La scuola

 5 giugno 2011    

Si si...proprio così!! Utange è sempre nei cuori e nei pensieri di chi ne è venuto a contatto, lo so. Me ne accorgo dalle tante domande che mi vengono rivolte a riguardo, dalle tante offerte di aiuto che mi arrivano. Non smetterò mai di dire che La storia di Utange è una storia di successo, abbiamo tanti amici e siamo tutti uniti per una causa. L'unione di più individui con lo stesso obiettivo fa si che quell'obiettivo sia raggiunto. Questo è vero teamwork...l'unione FA la forza. La nostra forza è la nostra capacità di restare uniti nel perseguire il nostro scopo, oltre che il sentirsi vicini ai piccoli di Utange. Anni fa un seme venne piantato, oggi cominciamo a vedere i frutti del lavoro di tempo fa. Utange è un grande progetto a lungo termine. Pensate che abbiamo ben 50 bambini sponsorizzati. Alcuni di voi ricordano sicuramente quando abbiamo cominciato il "Progetto adozioni", quando cercavamo di trovare le parole adatte per convincere le persone della buona fede del progetto. Ma Claudio (Canton, responsabile del progetto) disse candidamente "La faccia è la nostra...si fideranno!". Oppure quando decidemmo di dare ai bimbi di Utange la possibilità di studiare, l'accesso alla conoscenza, la protezione di una scuola, disciplina e educazione. Siamo a otto classi, mancano solo i fondi per finire i pavimenti (2000 euro circa). Pensate allo stupore e alla gioia nella mia faccia quando l'Associazione Naviganti Volare Airlines ha donato ben 20.000 euro per la costruzione di quattro classi!!! O quando tramite Stefano Fierli siamo riusciti ad avere i fondi per le toilettes della scuola. O quando, grazie ad Alberto Caruso, siamo entrati in contatto con l'onlus "Un chicco per l'Africa"...e quanto stanno facendo!!!...pensate che ora c’è l'elettricità, il che significa avere la possibilità di tenere le medicine al fresco, in frigorifero ad esempio. Alberto ha fatto scavare più in profondità i pozzi d'acqua...quindi abbiamo più acqua, e sappiamo tutti quanto questo sia importante. Insomma, sottolineo il successo del progetto dovuto al grande aiuto che tanti ci stanno dando. Continuate così...noi dal canto nostro continueremo a "....metterci la faccia!!". Grazie Alex Nicoletti

PROPOSED SCHOOL PROJECT AT KIBOKONI VILLAGE UTANGE (Courtesy of Capt Claudio, Capt Alex and friends) 

SUGGESTED NAME OF THE SCHOOL

Lifog Centre Primary School                                                                            

SUGGESTED SCHOOL MOTTO

Working together to achieve our goal

UNIFORMS:

Boys:    pink shirt, grey short

Girls:    grey dress

-                           black shoes 

The need for a school is based on the following grounds:

• The village and other nearby villages are becoming densely populated.
• There are many children loitering around who do not attend school due to the following reasons:-
•  Government schools are few and far away from the village
•  The few government schools cannot cater for educational needs of the growing population
•  Overcrowding of students in government schools, lack of enough teachers and insufficient facilities lead to students dropping out of school
•  Due to poverty, many children opt to go out to look for casual jobs in order to get food and other basic needs.

 After completion of the second borehole in March 2007, which was funded by Capt. Claudio and his friends, the villagers were so impressed with this great achievement that they wished the same friends who had saved them from the water problem in the area could also be requested to help in putting up a school in the village.

On the day when the water project was inaugurated we presented this request to Capt. Claudio, Capt. Alex and the friends who accompanied them. We were very happy when they agreed to the idea of putting up a school in our village.

To prove that the villagers were so anxious about this project, they wanted the school to start immediately even if under a tree as we wait for the construction of the classrooms. Fortunately, we had a house at the borehole site which provided storage space of the materials for the water project. We started with this house in May 2007.

It has two rooms which have been used by KGI and KGII students. We have also introduced the baby class. There are 12 pupils in baby class, 48 pupils in KGI and 40 pupils KGII.

Some of the students in KGI and KGII are fit to be in KGIII and class 1. We have therefore started preparing KGIII room and we hope that when construction of class 1 is complete, there should be a smooth transition of students from KGI, II, III and class 1

Currently, we have a total of 100 pupils. We also have received applications of students who wish to join KGI next year. We have 3 teachers  1 for baby class, 2 for KGI and II.

 EXPECTED BUILDINGS

-         Classes     8

-         Toilets      1

-         Store / Library

-         Head teacher’s office and staffroom.

 SPONSORSHIP OF CHILDREN

-         This is a programme which is very vital for children in this type of community for the success and sustainability of the school.

-         Funds paid for sponsorship of the children will be used in paying teachers’ salaries and other staff, general repair of the school, purchase of stationery and other equipment.

-         It is our position that this programme benefits only the underprivileged children such as orphans and those from very poor family backgrounds.

-         It is also our intention to make the school one of the best in the area and maintain higher educational standard so as to attract even students from well off families who are able to pay fees hence to enable the school administration not to entirely depend on funds from donors / sponsors in running the school.

-         It is also our intention to be very creative and aggressive in starting other income generating projects that will boost the financial position of the school  hence meet the school’s requirements.

Zacharia Ngungu

School Headmaster