Isandula Center

In 2008, the Tanzanian government donated 80 acres in the Mbozi District of Western Tanzania for the development of a secondary boarding school and vocational training center for orphans. (Approximately one-third of the children in this remote region of Tanzania are orphans.) Because the land grant is so large, orphans will be able to raise their own livestock and farm the land, learning animal husbandry and sustainable farming practices in addition to their regular school studies. Orphans will be able to sell farm products, such as eggs and milk and produce. Any unused land can be leased out to farmers to provide additional income for the school. Other vocational skills will be offered as well, such as tailoring and carpentry. Once the Isandula Center is completed, (anticipated completion date: 2022), it will serve over 700 orphans and 300 non-orphans, most of whom will live on campus. Tuition from non-orphans will help to offset operational costs of the school. This tuition income, combined with income received from produce sales and the leasing of land, will create a self-sustaining school.

Although the least developed of OA’s projects, significant strides have been made since the acquisition of the land:

OA has demarcated and planted 1000 trees around the perimeter.

A water well has been dug and is fully operational. The water well is open to the community.

Permanent signs have been erected on the property, indicating ownership of the land.

A master plan for the Secondary Boarding School and Voc-Tech Training Center complex has been completed, submitted, and approved by the government.

A caretaker’s cottage has been fully constructed, including a bath and toilet house. The caretaker will oversee the building phase, as well as provide security. Once a caretaker is no longer needed, the cottage will house the headmaster.

Construction on the first classroom is complete and construction on the second and third classrooms is underway!

OA made possible the donation of a 29-passenger commercial bus. Profits from the bus’ commercial route go toward supplementing building costs and providing funds to run the Isandula Nursery (see below) – a nursery school for 70 orphans that is currently operating on campus. .

The community is committed to contributing their labor toward construction. Still, this is OA’s most ambitious project, and will require an estimated $500,000 for completion. It is OA’s belief that the school/training center will positively impact the lives of thousands of orphans in the years to come, providing them with a quality education and vocational skills.

Photo Descriptions:

UPPER: (left) OA team visits Isandula Center during the dry season and after the corn harvest; (right) Isandula Center during growing season.
BOTTOM: (left to right) Inside classroom #1, soon to be filled with desks, chairs, and students; caretaker’s cottage with water well in foreground and shower/toilet house in background; classroom #1 with herd of cattle roaming nearby; commercial bus that helps to provide revenue for school construction.

Isandula Nursery School

The team’s passion goes beyond the Isandula Center. This incredible team also runs a nursery school for local orphans. Nursery students learn the alphabet and how to count and to speak English — all in preparation for when they enter primary school at the age of seven. Way to go, team!