With help from individuals and companies, VGF sponsors students from the villages around Ketumbeine and gives them the opportunity to continue their education at Secondary School.

When students complete the seventh grade in primary school, they must pass an admission test for further studies at a government Secondary School. The students attend boarding schools. VGF helps provide them with the necessary equipment and covers the cost of traveling to school.

In consultation with the village leaders, we select the students who need help the most. This year, we are sponsoring 33 students attending Secondary School.

VGF operates in three villages in Ketumbeine. Our support is primarily directed towards the schools. In Tanzania, the government provides teachers for primary schools, but the local village must assist with school buildings and housing for the teachers.

VGF helps with the construction.

When VGF sponsors a project, it is important that the villagers are involved. We discuss with the village leadership to determine the most urgent needs and contribute to a significant portion of the costs.

We also try to maintain contact with other aid organizations in the area to coordinate our support.

The villages around Ketumbeine are remote, making it difficult for the government to recruit dedicated teachers for the schools. As a result, only a few students were able to pass their exams. We therefore began supporting the primary schools with assistant teachers. Currently, we support three schools with local assistant teachers. This has contributed to more students passing their exams and being able to continue their education.

We see that the assistant teachers' commitment and understanding of the local community are assets to the teaching process. When schoolchildren meet young people from nearby villages who have received education, it further motivates them to continue their studies. In the future, we also plan to assist in further training teachers who are willing to stay in the area.

Treeplanting

VGF has initiated three small tree planting projects in Ketumbeine, one at each school we support. Deforestation is a significant issue across Tanzania, and we want the children to learn how to care for the plants and take them home to their boma (the Maasai’s enclosed area for huts and livestock) to look after them. The school and village leadership manage the plantings, and we provide tools, materials, and seeds. We have also purchased tree plants to accelerate the growth of trees in the school areas.