Schooling in Tanzania is based on a 13-year schooling system inherited from British colonial rule. It consists of 7 years of primary school, 4 years of secondary (called 'O' levels), and 2 years of advanced secondary (called 'A' levels). Depending on their A-level final examination grades, students can apply to 3 or 4-year college or university degree programs.
The national language in Tanzania is Swahili, but English is also an official language and gets taught in schools. In primary schools, English is taught as a single subject but in secondary school, schools move to an English-only curriculum.
Below are short bios on what our kids love about school and of their education trajectory.
Brenda Secondary School Brenda has a magnetic personality and a sharp mind. She is competitive by nature and never backs down from a challenge, whether it's a math competition or seeing who can climb a tree faster and higher. She's adventurous and bold and her dream is to become one of Tanzania’s few female pilots. Brenda loves singing in the school choir and is always up for an adrenaline rush. |
Alfonce A-Level Secondary Patient and detail-oriented, Alfonce, whose nickname is 'Fani', loves science and hopes to become a civil engineer. He's had a love for art and drawing since he was small and in his spare time you’ll find him sketching cars, houses, or landscapes. Skills that should come handy when he has to draw up those sketches for the roads and bridges he'll build! |
Wema University Wema is empathetic and a natural leader; a hard-working student whose favorite subject is English. She finished A-levels (high school) last year and is currently completing her first year of university. She is studying port management and with the goal of getting a job in one of Tanzania's biggest industries. When she isn’t studying, she likes to read magazines, go shopping, and help organize activities for the younger Waka students. |
Amadeus A-level secondary Amadeus loves math and science and is an excellent problem solver. One of his hobbies is restoring old radios to working order. He has been tinkering with things since he was small and, not surprisingly, wants to be an engineer. When he's not studying, he enjoys riding bicycles, playing or watching soccer, and listening to the latest Tanzanian and American hip hop tunes. |
Glory Secondary School Glory is a quiet leader, coaxing her peers with her sweet and soft-spoken way. She wants to be a pediatrician, which would suit her to a tee with her kind and caring demeanor. She loves doing Sudoku and word-search puzzles when taking study breaks and when she's at home in the village, she can often be found helping out at her parents’ corner shop. |
Living Secondary School Living is energetic and adventurous with an aptitude for math and science. He was involved in a kerosene lamp accident when he was little, so has had frequent interactions with doctors for most of his life. The care he received inspired him to want to become a surgeon himself. In his free time he loves to play soccer, to go swimming in the river, and partake in any athletic pursuit- he lives for sports and in some other life he would have been a professional athlete! |
Frank A-level Secondary A true academic star, Frank is naturally gifted in all things schooling, but particularly in math and science. He loves doing experiments in the lab at his school and is fascinated by the laws of physics. This will surely come in handy as he continued his science studies at university. He just finished his applications and is looking forward to attending university later this year. |
Peter Secondary School Peter is analytical, dedicated, methodical, and patient. He has wanted to fly airplanes since he was young and his childhood dream became so well-known that he earned the nickname 'Pilot Peter.' He loves math and, of course, watching planes fly above the village with tourists coming to visit Mt. Kilimanjaro. |
Severina a-level Secondary Severina (or 'Seve') is a hard-working student whose hard work and dedication constantly impress us. She's gone from being an average student to being at the top of her class and she's fought really hard to get there. She comes from a challenging home environment and is the perfect example of what you can achieve with tenacity and support. She enjoys English, spelling bees, and word searches. And photoshoots with friends are always fun too. She has just applied to university alongside Frank and will start her program later in the year. |
Pascal College Pascal is our star example of how dedicated mentors can champion for a child and transform their life. He has faced a number of educational challenges, including starting school when he was older than most students, and has overcome every obstacle thanks to hard work, help of caring teachers, and supportive schools. His love of chemistry led him to pharmacy school, where he is learning, in his own words to: "help people in the community understand how and when to use medicines." |
Ivone College Dedicated, responsible, and empathetic, Ivone has a strong sense of self and is driven to care for others. She grew up wanting to be a nun because the teachers at all of her schools have been Sisters, and she's always wanted to help orphan children. More recently, she's developed an interest in business and is about to start college where she will be studying project planning. We know she will excel at whatever she does in life because she always does things with kindness. |
Regina secondary school Regina is confident and curious, and thrives in the independence that boarding school gives her. She started secondary school recently and has been a stellar, straight-A student for many years. She loves English and romantic stories and in her free time at school, she enjoys the gardening club or reading a book while watching friends bike and play soccer. |
Jenny secondary School Jenny is a strong reader and a fast learner with a contagious smile and upbeat attitude. She wants to grow up to be a business owner but we think she should be a world-traveling DJ, because music makes her come alive. Jenny sings in her school choir and loves to dance. If you've ever seen a video of her on our Instagram, you know she's great at it! Jenny is our youngest student and just joined Regina at the same secondary school. |
