Mvumi School Trust

We are 36 km from Dodoma, Tanzania’s capital, a little south of the equator and in the middle of the country. It is a very poor region and the capital city has not been developed as much as other cities in Tanzania yet. The area is semi-desert, hilly and badly de-forested. It is heart-stoppingly beautiful. Traditional rural houses are low, rectangular, mud brick with thatched roofs.

Tanzanian people are famous for their welcome and cheerfulness and always enjoy receiving visitors. Life seems simple and picturesque. However, life here is cruel for the many people who are sick, old, uneducated, abandoned or orphaned.

A subsistence economy

Life expectancy is 49 for women and 48 for men. HIV+ is 4.4% in this region and 7.7% nationally. Many people live a near cashless life, eating what they can grow and bartering for what they cannot. Subsistence farming is the norm. Some can hire a team of oxen to plough occasionally. Most rely on the hoe.

For most women and girls, existing is a physically demanding routine of water collecting and maize pounding along with millet and other crops, and many other domestic chores. Many houses have only an earth floor through which disease-carrying insects bore to add to the many debilitating hazards associated with poverty.

Illness and malnourishment are common.

Education is expensive

Illiteracy is still a problem. Rural primary schools all struggle. Little English is taught, yet the state requries that secondary education is taught in English. Many Tanzanians who would like to undertake secondary education are unable to even contemplate it, either from insufficient primary education, unplanned pregnancy or because they are unable even to pay the government school fees.

In response to these great needs, our secondary school was started 14 years ago in the middle of Mvumi, a large, busy village which has grown up around its mission hospital. Both the school and the hospital were founded by the Anglican Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT). It is a Christian school but is open to all, regardless of faith.

It is an English Medium school so all lessons are in English with the exception of Kiswahili. For most students English is their third language. Conversation English is practised in debating, morning speeches and competitions.

School facilities

Because of our links with donors abroad we have been able to build some impressive buildings, to drill and secure a reliable bore hole, to install electricity and improve other facilities which are the envy of neighbouring institutions.

As with all things here, appearances can be misleading:-

• We still do not have enough text books or basic equipment.
• It is always hard to find and keep good teaching staff in such a remote area especially as there is a national shortage of qualified teachers.
• Our staff accommodation needs to be improved. There are currently twenty seven full-time members of staff, the majority of whom are trained.
• Our budget is always fully stretched. The diet of our students would still be considered inadequate in the West. Vegetables are a rare treat and only one piece of fruit is given per week. Lunch is a large plate of ugali and beans. Boarders get a small amount of meat twice a week. Some day students regularly do not eat for 24 hours between their school lunches at 2.30 on weekdays particularly between January and April when food is scarce until the harvest is brought in. However the school diet is still a great improvement for many whose home circumstances are very difficult.

The school has a growing reputation and we have fee-paying students from all over Tanzania and from all backgrounds. Our current school roll is 440 boys and girls. 222 juniors and 66 seniors board. The age range is from 12 to mid 20s. The demand for boarding places far exceeds those available.

Provision for Visually Impaired Students

The School has  purpose built resource centre, The ICAP Unit, for the students who are blind or with severely impaired eye sight and trained special needs teachers.

Find out more about the school curriculum and daily life.

Sponsorship and Scholarship

There is a sponsorship and scholarship scheme which is overseen in the UK and has an English co-ordinator working at the school. Usually these sponsored students and scholars are selected from local primary schools and are from the poorest backgrounds.

We are expanding this scheme to include some blind students. The Tanzanian Government will meet the specialist teachers’ salaries and other running costs, we also have help from the Diocese and a special grant by the City of London firm, ICAP.

Our vision

Education at Mvumi is deliberately broad. We have a holistic approach to develop students academically, socially, morally, spiritually and physically. Our vision is they will grow into skilled and responsible citizens, with a sense of duty to their community and their nation.