Education Project – Buturi Academy
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” - Nelson Mandela
Current Funding Targets
Our aim is to finalise the pre-primary and primary school so that it can fully meet the needs for Buturi’s community. This involves:-
- Finishing the construction of the school buildings (painting, plastering, flooring, kitchen, office and teacher’s accommodation).
- Kitting out the school with essential materials to facilitate learning (furniture, books, sports and playground equipment).
We will be working with the village elders, parents and wider community to achieve this alongside partnerships with other Tanzanian NGOs and specialists in education.
A Brief History...
After completing the water project in 2010, consultation with the Buturi community identified the next priority to be enhancing the educational opportunities for children in the village.
Given the rural location of Buturi, there are few employment opportunities so people typically make a living though subsistence farming. Young adults typically take jobs in the larger towns or cities; sometimes leaving children in the care of older relatives. Culturally there has been a shift over recent years to have a stronger valuing of formal education but still families can rely on their children to work on crops and care take livestock. In the past, this has been a barrier for children attending school. The closest government registered Primary School to Buturi is 9-12 kilometers away and people are generally unable to afford vehicles for transport. Consequently, Buturi children (aged 7-16) typically walk unaccompanied two hours a day to school or board away from their family through much of the week. This walk can be exhausting in the heat and can leave the children in vulnerable positions.
This led to the goal of building a school in Buturi.
The ‘school’ started out as a teacher being employed to teach local children. There was no premises for the school, it started simply under a tree!
Over time, the ‘school’ gained momentum with parents releasing their children to attend classes. From this, we developed confidence in the need for a proper school.
Building the pilot “SCHOOL”
Malcolm Gigg (Director, ARA Architecture) generously donated his expertise and time to design the school; visiting the community to understand the local needs and building approaches in Tanzania.
Building the actual school
Mike Rose (a builder based in Devon) generously donated his expertise and time to project manage and commence the building of the school; spending two weeks with Buturi volunteers and workers to lay the foundations of the Buturi Academy.
