in colourful clothing
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