A new chapter for Dodoma Boystown
Karibu! (Welcome!) Today I am writing from Tanzania where, together with three of our wonderful supporters, I am visiting the Tanzanian programmes in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma. We were privileged to be a part of the opening of two new buildings in Dodoma Boystown on Tuesday 25 March 2025.
The ceremony was a joy-filled event where representatives of the government, Ministry of Education, and the Archbishop of Dodoma, who gifted the land to the Sisters, were present. Archbishop Kinyaiya spoke about the impact this school will have on Tanzania and encouraged the boys to work hard and improve their lives, the lives of their families and their nation.
“When I came here today, I was amazed, surprised to see that building, because the last time I was here, there was nothing, just a field. It as if the building has fallen from heaven. Sisters, you have done wonders. And to have such a beautiful school, which in normal times would have been for the children of the very rich. But instead this is a school for the poorest of the poorest.”
New Buildings for more boys
The five floor dormitory building and gymnasium will increase the capacity of Dodoma Boystown to eventually be able to accommodate up to 1,000 boys. The next phase of the project will see a classroom building added to the project, which will house 30 classrooms for all the boys. Until this is completed, the dormitory building is being used as both classrooms and dorms for the boys.
Visiting Dodoma Boystown and seeing the same boys we met in 2023 when they first joined has been an incredibly moving experience. Every boy has grown taller and healthier, thanks to the good, nutritious diet at the school and the programme of regular exercise. None of this would have been possible without the help of you, our generous supporters.
Difficult early lives
Travelling through the towns and villages surrounding Dodoma Boystown is a stark reminder of the high levels of poverty and deprivation experienced by so many children in Tanzania. Most families in the region are living hand to mouth, surviving on subsistence farming around their homes.
We visited some of our boys’ families during the week and it was so clear how difficult the early lives of these boys are. Many of their families are large, often single parent households, or the boys live with grandparents or more distant relatives. The families can’t afford the uniform or supplies so the boys can’t attend school and none of these families have enough food for more than one meal a day, sometimes only having a small meal every other day.
And so, seeing the great contrast between what the boys experience at home compared to their new life at school where the Sisters are able to provide for the children, really drove home the importance of the work the Sisters are doing in Tanzania and the impact of your support.
Lives transformed
The most beautiful moments for us all has been seeing the boys’ joy in every single activity.
Last night, we passed through the dormitory at 6pm just as the boys were sitting down to have their dinner. Their joy at meal times was an incredible sight. Plates full of rice, beans, vegetables seem almost luxurious after the severe food deprivation they have all faced in their early lives.
They are able to not only go to school and have enough food, which in itself is big enough, but also the community they have at school. The camaraderie and friendship between the boys is a pleasure to witness – they are enjoying absolutely everything that school has to offer.
Thanks to you
None of this is possible without your support and every single boy we spoke to was eager to say thank you for giving them this amazing opportunity.
Please continue to give your support to this incredible project. We have another big phase with the new academic building in the next year and every single donation will make this possible.
Your support really is transforming lives, thank you!
Carey Evans, March 2025
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