The dusty road to Awet
School Secretary Samweli prepares for the students' return
The new girls' hostel at Awet (adjacent to the existing girls' hostel)
CPAR Tanzania is all set for a visit this week by climbers, students, faculty and community members of Algonquin College in Ottawa. This community of people has raised funds in Canada to construct a girls' hostel (dormitory) at Awet Secondary School, a remote rural school located in Kambi ya Simba (Camp of Lions)here in Karatu District.
The group is presently climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and will be arriving in Karatu on Wednesday. If they can still walk after their Kili ordeal, they will hike to UMATU Centre Wednesday afternoon to see the product of last year's adventure when another group of Canadians, under the creative leadership of journalist Valerie Pringle and adventurer Ben Webster, raised funds, climbed Kili and helped to construct UMATU's beautiful yet functional centre. Ben is also leading this year's tour.
In the meantime, we're getting ready for the group to participate in construction activities at Awet. By last Thursday, the foundation was close to completion, as you can see in the photo. By this Thursday, our visitors will be helping to raise the walls.
Boarding facilities for girls are crucial for girls to successfully complete their secondary education. Secondary schools are few and far between, so most girls live quite a distance from the nearest school. And, if a girl does live at home while going to school, homework and sleep take a backseat to household chores -- fetching water, looking for firewood, taking care of small siblings, cooking, cleaning, etc. -- so her chances of doing well in her studies are greatly compromised. The new hostel at Awet Secondary School is going to have a very positive impact on girls' attendance and performance.
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