Oyster Park Primary School in Castleford, West Yorkshire, has been linked to Benjamin William Mkapa School in the Kilimanjaro region in Tanzania.
Both schools joined Childreach International's Global Schools Initiative back in November 2010. Oyster Park began the process of linking with its counterpart in Tanzania by holding an 'Africa week' for the second year classes. With a keen interest in learning more about Tanzania and the work that Childreach International does, our Director of Fundraising, David Milton and our Education Fundraising Manager, Anouk Galle, travelled up to Castleford to answer the children's questions.
In true reporter style, with microphone and camera at the ready, the pupils fired away, asking Anouk everything from how the community in Tanzania gets their water, to how long it takes to get to school, to what the children wear. The children at Oyster Park had even made their own kangas, typical Tanzanian cloths, and spent a day living the life of a child in rural Tanzania - collecting water, feeding chickens, calculating walking distances, and taking part in drumming and dancing classes.
The children also thought a lot about the needs of their new partner school, and came up with some great fundraising ideas.
Skyping Tanzania
At the beginning of February, all KS1 and 2 pupils, along with members of staff, gathered in the Lower School Hall for a Skype conversation with the head teacher of Benjamin William Mkapa School. This was a very exciting experience for all involved. The head teacher of Benjamin William Mkapa, Mrs Bazilla, had travelled to Childreach International's Tanzania office, as the school does not have electricity or internet access. Each class had chosen a brave representative to ask questions in front of the camera, with some of the answers they recieved really making everyone think. The entire process was very child led.
Take a look at some of the events of the day in the video below:
Fundraising
One of Oyster Park Primary School's main priorities is to nurture all pupils so that they can become fluent readers. After the Skype and webcam conversation with the head teacher of Benjamin William Mkapa School, the children realised their new partner school has very few books, and that the teachers have very little in the way of resource materials to assist them with their teaching. To address this, Oyster Park has put together a sustainable plan to provide their Tanzanian counterpart with their own books.
This programme will unfold over the next few years, starting with curriculum books for several subjects in standards 1 & 2. They also plan to help set up a library in the area, a exciting proposition and one that will no doubt help strengthen and develop the partnership between the two schools.
To raise funds for this endevour, the school held its first fundraising event on 14 February in the shape of a Valentine's Disco.
A final word
"Thanks to support from Childreach International, we have made a real link with Benjamin William Mkapa Primary School in Tanzania. Our pupils will make true relationships with the famlies and friends in a country far away through this partnership. Our school vision encapsulates a place where we elarn to love ourselves and each other, whilst caring for our environment and the world. This partnership can only enhance this dream."
Maggie Chipperfield, Oyster Park teacher.
"We strive to ensure all our pupils realise their hopes and dreams. By nurturing a relationship with a partner school, we believe we can help our pupils understand how fortunate we are in our day to day lives.
Even though Benhamin William Mkapa Primary School is thousands of miles away, they and Childreach International have become valuable members of our Oyster Park family, and we hope our relationship will grow from strength to strength - as our motto says, 'The World is our Oyster!'"
Mandy Reather, head teacher, Oyster Park Primary School.
Take a look at the video above to see one UK school's experience partnering with a school in Tanzania.
The story of the Hare and the Well in Africa, by year two.
Both schools joined Childreach International's Global Schools Initiative back in November 2010. Oyster Park began the process of linking with its counterpart in Tanzania by holding an 'Africa week' for the second year classes. With a keen interest in learning more about Tanzania and the work that Childreach International does, our Director of Fundraising, David Milton and our Education Fundraising Manager, Anouk Galle, travelled up to Castleford to answer the children's questions.
At the beginning of February, all KS1 and 2 pupils, along with members of staff, gathered in the Lower School Hall for a Skype conversation with the head teacher of Benjamin William Mkapa School. This was a very exciting experience for all involved. The head teacher of Benjamin William Mkapa, Mrs Bazilla, had travelled to Childreach International's Tanzania office, as the school does not have electricity or internet access. Each class had chosen a brave representative to ask questions in front of the camera, with some of the answers they recieved really making everyone think. The entire process was very child led.
