The Meserani Project is a unique and ‘home-grown’ charity owned by the pupils, parents, staff and friends of Acklam Grange School, Middlesbrough. It provides an ongoing link between the people of Teesside, (particularly adolescents – our future citizens), and schools and communities in East Africa that are not able to provide even a basic education for the young people in their area. The project began in 2004 when a visit of 22 pupils from Teesside transformed Lesiraa School, Tanzania, from a set of collapsing wooden shacks, into a school providing an education in fully furnished and equipped stone-built classrooms. The school has also been provided with educational resources and sports equipment and clothing. A second visit to Tanzania by 24 pupils in 2007 built and furnished four brand new classrooms at Meserani Juu School, Arusha, Tanzania, as well as providing much needed educational resources for the school. Early in 2012 the project built two new classrooms at Meserani Chini Primary School and provided text books for teachers and pupils throughout the school. Seven water tanks have been provided for Kipok and Moita Boarding Schools, and the project provided and installed complete solar power requirements for Kipok Girls Boarding School. A significant development of the project is to sponsor pupils through their secondary and further education, and currently one pupil is attending Ilboru Boys Boarding School, 25 pupils are attending Einoti School, 40 pupils are attending Kipok Girls Boarding School, 40 pupils are attending Moita Boys Boarding School and four students are being supported through further education at High Schools and Vocational Colleges. (Charity no. 1135670)
