Programs

Adopt a School applies comprehensive development programs to all schools which it has undertaken to support. The holistic programs address every aspect of school as well as village development.

Adopt a school has specific and general programs for the development of Tanzanian schools.

Primarily, Adopt-a-School "adopts" a community school and works in partnership withÂ a patron to develop the school to a fully functioning optimum standard. We work at a grass roots level one school at a time.

A school will be identified for development in a joint process with the TanzanianÂ education authorities on the basis of immediate need, the will of the community, the quality of its teachers and the potential of its students.

A school is 'adopted' after a lengthy and detailed process of community consultation and the development of a plan to improve the school over a period of five years. Agreements are reached as to the input of the patron, the school community, the teachers , students, the Education Office so that the project becomes a true partnership.

Methodology

The ‘Adopt a School’ program pairs the most disadvantaged communities in Tanzania with generous donors from around the world. Schools are identified in partnership with the Tanzanian education authorities on the basis of immediate need, will of the community, quality of the teachers and potential of the students.

All partners commit to the development of the school for a five year period; Adopt a School oversees the implementation of supplemental programs, while the Ministry of Education monitors progress, and the community engages at the grassroots level to lower absenteeism and renew their dedication to education.

In all AaS schools, a representative of the Adopt a School Program serves as Chairman of the school board.

Providing Clean and Safe Drinking Water

Most Tanzanian schools do not have any or adequate water. Each day water is carried by the children to the school, often from many kilometers away. To combat this problem, Adopt a School installs a safe drinking water system in each school, which vary depending on the schools’ geographical location and access to resources.

In many cases, the AaS program is able to negotiate with the local water authorities for a connection to the schools through irrigation pipes. In the northern regions, to combat insufficient water resources and severely rationed reticulated water, AaS constructs roof gutters and water tanks to ensure adequate supply.

As of early 2010, AaS estimates that we provide 6000 people with their daily supply of safe drinking water.

The Sports and Recreation Program

Adopt-a-School believes that sport is an important part of a student's development and school life. The Adopt a school program develops sports facilities in all adopted schools and provides equipment to many assisted schools. The program also assists Tanzanian education authorities and schools to arrange inter school sports competitions.

Currently offering football (soccer) for the boys and netball for the girls at most AaS schools, the organization funds transport and uniforms. Championship competitions have been held in 2008 and 2009, which gives the students the opportunity to experience competition, teamwork and sportsmanship. The program works directly with district and regional sports officials to develop schedules for inter school competitions; this is a mammoth task with nearly 400 schools in the Arusha region but rapid progress is being made.

Celebrating Music and Culture

Africans have a great love of music, but formal music programs are rarely developed in public schools. The Adopt a School Music Program assists by encouraging teachers to improve musical instruction and by providing local musical instruments. AaS also arranges school performances and inter-school competitions, which serve to further develop a strong bond between the communities and the schools in which we work. These are tremendously joyous occasions. Plans are underway in 2010 to bring the winners of the regional music competition on a tour of international schools.

Assisting Students with Special Needs

Poverty, the harsh environment and limited access to adequate health care leads to a disproportionate number of children with special needs in community schools. While these children often do not face discrimination or social stigmatization, their unique needs cannot be met by public services.

Throughout 2008 and 2009, AaS worked in partnership with the Jaffrey Academy to train a corps of special needs teachers, who serve at each AaS school. All teachers receive ongoing training and support as they provide an array of additional services to the children in their care.

The Assistant Teacher Program

Class sizes in Community Schools average 80 students per class, often far more than one teacher can cope with. To lower the teacher/student ratios and to encourage quality instruction, the Adopt a School program accepts applications from indigent and suitable young people and employs them as assistant teachers to our adopted schools.

After a one-year internship, the assistant may qualify for a two-year AaS scholarship to enter Teachers’ College. They are provided with a monthly allowance, a clothing allowance, teaching materials and medical support. The program serves to provide a valuable vocational training opportunity, whilst directly improving the quality of education provision in all AaS schools.

After graduation from the Teachers College, former assistants return as full-time teachers, where they oversee curriculum development, examinations, quizzes and individual monitoring of each child’s progress.

Bringing Technology to Tanzania

While the developed world races into the advanced digital age, many African students leave secondary school without ever seeing a computer. This is a serious problem identified by all African educators and those concerned with the advancement of African nations.

In 2008 and 2009, with the assistance of Australian Aid and Rotary Australia, AaS installed 3 computer labs in community secondary schools in the Arusha region. The goal in 2010 is to install 4 more, pending financial resources.

These secure computer labs, equip with used PC’s, serve to expose students to digital education for the first time. Instruction in basic computer programs such as Excel and Word will provide a hugely valuable vocational skill, which students can leverage towards gainful employment. However, less than 8% of all secondary schools in Tanzania have access to a power source. In response, AaS has designed options for affordable but reliable power access which enable large scale computer labs.

Programs

Read more about our current programs on our blog.

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Programs

Methodology

Providing Clean and Safe Drinking Water

The Sports and Recreation Program

Celebrating Music and Culture

Assisting Students with Special Needs

The Assistant Teacher Program

Bringing Technology to Tanzania

Make a Child Smile

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