A meeting with Tanzania’s Minister of Education, Dr. Shukuru Kawambwa, led us to the village of Mnindi in the Vigwaza Ward of the Bagamoyo District. Dr. Kawambwa told us of the remote village where the women had been raising funds to build a school for their children. We had to go meet them! 

        On our first visit to Mnindi in November 2011, the cheerful people of the village filled up the little classroom they had starting building. We heard the stories of the troubles and dangers of having their children travel so far to the closest available school, and the work they had been doing to try to protect the children and to build a school in their own village.

        ASFE repaired their existing classroom as we raised the funds to build a full primary school with additional 6 classrooms, 2 offices, 2 staff houses, latrines and a sports field.  The community added an additional staff house and Room To Read – an international NGO – added a library in 2015.        

        We, along with several of the country’s dignitaries, joined the Mnindi community to celebrate the grand opening of the Mnindi Primary School in December 2014.  Classes in kindergarten through standard 4 began in January 2015 with additional grades added each year.