| Growing a School in Tanzania--One Classroom at a Time | |||||||||||||||||
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by Elliott Wright |
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New York, NY, October 29, 2009--The fifth classroom at Wesley Primary School, Morogoro, Tanzania, has a foundation; now it needs only a floor, walls, windows, a ceiling, a roof, and equipment--in the next few months. It's a big order, but the Rev. Umba Ilunga Kalangwa, a United Methodist missionary, is optimistic. Wesley School has been grown one classroom per year since it opened in 2006. It now has some 60 pupils and four teachers. The present need is space for the Fifth Form--the school system in Tanzania follows a British model. Wesley Primary School adds 10 to 20 pupils each year, as there is room, in a systematic program of expansion. The plan combines local construction labor and construction materials purchased in part by gifts through The Advance, the designated mission giving program of The United Methodist Church. The goal is to complete the new room for the Fifth Form by early 2010, according to Rev. Kalangwa. It costs around $16,000 to build and equip a new classroom. Morogoro is a both a city and a province of Tanzania, situated in East Africa. The city of Morogoro is 120 miles immediately west of the capital of Dar Es Salaam. The region has an agricultural economic base. All children in Tanzania are required to register for school, but being on the rolls does not always translate into school attendance. Some reports indicate that only about 54 percent of primary school-age children attend school regularly. Education is a priority of the Morogoro District of the Tanzania Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. Rev. Kalangwa is superintendent of the district as well as a missionary, along with his wife, Ngoy Mulanga Kalangwa, through the General Board of Global Ministries. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the couple has been in Tanzania since 1992. In addition to Wesley Primary School, the Morogoro District now has a preschool, and Kalangwa's dream includes, eventually, a secondary school and more primary institutions. The central goal is twofold: to increase the number of schools in order to combat illiteracy and to share the Christian gospel of love with the students. Education curriculum resources are developed locally. Umba Ilunga and Ngoy Mulanga Kalangwa are also deeply involved in other forms of education, including training for local pastors and women in the church. In a recent email message, Rev. Kalangwa asked, first, for prayers for the expansion of Wesley Primary School into the Fifth Form. Secondly, he invited contributions through regular United Methodist connectional channels. Gifts for new construction at Wesley School, Morogoro, can be made through Advance #3020704. The ministry of Umba Ilunga Kalangwa can be supported through Advance #14211Z and that of Ngoy Mulanga Kalangwa through Advance #15162Z. Elliott Wright is the information officer of the General Board of Global Ministries.
Date posted: Oct 29, 2009 |
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