A vision we can all share
The World Vision School to School Program was a vision that students, teachers and school families in two nations could all share. It was more than fundraising but an opportunity for learning and cultural exchange as Newcastle Grammar School in Australia raised funds to assist a school in Farkwa, Tanzania. The School to School Program offered the chance for first hand learning and the potential for bringing new hope to children and young people growing up in a very different environment.

We can make a difference
Newcastle Grammar School entered into a partnership with World Vision back in October 2009 whereby the school would provide $50,000 a year for three years for the construction of three boarding houses (two for girls and one for boys) in the village of Farkwa in the Dodoma region of central Tanzania.

World Vision has been working in this part of Tanzania since 1981 and has significant experience in implementing community-based, multi-sectoral development programs. World Vision has been working in the Farkwa Division for over ten years with the aim of improving livelihoods and access to essential services.

The new accommodation facilities will help to:

• Increase the students’ level of education and performance by providing safe and comfortable accommodation.
• Boost the morale and motivation of the students by providing them with a secure home and study environment.
• Reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission.

Want to know more?
The United Republic of Tanzania lies on the east coast of Africa. In spite of high hopes of building a strong socialist economy after independence, Tanzania remains a low income country which depends upon large amounts of overseas aid.

Agriculture is the main activity for Tanzania's population of almost 40 million people. While agriculture dominates the economy, agricultural exports do not earn high enough prices to cover the cost of imports. Most manufacturing units are small and produce goods for local markets. Gold, tanzanite, iron ore and coal have been found, but are not mined on a large scale.

Tanzania is subject to both droughts and floods, and many farmers grow barely enough for their own needs. Low prices and poor roads have discouraged them from producing more for sale. Food crops include maize, rice, cassava and plantains (cooking bananas); export crops include coffee, cotton and tobacco. Many families earn up to half their cash income from "bush" resources such as honey, charcoal and wild fruits.

Delivery of government services in rural areas remains patchy, with more money being spent on debt repayments than on health. Therefore, clinics often lack basic materials and supplies of drugs. While the country is aiming for universal primary education for both boys and girls, the reintroduction of school fees has interrupted this progress.

World Vision was established in Tanzania in 1981, and for over 20 years, has been implementing community-based, multi-sectoral development programs across the country. WV Tanzania has been working in partnership with communities in the Farkwa Division in Dodoma Region, for over ten years, with the aim of improving livelihoods and access to essential services.

Education in Farkwa

For the last eleven years, World Vision has supported government measures to improve primary education in Farkwa. Now, almost 60 percent of the primary schools have better classrooms and houses for teachers than during previous years. There has been an increase in the performance of students who attend primary school. However, fewer than one in five students progress to secondary school.

In rural areas, competition to enter the limited number of government-run secondary schools is fierce. Limited opportunities leads to post-primary students migrating to urban areas, leaving households without sufficient manpower for livelihood-related activities, as well as exposing children to the many risks of migration.

In response to this challenge, the community has been gradually constructing a secondary school over the last few years, and have collected the resources required to build a few classrooms and buildings. World Vision has provided small amounts of assistance along the way, but the enterprise has been almost entirely community-driven.

Over this time, an increase in opportunities to attend secondary school has lead to more positive attitudes towards education in the community. Children's performance in primary school has improved as they strive towards the goal of continuing their education and enrolment rates have increased. The reduction in rural-urban migration has positively impacted households, and created a stronger, healthier and more skilled workforce.

World Vision and Newcastle Grammar School - An opportunity for change

School to School Project Background

World Vision Tanzania, in partnership with World Vision Australia and the Farkwa Community, has been running a long-term Area Development Programme (ADP) in Farkwa since 1996. Farkwa ADP is located in Dodoma region in the Central part of Tanzania and supports 34,528 people. The population is comprised of 8675 women, 7619 men, 9663 girls under 18 years and 8571 boys under 18. The living standards of Farkwa Community are still low and it has been observed that the average daily income per person is below US$1. The main economic activity is agriculture, taking the form of farming.

World Vision, in partnership with the community has worked continually to boost the quality of education in the ADP. The Education Program has been working to improve the learning environment in local primary schools and these efforts have paid off. According to evaluation findings, the number of students enjoying a good learning environment has increased from 19% (1997) to 60% (2002). Furthermore, the number of students that have passed Ministry of Education standards has increased from 5 %( 1997) to 75 %( 2002).

In response to these improvements, the Farkwa community have been able to construct a secondary school and the government has provided qualified teachers to the teach students and manage the school. The community's vision for a secondary school has now been realised and the school has been in operation for 6 years.

However, the major challenge that faced the school administration was a lack of suitable accommodation for students.

Continued support for the new project?
Farkwa Hostel Suppport Project Aims and Objectives
The Projects goal is to contribute towards improved performance of students at Farkwa Secondary School especially girls, through the construction of the hostel to improve learning and studying environments for girls studing at Farkwa Secondary School.

Progress Towards the Project Goal
The Education project goal is to contribute towards the improved performance of students at Farkwa Secondary School, especially female students, through the construction of hostels. According to the Headmaster’s recent report (2011), there has been a decrease in pregnancy cases to zero (2011) as compared to one (2010) and three (2009) in previous years. Also, there has been a significant decrease in truancy, especially for female students, from 38% (2009) to 20% (2011). Furthermore, the female students that are now staying in the hostel and have more time for studing at school as they no longer need to walk 10 to 20km to and from school per day.

Hostel Constructed
The second hostel is now fully completed. Fifty six (56) mattresses and beds were procured for the second hostel. Fifteen (15) rockers were placed in each cube; each will be shared by four students to keep their small items (like soaps, food plates, and sugar). All toilet and bathroom floors and walls have been furnished with tiles to ensure cleanliness and hygiene. The construction and completion of the second hostel gained significant momentum due to the efficient participation and timely contributions of community members and other partners. Currently, the school has a total of two hostels with a capacity of accommodating 112 female students. These students very much appreciate the convenience and safety of the hostels and see it as a roadmap towards attaining quality education.

Water Harvesting Tank Construction
The construction of the water harvesting tank, with a capacity of 20,000 litres is soon to begin construction. The water tank will benefit a total of 200 students, providing rainwater for drinking, cooking and washing at school. It is conveniently located in between the two hostels; just 15 – 20 metres away.

Solar System Construction
The solar power installation is intended to furnish the school with reliable lighting in the 2 hostels, 8 classrooms and 2 teachers’ offices. Already the supplier engagement processes for bidding is at National Office for approval. Once the solar system is in place about 150 students will benefit by being able to continue their studies into the night.

Community Participation & Project Sustainability
World Vision has developed a good working relationship with the Farkwa Community and, as with all development projects, this community participation is critical to success. In this particular project, the community has agreed to:

• Contribute over 20% of the costs involved in constructing the buildings
• gather local resources, such as sand, water and materials for brick-making
• hand make the bricks used in construction
• provide labour for the project