Education Tanzania, United Republic of Project #21998

Provide Science Labs for Tanzania Secondary School

by Girls Education International

Project Report | Oct 17, 2017
Wrapping up our Tanzania Science Lab Campaign

By Rai Farrelly | Co-Founder, Project Wezesha

Installing Ceilings

Greetings Project Wezesha Supporters,

If you're receiving this project report it's because you contributed to our campaign to fund new science labs at Amahoro Secondary School. For this, we are so grateful!

Thanks to your generous contributions we accomplished the following;

We finished the floor in two laboratories, which included drains as required in school labs.
We finished the plastering of the walls in the two laboratories.
We finished the ventilated ceilings in the two laboratories.
We installed the lab-specific windows in the two laboratories.
We built standing laboratory workstations in the classrooms.

What your support also leveraged was our capacity to demand matching efforts by the local government and Ministry of Education. They have committed to supplying the labs with the necessary equipment for students to complete various science experiments.

The reality of this campaign is that we made great strides toward completing these science labs, but we don't have the fundraising momentum to keep this campaign going at present. We are still in touch with our friend, the headmaster of the school, who is continually working to secure additional financial support from the regional district commissioner.

As an organization, we have decided to focus our efforts on the campaigns that provide ongoing support directly to our students. In our recent project report "It's Time to Go to University" we highlight three of our young men who we have supported since they started secondary school (Form 1). They successfully completed O-level and A-level studies (through Form 6). They have each been admitted to universities in Tanzania. We also highlight the admission of one of our recent Form 4 graduates who plans to earn a certificate from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Royal Institute in Dar Es Salaam.

If you would like to continue supporting STEM education, please consider continuing on this journey with us by contributing to our other campaign: Educate Children in Western Tanzania. In addition to our college bound and certificate program students, we have students studying with the local Vocational and Education Training Authority (VETA) as well as students attending secondary and high school. We also offer two study camps per year, which allows students to participate in a 30-day rigorous academic experience. In camp, they have the opportunity to participate in small classes taught by exceptional teachers. They study their core subjects and get valuable time in the science labs at our partner institution in Kigoma town, Kichangachui Secondary School.

We extend our deepest gratitude to you for what you've helped us make possible at Amahoro Secondary School. We stand behind our decision to demand support from the local government who is ultimately responsible for providing mandatory science labs to all secondary schools. As I noted above, we got the ball rolling and provided a solid foundation upon which they can continue to build.

Please follow us on Facebook where we'll continue to share updates about our students as well as developments and programs at Amahoro Secondary School.

Asante sana!!
Thank you very much!!

Sincerely,

Rai Farrelly and Lucas Lameck
Co-Founders, Project Wezesha

Assessing Progress_Workstations

Science Lab during Study Camp

Project Wezesha Group Photo

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May 19, 2017
May 2017 Update on STEM Labs in Tanzania

By Rai Farrelly | Co-Founder, Project Wezesha

Installing Cieling Panels

Dear Project Wezesha Supporters,

I’m excited to be writing this report from Tanzania, however I’m not yet in Kigoma. I’ll reach Kigoma and our partner villages on May 26^th. At that point, I’ll be able to collect even more information and photos to offer in a thorough report on our STEM project!

For this brief update, we want you to know that we have made some more progress on the STEM labs. We completed the vented ceilings for the laboratory, the work station tables, and the lab-safe windows. The photos show some of our workers installing the ceiling.

Unfortunately, funding has only trickled in as of late and we still have about $9,000 to go in this campaign. One of my aims on this trip is to speak with the headmaster and find out what commitments the local government and the Ministry of Education have made/will make to get this project moving along more efficiently.

Of course, as Project Wezesha receives funds for this project, the work will continue. We've always been quick to get the 'shillings to the shule'. While the reality of working on "Tanzania Time" does sometimes play a role, the more crucial factor on this project is simply funding. Will you consider sharing this project (buttons below) with friends, family, and co-workers so that we can keep this project moving toward completion?

In January 2018, Amahoro Secondary School will finally have students in all grades – Form 1, Form 2, Form 3, and Form 4. We’ll also see our first graduating class in the Fall of 2018! While many of them won’t benefit from the science labs, we know that our incoming Form 1 students, as well as their Form 2 & 3 classmates will be able to enjoy some hands-on learning in the labs!

Thank you for all of your support, spreading the word, and donating!

Asante sana,
Rai Farrelly
Co-Founder, Project Wezesha

Builders at Work

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Feb 21, 2017
The Role of Labs in STEM Education

By Rai Farrelly | Co-Founder, Project Wezesha

Creative Kid Engineers

Dear Project Wezesha Supporters,

Our STEM labs are coming right along. The picture (below) from November shows some of the recent work that was done to build the roof for the laboratory. The building codes for labs ensure appropriate ventilation so that our students are safe when working with different chemicals.

Each time we interview our students about what career they are interested in pursuing, the most frequent responses include engineer, doctor and nurse. With these interests in mind, we're so excited that Amahoro Secondary School will soon have a designated space for students to study science, engineering and math hands on. Even our students who wish to be teachers will need a sound STEM education so that they can become the future Science and Math teachers of Tanzania.

“In the 21st century, scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past.” (National Science Foundation)

The reality is that technology is not slowing down so that everyone's STEM literacy can catch up. More and more young people have smart phones, even in remote villages. They are using What's App to communicate across borders. They are using Google and YouTube to learn about the world beyond. But, along with these technologies, it's crucial that they develop important higher order thinking and reasoning skills to question the value and legitimacy of what they are consuming online. STEM subjects provide excellent strategies for developing these skills and many more!

According to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), students must be encouraged to use observational data and problem-solving as they explore science, technology, engineering and math. This is most successfully accomplished through hands-on learning experiences. NSTA argues that students should have opportunities to collect data every week in laboratory or field settings. Fortunately, Amahoro Secondary School is situated in a perfect environment for field experience - the ecology of the area is very diverse and rich with indigenous trees and native species. Laboratory experience will broaden the science knowledge base they need to advance their studies and compete in the workforce.

In addition to science knowledge, laboratory experience contributes to the development of important 21st Century skills including communication, creative and critical thinking, and collaboration. Most of our students have boundless creativity, just look at the amazing bikes they build from branches and twine (see picture above). With a little support from qualified teachers to explore problems methodically, imagine what they can make happen!

We'll keep you posted and send an update from the field when I return to Tanzania in June!

Much gratitude for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Rai Farrelly
Co-Founder, Project Wezesha

Builders Framing Roof in Lab

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