Wilderness Tanzania, through its non-profit Children in the Wilderness (CITW) programme, has completed the rehabilitation of a classroom at Gwikongo Primary School in the Serengeti region – providing a learning environment for more than 500 children.
The project was funded by a grant from Travel Elevates, the charitable arm of Signature Travel Network, and facilitated by the Wilderness Trust. It is part of CITW’s ongoing work in rural Tanzania partner schools.
“Despite being situated next to one of the most famous national parks in the world, these communities are some of the most vulnerable with little in the way of infrastructure or resources. While the school children of Gwikongo can see the Serengeti from their classroom windows, the walls were crumbling around them and elephants invaded their parents’ maize fields,” said CITW Tanzania Community Project Co-ordinator Doctor Tipay.
The upgraded classroom now accommodates lessons and CITW Eco-Club environmental education activities. It includes a rainwater harvesting and tank system along with access to electricity.
Similar work is set to begin at Manyara Secondary School adjacent to Lake Manyara National Park. “The refurbishment at Manyara will replicate the specifications and approach we used at Gwikongo, including the empowerment of nearby communities by sourcing labour and materials from them. This not only stimulates the local economy but also fosters a sense of community pride and ownership in the project,” said Tipay.
CITW Tanzania has trained eco-mentors at five schools supporting over 4 000 children with reforestation and eco-garden projects.
“We are extremely grateful to Travel Elevates for their support of CITW and our partner communities through this much-needed project and to the Wilderness Trust for facilitating the funding that made it possible,” said Tipay.
