Development & Alumni Office

Report by John Rolfe

Here at St. Clare's we are conscious of the privileges and advantages our students enjoy compared to students in other schools. To work in an international school in a third world country, such as Tanzania, as I have done for the last two years, is to see that privilege even more starkly.

Two years ago Phillipe Durant, who was then teaching French at St. Clare's, but had previously taught in Moshi, started the St. Clare's Tanzanian Education Project. The aim was to raise money to help one primary school in the Moshi area, Kiboriloni Primary School, whose buildings (built in the 1940s) were badly dilapidated.

During my time in Moshi I followed this project with interest through the St. Clare's website. Just before leaving Tanzania I decided to go and see for myself what had become of the project and what had been done with the considerable sum of money that St. Clare's staff and students had managed to raise

As I saw on my visit to the school, the money was used to renovate seven classrooms. The cracked walls and broken window frames and rough dirt floors had made the buildings unusable during the rainy seasons and even in danger of collapse.

These classrooms are now completely renovated and brightly painted, with new floors, windows and blackboards. They are in use and their repair has given the pupils at the school encouragement and hope and the ambition to do well in their studies.

During my visit it was clear that St. Clare's efforts meant a great deal to the staff and also to the students of the school. They expressed their gratitude to St. Clare's in songs and speeches and were clearly encouraged and heartened by our interest and help.

Wilbald Swai, Headmaster of Kiboriloni School, recently wrote to me thanking the St. Clare's Community for enabling the initial renovation work to proceed.

In St. Clare's jubilee year, we are aiming to complete the work at Kiboriloni, where the second classroom block still needs renovation, by raising a further £5000. Students are planning fundraising events through our St. Clare's Tanzanian Education Project (STEP). If you would like further information about the project please contact me, John Rolfe, at john.rolfe@stclares.ac.uk.