Ikirwa School Project

The Tanzanian education system currently uses Swahili as a medium of instruction and English is taught as a second language. However, English has become a language of both commerce and higher learning limiting the prospects of government school graduates, especially those that are unable to afford remedial English language instruction. Our project aims to deliver the option for English language instruction to children of Midawe and nearby villages. We leverage resources offered by many volunteer organizations and NGO in both providing instruction and education materials to offer world-class quality academic instruction to the students as well as career development opportunities for the teachers. Our goal is to ensure that all out students score in the top quartile of the TOEFL test at the time of graduation and the Tanzanian instructors within 2 years of joining the staff. The seed funds for the project came from its founders, with Gasper contributing a plot of family land for school construction and Masha financing Phase I of construction. Students will be charged tuition and boarding fees and those funds are expected to eventually cover the majority of operating budget. Up to 20% of spots will be allocated for underprivileged children of Midawe. Our architectural plan calls for construction of 13 classrooms, 4 dormitories, offices, staff quarters, dining hall and kitchen, library and assembly hall in four phases. Our vision is to build a small school that makes a big difference and stands on its own without depending on outside donors for day to day operations. We intend to grow organically and pragmatically, building a track record and using our success to attract donor funds for capital improvements.