Students Head Out To Africa To Support Conservation Project

Twelve students from Ellesmere headed out to Africa to support a conservation and development project in an area called Monduli Green in Tanzania. Students at the school had been fundraising for the project for many months and the opportunity arose for students and staff to visit the reforestation and water projects, in order to see how, money they had raised, is changing people's lives.

The Monduli Green project works with local communities and schools in the area to improve the environment and the facilities for young children. The projects aim to update water collection systems in the area, plant 20,000 new trees in 2014 and improve current school buildings.

Students took the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get stuck into the work that was going on. The greater part of the trip was spent at Olarash Primary School where they worked in the classrooms, plastering, painting walls and windows and digging new trenches to lay water pipes, so that local people could easily access fresh water without having to walk long distances.

Beatrice Roberts, Lower Sixth Student said, "Visiting Tanzania was certainly a culture shock from my point of view, but one that I will never forget. It was wonderful to be greeted by the young children of the school every morning as we arrived. I felt sad when the time came to leave, knowing that, for some of those children, the end of primary school would be the end of their whole education".

The Ellesmere College Community has been supporting the Monduli Green project for several years through an annual Christmas Fair and other fundraising events. This year sees the launch of their Child Scholarship Programme for children in Mtimmoja Primary School and Olarash Primary School, so that, upon pass their exams, children can continue their education on in to a local secondary school.

Cathy Allen, who heads up the project at Ellesmere said "We are hoping to develop our links with Monduli Green even further by setting up a scheme that contributes to its aims, especially developing the infrastructure and by creating new educational opportunities. Our students really enjoyed the trip and we have made many strong friendships which I am sure will last a life time".

23rd October 2013  Back to News