Nine chalkboards in Nine classrooms are in dire need of repair. Students at the Arusha Integrated Primary School where Johanna and I teach, rely entirely on the notes, lessons, and tests written on the chalkboard by their teachers. 

In the couple weeks I have spent teaching here, it became very clear that the awful condition of the chalkboards hindered the learning of many students. Some chalkboards have huge chunks of plaster missing, others have long white cracks and odd dimples across the surface, and others glare brightly from the sunlit windows. The boards are bad enough to write entire lessons out on, but when sitting in the back of a full classroom many students can hardly make out the notes.

Sule, the Academic Officer, says the chalkboards are about as old as the school. He lit up with excitement when we proposed providing new chalkboard paint to fix them.

Today we toured each school room with the Vision for Youth fundi (handyman) and found that all but one of the chalkboards needs to be replaced to remove cracks and prevent them from crumbling off the wall. 

So to celebrate Christmas and the New Year we are reaching out to you to raise the roughly $400 needed to get the new chalkboards completed by the start of term on January 9th!

I encourage you to give and spread the word by contributing to my current fundraiser “Funding Public Health Pursuits in Tanzania” with a comment stating “Chalkboard Project” so the funds go directly to paying for our hardworking fundi and all the supplies.

I am excited to put in some hands on work with Johanna, Sule, and our fundi when I get back from Nairobi! We will keep you updated with pictures of the project!

Merry Christmas!