Tina's School Ranks #1 in District and Among Top 2% in Tanzania! |
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Dear friends and supporters, it is with great pride that we share with you this news: OUR FIRST GRADUATING CLASS OF 40 YOUNGSTERS RANKED NUMBER 1 IN THE DISTRICT, OUT OF 112 SCHOOLS! We ranked number 6 among 650 schools in the Mara Region, and 106th among 9,736 in all of Tanzania, that is in the top 2% of all English medium primary schools in the country!! This is particularly significant, because our students were competing against students in top-ranked schools across the country. |
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THE CELEBRATION We were thrilled to hold our first graduation ceremony at Tina’s Pre and Primary School on October 6th, where we honored our 40 Class VII students with a special celebration. Thanks to Christine Nyanda Chacha’s family in California, who raised $700 for this memorable gathering, the preparations were elaborate! Big tents were rented so that guests could sit in the shade, the Nyamagongo Women’s Group was hired to cook for 400 people, and all of our teachers and staff worked tirelessly to make this a very special occasion for our students and the entire community. |
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THE CEREMONY The families of our graduates, our pupils, and local officials and dignitaries joined us on the afternoon of October 6 for the ceremony. We were honored to welcome so many members of the Nyanda family, including Christine’s brothers, their wives, and many of their children. The ceremony began with the entrance march of our graduates, and then each grade gave a tribute to class VII and to Tina’s School. The events included a fashion show from the pre-primary and primary class, a good bye song and dance from class V to class VII, and presentations from Tina’s Scouts and Tina’s Army (a group of girls committed to using educational opportunities to attain their personal goals). During the ceremony, each graduate was also presented with a certificate of graduation. It is hard to believe that in 2006 this school did not exist and we were just breaking ground for the first building! |
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THE PREPARATIONS For weeks, the teachers and students in all of the classes practiced their songs, dances, poems, marches, and a fashion show. The night before the graduation, all of the teachers sat together cleaning the rice and the beans, enjoying the community they have created with one another, and basking in this achievement. |
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THE LONG ROAD AHEAD Please help us provide and maintain a high quality education for the children in this community. Donate now to our teacher support fund so that we can continue to recruit and retain quality teachers and pay our hardworking educators and administrators a competitive wage. | | |
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| | Where to From Here? There really is a long road ahead for our graduates. They now await placement in some of the most competitive national schools, and for our most accomplished students, that means expensive boarding school fees. We are committed to follow up with our graduates and support them in the next stage of their education, and you can help by making a donation. | | |
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| | How It All Started! When we build this school in 2006, we could not have imagined that in 11 years we would have almost 600 students and our graduating class would be ranked #1 in the district! But as Christine Nyanda Chacha used to say, "kidogo, kidogo, little by little, we can make a difference". Watch how our journey began with the construction of Tina's School. | | |
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