Mission Trip Helps Tanzania Schools

By Teri Stein
August 24, 2012
343

Summary: Area resident, Marc Davis of Goshen, spent a couple of weeks this summer on a mission trip to help teachers in the African country of Tanzania. Find out how last springs kindergarten classes at New Philadelphias Central Elementary helped in the effort to provide supplies. The Kweli Learning Center in Ketesh, Tanzania, is now more equipped to serve the needs of their students thanks to a mission trip sponsored by the First Baptist Church in New Philadelphia and the Canton Baptist Temple. Area resident and reading teacher, Marc Davis of Goshen accompanied three other teachers from Stark County to Tanzania in July. Davis took along school supplies donated by the students of New Philadelphias Central Elementary. All of the kindergarten students donated their leftover school supplies at the end of the school year, said Davis. The kids from Tanzania wrote letters to thank them. English is the business language used in Tanzania and the language everyone wants to learn, said Davis. In their homes, the people of Tanzania speak Swahili. The Kweli (which means truth) Learning Center was started by Steve and Natalie Burkholder, Baptist missionaries in Tanzania, and is also supported by missionaries, Brad and Tricia Henderson. They also operate the Timothy House, a program for orphaned and troubled teens. They have such a love for the people there that they are willing to give up the comforts of the U. S. Its inspiring to see, said Davis. One of Davis projects before he left for the trip was to raise the money needed to pay for a copier for the Kweli Learning Center. Mama Peter (the schools secretary) would have to walk twenty minutes to town and then twenty minutes back if she needed to make copies, said Davis. The copy machine cost $1,200 and the First Baptist Church contributed $600 of that amount. I started a Facebook campaign and that raised another $300, said Davis. When the copier project was mentioned at a First Baptist prayer meeting others felt the need to give. By that Sunday all my money was raised, said Davis. Davis, a talented singer, added $150 extra he won performing at local talent shows over the summer and a late donation of $50 came in bringing the total to $1400. Davis thought the school could use the extra $200 to buy supplies for the copier. When Davis arrived in Ketesh, he learned the $1200 copier was no longer available and the school had to order one that cost $1400. Steve (Burkholder) was floored that I had brought the exact amount they needed, said Davis. In addition to the Kweli Learning Center, a private Christian school, the group visited public schools in Ketesh where they tried to bring hope to the teachers. In the public schools, a lot of the teachers dont have a lot of motivation. They are discouraged by the large number of students (in each class.) Here a large class would be 30 students; there it is 100. Some schools have dirt floors and rocks, with no electricity or lighting. They dont have computers and they dont have enough textbooks. The teacher would copy from a textbook to the board and the students would copy it so they would have something to read and learn from, said Davis. The group needed the permission of Tanzanian school inspectors to visit the public schools and the inspectors accompanied them to each school. They were excited to have us and that we were using our wisdom to help the teachers, said Davis. Teachers in Tanzania have to attend college for two years and they do not have a choice of where they want to teach. They are placed for work in a public school by the government. The American teachers were impressed with one public school which had a classroom for deaf students and another classroom for blind students. You could tell the teachers really cared about the students, said Davis. The teachers had used their own money to make a wooden model of a fish for the blind students to learn the parts of a fish. They taught braille with blocks starting with large blocks and moving to smaller blocks as the students progressed. Students attend to standard seven or seventh grade. They are given a test at the end of standard seven, if they pass they go on, if not its over, said Davis who was surprised that the opportunity for higher education hinged on one test. The group hosted 80 teachers at a seminar held on a Saturday. They covered a variety of teaching topics and stressed the importance of the teachers jobs to the future of Tanzania. They also held a teacher appreciation day at church on Sunday and were pleased that 25 teachers attended. The group found the people of Tanzania to be very hospitable. The missionaries would drop us off at some of their church members houses to eat with the families, said Davis. One family was very excited that they owned an American movie which they used to entertain their guests. We watched Rambo while eating rice and beans and the biggest bananas Ive ever seen, said Davis. Beans and rice was the dish served most often during the trip. Before they returned home the group spent a day on safari. We saw elephants and giraffes. They were roaming about where ever they wanted to go. Wildebeests and zebras were everywhere you looked. They also visited a snake museum and rode camels. It was like riding a horse, but youre a lot higher up, said Davis. The trip was very successful for all involved. Im thankful that God used this trip to teach me about faith, prayer, and trusting His timing, said Davis.

Mission Trip Helps Tanzania Schools

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