Tanzania January/February 2025: Nyagagomba and Chemamba Primary Schools

Today we are visiting 2 schools that are a reasonable distance from Geita so Robert wanted to start out 8. However when 8am arrived there was no sign of Aaron. We were all a bit confused as Aaron is normally really prompt if not early. We were also slightly worried as Aaron’s baby was in hospital yesterday with malaria and so we wondered if something had happened, although yesterday we paid for medication for the baby and he seemed to be improving. On top of this Aaron’s phone had stopped working so we couldn’t ring him. So anyway Robert came and picked us up and then we went back to Robert’s hotel to see if he had turned up. At nearly 8.30 Aaron comes running up the road…….he has just overslept, no other problems, the baby is fine. Phew!

We also now have another change of plan. Robert had a delivery of computers last night from the ACTT office in Mwanza some of which we need today. These arrived in 2 large boxes and need sorting out so instead of going straight to the schools we go to Hamisi’s office in Katoro.

When we arrive Robert and Aaron unload the boxes and sort out what we need. Meanwhile Hamisi takes me to his training room and introduces me to the computer class that is being run by one of his trainers. The students are mainly those who have finished Form 4 at Secondary School and have some time before they start Form 5.

It doesn’t take too long before we have everything we need and can head off to the schools. On the way we stop for diesel and notice a goat on a motorbike. Later we see the cows with really large horns that seem common in this area of Tanzania.

We are going to Nyakagomba Primary School first. We started supporting this school last year so at present they have 4 computers and a printer. The school has 1135 pupils and 13 teachers.

We arrive about 10.20 and as we drive into the school grounds we are met by a group of children with welcome messages. What a nice surprise.

The Head Teacher then comes to greet us and takes us to his office. We are joined by the village chairman, the Ward executive officer and 2 more teachers. We all have a chat about the computer usage at the school and then the Head Teacher gives us an update. After this we tell them that the school will be getting 2 more computers which everyone is happy about.

We then visit the computer lab and check on the computers. The room is a good size and recently renovated so can hold plenty more computers in the future. We see that the school have bought themselves a router so they can connect to the internet which is great.

The Head Teacher then takes us to visit Standard 6, 5 and 3. As always the classes are big with 3 to 4 children per desk and often more than 100 children per class.

We are now taken to a classroom where some invited guests have now gathered including the chair of the school board, the chair of the village committee, the Ward Executive officer and the Ward Education Officer as well as other members of the school board, some teachers and pupils. The Head Teacher and Robert then explain that the school will now be receiving 2 more computers and this is then followed by everyone having a chance to stand up and thank us and say how important this support is to their school. After this we then hand over the computers.

We are then offered “breakfast” in the Head Teacher’s office. The school committee have prepared chapatis and chicken soup.

While we are eating we get a chance to talk to the teachers about how to increase the use of the computers and the sort of information to include in their reports to make them more interesting.

After we have eaten Hamisi sets up the new computers in the computer room and the teachers and children immediately start using them.

We now need to leave as we are due at Chemamba Primary School this afternoon. Before we leave we take a few more photos of the children.

It’s about a 20 minute drive to Chemamba Primary School. We have supported this school since 2023 and at present they have 4 computers and a printer. It is the smallest and probably most rural of the schools we support with about 500 children and 10 teachers.

On arrival we are met by Tausi the ICT teacher and the Head Teacher and taken to the computer room that Tausi uses as her office. This is great as it means the computer room is always open and available for use.

Our visits to this school are always much more informal than at the bigger schools. Tausi speaks excellent English and most of the other teachers have a pretty good grasp of it too. So it’s more like a group of friends just chatting than lots of formal speeches. They are all very happy when we tell them we have brought them a projector, a laptop and another computer. Tausi is especially excited. We hand over the equipment and set it up, chat some more and take some photos before it is then time to leave. Unfortunately because it is Wednesday the children go home at 2pm so we missed taking any photos of them.