We were delighted to see Sr Theresa and some of the boys from Dodoma Boystown this month! We had a full update from Sr Theresa on the building progress, how the boys are doing in their pre-from 1 studies, and the needs the school has going into the 2024 school year.
Progress in the building project
Construction is ongoing at Dodoma Boys’ School and little by little, workshops, classrooms, and dormitories are being completed.
The pilot building, workshops building and the hospitality building are all more than 90% complete.
Gardening and growing
The boys have started to get involved in the garden at Dodoma Boystown and enjoying gardening alongside the Sisters, growing food and plants around the finished buildings.
However, Dodoma is incredibly dry between May and September and so the Sisters hope to build a greenhouse to help conserve water in the dry season. The boreholes on the school grounds supply water but during the dry season there is so little rain and too much evaporation, and so a solution is needed to keep the kitchen garden thriving all year.
The children's needs in 2024
The first 110 boys are currently at school and have the supplies they need for these few months of Pre-Form 1 preparation before starting form 1 in January. The remaining 50 boys will join them in January ahead of the new school year.
There is a need to provide all the supplies that the 160 boys will need for the 2024 school year; pens, notebooks, reference books, reading books, and other educational equipment. The laboratory, which is nearly complete, still needs all of its equipment.
Vocational training
The boys will begin learning computer technology and hardware, electrical classes, carpentry, and welding. Once we have sourced solar panel equipment, the boys will start learning solar panel installation. The Sisters working with employers in Dar es Salaam report that employers in the textile industry are also looking for boys to employ in sewing and tailoring roles and so there is a plan to introduce sewing and tailoring in the future.