Mbaaseni Primary School: Reorganisation

One of the things most frustrating about work with many African schools is the attitude of the villagers that they expect us to come in and do everything for them. We make it very clear to them that this is not the case. We work on a system of bega kwa bega (Swaheli: shoulder to shoulder) and that everyone is expected to contribute. It is the village that owns and is ultimately responsible for the school and the project is owned by them, not us.

This has not fully sank in at Mbaaseny and work that should have been done by the village and tradesmen has not been done. We have provided all the materials and they are sitting there in the school but I’m very glad to report that none have been stolen.

We are in a difficult position at this school as funding were expecting for this year will not be forthcoming and we are struggling to find some to keep the development program going. The school is still short of classrooms and presently two classes have to share one classroom. This would not be a problem in Australia where country teachers are familiar with and trained to handle multiple grades in one class but Tanzanian teachers receive no such training and class sizes are huge. Even if teachers are trained the class sizes make efficient teaching almost impossible.

I want to be able to say that they should finish what they agreed before we start again but I can’t as I am unsure when we can. I don’t have a bargaining chip.

Despite the fact that the tradesman had been paid for work not yet done he had the temerity to come and ask for more funds. I not so politely refused. Had he been an Australian he would have been answered much more thoroughly.

There had been some effort to keep the gardens in order and cut the grass and the teachers had kept the school looking clean. This school has a great headmaster and a good staff but the headmaster is from a different tribe and the Meru people of Mbaaseny are notoriously insular and resentful of other tribes. This is a very common problem and one which is very difficult to resolve. Cooperation between the head teacher and the village is necessary to make the school work..

We went to look at the piece of land where we intend to build the volunteer house. Again this building is designed as an example of low cost construction appropriate to an African village.

We need the house to be constructed before we can be considered a resident of the village and so chair the school board.

There are a lot of uncertainties at this school which is a shame because it is the one we have made most progress with. Certainly we will be working very hard to bring this school up to the standard we would like but presently politics and lack of funds is a serious obstacle.