Over the years, several Tanzania communities have approached Global Outreach to bring our programs to their region so they could share in the benefits they produce. We reluctantly declined as long distance support was not realistic. But as our offerings expanded, and alternative after-installation technical support options became available, this obstacle was diminished. Fortuitously, adapting to COVID taught us new lessons and technology options for potential growth.
Our decision last year to create a version of Windows to Knowledge (W2K) for in-school installation was the final piece to the puzzle. Some of you might have missed the earlier newsletter announcing that our first sale of W2K in 2020 was at a school in the far northwest corner of the country, a two day bus journey for our staff. But thanks to the internet, modern software updating, and strategic business partnerships, we have been able to successfully support the Hekima school.
In fact, the project’s success so impressed SHARE Africa, the Hekima sponsors, that they have decided to fund additional girls’ schools. The first of these is the Maria de Mattias Secondary School in Dodoma. This is one of the top 10 schools (based on national examination performance) in the Region, but they see W2K as a tool to improve their position. Run by the Catholic Church, Maria de Mattias is particularly noteworthy because it supports a large number of girls who have had to deal with HIV.
For Global Outreach, it is all the more exciting because it gives us a presence in the country’s capital, with the potential of coming to the attention of government officials, particularly those with children in secondary schools.
But our real break-through project is currently underway in the Kilimanjaro region in the northeast corner of the country. Thanks to a $50,000 Rotary Global Grant led by the Rotary Club of Moshi and the Venice Florida Sunrise Club, we will be implementing full programs – computer laboratories, teacher and student training, and W2K installation – at five secondary schools in the region.
This is easily the most challenging project we have ever undertaken, sending six of our staff to Moshi for varying periods of time, and working in schools from near Moshi town to the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We will learn and grow from this experience. But the Moshi Rotarians report that initial installations have generated such excitement that the club is already strategizing how to raise funds for additional schools
This week the Regional Commissioner (equivalent to a US State Governor) of Kilimanjaro, Hon. Anna E. Mghwira, came to one of the schools to see their new facility, to thank GOT and Rotary for their work in changing the quality of education in Tanzania, and to encourage the children to make good use of the opportunity which they have received. She emphasized that cultivating a reading habit and exploiting technology, the foundations of GOT’s offerings, are the keys to a better future.
Thanks – and Please Keep the Joy Coming
These successes are a tribute to the amazing team that Executive Director Maryline Mamuya has put together in Iringa. But they are also a tribute to those of you who have supported Global Outreach over the years. There is no Giving Challenge this year, therefore there is no need to wait for a specific day to send a check to show your support for what you’ve read and seen in this newsletter. Thanks again for that continued support – we couldn’t do it without you.
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