Love For All Tanzanians - LOFATA

UPENDO SCHOOL PROJECT REPORT 2008

A. WHO IS UPENDO SCHOOL PROJECT?

Upendo School is a LOVE FOR ALL TANZANIANS (LOFATA) project. LOFATA is a charitable, registered Non-Government Organization (NGO) that was registered in June 2006 and still exists with registration number OONGO/0128. It is headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania.

Upendo School Project (USP) is a local, non-profitable and sponsorship-supported English medium school that primarily serves orphaned and vulnerable children from marginalized families and communities. For more information visit our website.

USP was established in January 2006 to support the above mentioned above children in achieving quality education. USP started its operation with small numbers of children but as time went on the number increased. The first classroom was set in the wooden scraps as seen below and it was a hired place.

The founder saw the need for putting the children in good the classrooms, so she sat down with her beloved husband to discuss the issue. They came up with the decision of giving over their living house to be a school. They moved to rent a place to live.

B. FROM LIVING HOUSE TO SCHOOL

A school environment is quite different from a home for living, so the house needed a lot of renovation. By faith in action the founder went to Bulk Supplies Ltd to ask for help in the form of renovation materials for three classrooms. Bulk Supplies Ltd, with open heart, did not hesitate to support the school with the materials required. It was Nov. 2007.

Bulk Supplies Ltd will not be forgotten as the first founding donation of Upendo School.

C. FROM NURSERY TO PRIMARY SCHOOL

The need to extend our education service from pre-primary school to primary arose after we had noted that the former Upendo pupils who had gone onto join government schools were not doing well. They faced a number of problems including obtaining writing materials and language confusion as they were using both English and Kiswahili. Therefore, many of them left the school soon after joining.

In January 2007 the Upendo School management saw the need to remain with these students from Pre-primary to Primary level (Std VII) and if possible to secondary and college.

We need to transform our dream into truth. Our dream is to see these children getting quality education. Quality education will lead them from a life of dependence to being independent, with the freedom to pursue their own personal dreams.

Our nation needs positive, proactive thinkers. It is our goal to produce such people.

D. CHALLENGES FACING THE SCHOOL

Despite the level progress we have reached, we are still faced with a number of challenges. These include (but are not limited to):
- Classroom for Standard 1 January 2009 (this is the crux of a fundraising effort on 4th October 2008)
- Teaching and learning materials
- Food supplies
- Student transport
- Salaries for teachers and other supporting staff
- Land for further school expansion, i.e. for buildings permanent pre-primary school
- Donors to support our school projects

E. EFFORT DONE

Thus far, much progress has been made in areas directly necessary for the students learning and welfare. These include:

- Seeking assistance from different organizations and individuals to support the classrooms construction (Fundraising day, 4th October, 2008)
- To sit and discuss with parents/guardians about transport to hire a mini-bus to carry our children. However some parents fail to pay transport fees while others do not pay on time. We would like to praise those who pay on time for showing that they care.
- Looking for international and external supporters to support/ work with us in solving the current school needs
- We have been receiving various volunteer teachers from Canada, USA and Britain to work with us by giving the teachers and pupils new ideas and refining procedures.

We would like to express thanks to all the volunteers and welcome others. Please find attached the feedback from Amy and Shonah, volunteers from Scotland.

F. FINANCIAL POSITION

Like any other institution, our school needs funds to run our day-to-day activities. Currently we are lacking sufficient funds to meet our schools need. So we call upon every one of you to support us in various ways.

(a) Long-term projects are: 1-7 years (2008-2015)
- Land acquisition from 3-10 acres - new land is needed for further school expansion. Please contact us for more about price per one acre.

- Permanent School building construction. Classes from Pre to primary School, administration blocks, library, computer lab, dinning and other blocks as deemed necessary as well as additional buildings as deemed necessary.

- Purchasing of our school buses

- Installing School MIS

- Strengthening of partnerships between our current donors and the coming one.

(b) Short-term projects: 1-3 years (2009-2011)

- Three classrooms' construction: Standard One to Three

- To have sufficient teaching and learning materials to enable both teachers and pupils to perform their duties properly

- To have sufficient student food supplies

- Student transport

- Staff salaries

- Students and staff furniture as per budget (please see the attached 2009 budget at the end of the report)

G. STUDENTS ACADEMIC:

Due to committed teachers and other supporting staff our students are doing
very well in their studies. Many people will be astonished with the results thus far.

For the best results, is it our expectation to provide both students and teachers adequate teaching, learning and playing materials.

H. STUDENTS STATUS REPORT:

Currently we have 73 pupils 46 female and 27 male.
School standard is 30 students per class.

- 3 are orphaned
- 10 students have only mothers
- 28 are marginalized
- Only 32 are from middle class families

About 65 students need educational assistance/support.

I. STAFFING

Our staff consists of:

1. One Director
2. One School manager
3. Three employed teacher
4. One volunteer teacher
5. Two cooks
6. One cleaner
7. One social worker/Accountant assistant.

Out of these workers 6 are female and 2 are male

J. INTERNATIONAL SPONSORS /DONORS 2008

Kensington Cares (Canada)
-Construction of four toilet holes
-Book and stationeries
-Bookshelves in classrooms
-Paying part of staff salaries (Monthly donation USD 500)

New Montessori School - USA
-30 desks
-Books

Individuals

Volunteers

K. LOCAL DONORS/SPONSORS

1. PRIDE Tanzania Ltd
2. Bulk Supplies Ltd
3. Flying Cargo Transport Ltd
4. Uhasibu students
5. Volunteers
6. Individuals

We would like to express our great thanks for their assistance to our school particularly to our beloved students.