Rotary Club of Oxford Spires

Club Information

OXFORD SPIRES RAISED OVER £1000 FOR NKWASANGARA PRIMARY SCHOOL, MOSHI, TANZANIA

KITCHEN PROJECT

Nkwasangara Primary School is located on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro just outside Moshi. It is a poor school with 420 students of which 35 are orphans. There are up to 80 students in a class, sharing 1 book between 5 and a desk for 2 often shared with up to 4 students.

Some of us were lucky enough to go out in June this year and supervise the refurbishment of a new kitchen which we were funding as well as visit several other projects around Moshi, including a new library put together by some of our colleagues at Masandarka Deaf School. 

The old kitchen consisted of a small brick building, with the chef cooking on an open stove, and yet still being able to produce some wonderful food. Water was collected from the nearby river for food preparation and hand washing. We supervised the construction a new kitchen with real stoves, secure storage and water harvesting. 

In addition to this, we visited other school distributing shoe boxes (gift boxes) and mosquito nets meeting with many more children

It’s hard to describe two weeks in very few words, we did so much and met so many people. We were welcomed into the lives of so many, interacting with the children, being welcomed into peoples homes. They don’t have much but what they do have they are willing to share and are so grateful for what we have given them. We worked together painting classrooms, learnt together, ate together, played together even sang together. It may not be a rich area, but it is a beautiful area with some of the most welcoming people I have ever met. Which was epitomised by the leaving ceremony we received, which involved a whole roasted goat, including the head which I swear was staring at me makes you realise we do really have very little to complain about.

We hope to continue working with the school providing more water harvesting facilities amongst many other projects.

For more details of the trip including photos visit www.oxfordtotanzania2009.blogspot.com