Schooling in Tanzania is based on a 13-year system inherited from the British. 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 grades, students can apply to 3 or 4-year college or university degrees. The national language in Tanzania is Swahili, but English is taught, alongside Swahili, in primary schools and then, in secondary school, students 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 for math. She has a competitive 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 with either swimming, biking, or exploring. |
Alfonce A-Level Secondary Patient and detail-oriented, Alfonce, whose nickname is 'Fani', really enjoys 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 College Wema is an empathetic and natural leader; a hard-working student whose favorite subject is biology. She finished A-levels (high school) this year and is starting college in the fall. She's hoping to study law, although she's considering an English or Hospitality degree as well- because these things are hard to decide on! And when she isn’t studying, she likes to read magazines, go shopping, and help organize activities for our younger 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. Not surprisingly, he hopes to become an electrical 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 in 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 be found helping out in her parents’ corner store. |
Living Secondary School Living is energetic and adventurous with an aptitude for math and science. He was in a kerosene lamp accident when he was little (which are quite common in TZ), so he had frequent interactions with doctors and the care he received inspired him to want to become a surgeon himself. In his free time he loves to ride bikes, play soccer, and partake in any other 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 pursues his goal of becoming a mechanical engineer. He's finishing advanced secondary (high school) soon and looks forward to attending University. |
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 loves learning math and, of course, watching the 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 dedication and tenacity continually impress us. She's gone from being an average student to now being at the top of her class and she's fought really hard to get there. She has a challenging home environment and she's an incredible example of what tenacity and constant support can do. She would love to be a business owner one day and have a shop in town. She enjoys English, spelling bees, and word searches. And photoshoots with friends are always fun too. |
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 with the help of caring teachers, good schools, and his hard work. This year, he became the first of our students to start college, and his love of chemistry led him to pharmacy school, where he's now preparing to become a pharmacist so that, in his own words: "he can help people in his community understand how and when to use medicines." |
Ivone Secondary School 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 and those in need. More recently, she's developed an interest in business and wants to open her own school or be a business woman. Whatever she becomes, she'll be great at for her wit and kindness. In her spare time she likes organizing photoshoots with friends! |
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 now. 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 Elementary 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, dance, dance. And 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 is graduating from elementary school this month, she'll join our other students in Secondary in the fall. |