NURSERY SCHOOL

In a region of Tanzania with high rates of poverty, many children lack access to educational facilities and resources. Addressing the need for preliminary education in Mbeya, UDF established a nursery school in Ituha Village in 2007 and enrolled 40 students in the very first class. 

In April 2008, with $4,500 in funding from the U.S. based Pangaea Giving for Global Change, UDF moved the location of the school to a newly constructed building equipped with ample space and materials to hold proper classes. The school is a prime example of the organization’s commitment to the community. In its fourth academic year, the school currently enrolls nearly two-dozen students and has graduated more than 100 students since classes started in 2007. The resources provided as well as the social development afforded these young learners, are invaluable assets that have sparked the intellectual curiosity of the students and provided them a foundation of knowledge as they pursue higher education.

Another success story of the UDF Nursery School concerns the school fees required to attend. As many students are orphans or vulnerable children who cannot afford to pay the modest fees, UDF waived these fees for a large percentage of the student body at the start of the program. Since project start-up, acting to address the root problem of poverty that prevented the paying of said fees, UDF has conducted entrepreneurial trainings and helped the caregivers of many of the student orphans to start businesses. As a result of the entrepreneurial initiatives of these women, 100% of the currently enrolled class can afford to pay the fees of $3 per month. The school, therefore, serves not only as a safe environment in which dozens of children have started their education, but also as one of many incentives for local women to ensure they earn a sustainable income. 

The UDF Nursey school which started on 2010 enrolled 40 children who completed their one year in the nursery school and  all of them will continue to primary school at Songwi primary school. In November we receive two volunteers one volunteer who is called Thea was interested in teaching English to our Nursery school and the children were happy to be with her.Also they Volunteers painted the class and they drew different pictures on the walls of the nursery school including the Alphabets. The Nursery school has two classrooms one class was painted and all words are written in

English and another class all words are written in Swahili language. When they will be studying the English they will be moving to English class and when they will be studying Swahili language the children with there English teacher will be moving to Swahili Class. 

We have advertized the UDF Nursery school on www.idelist.org so that we may have Volunteers who are interested in Teaching English to our children . Three volunteers from USA have responded positively and time next year they will be coming to volunteers to our Nursery school.