Arise Community School finds its roots back in 2013 when it opened its doors to the first and far most 11 students, one auxiliary worker and one teacher. It all started with a vision of one man who wanted to give an opportunity to the children in his community.

Frank and Salome in conjunction with ACE Charity (a registered charity in the UK) are the people making the dreams of young children in Wiri Village, Sanya Juu a reality. Growing up Frank the School’s Founder had an opportunity to education whereas most of his friends didn’t. While he came home for the holidays most of his friends would not connect with him, they were always withdrawn. Most of the time this was because of education, he had access to education while they didn’t. Growing up Frank wanted to change that, but how would he do that? The opportunity he saw was only in education, however giving his friends an opportunity to school was impossible, by now they were all matured adults with families. An idea sparked in his mind, he could invest his time in starting a school that will give an opportunity to his friends children so they don’t miss an opportunity to education, and not only any education, but high quality education, a school that would provide equal opportunity and access to high quality education to vulnerable and underprivileged children. This dream started evolving and coming to reality in 2013.

                                              (Ron and Sue receiving a gift from the Rotary Club)

On the other hand it would have been difficult for one man to accomplish this dream alone; therefore Frank shared his vision with Ron and Sue who were willing and ready to assist in any means. Ron and Sue are the founders of ACE Charity, a registered charity in the UK that believes all children have the right to education as a route out of poverty. For 10 years now Ron and Sue have been making visits to Africa undertaking volunteering woks both in Tanzania and Kenya. Though the charity has played roles in supporting a number of young individuals who are orphaned or from very impoverished circumstances have access or continue their education to a higher level, including university and college and achieve their dreams, after hearing about Frank’s dream Ron and Sue made it the primary focus of ACE to help make the dream of one man come true - that the small, rural village, an impoverished area on the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, where he had been brought up and where his family still live, should have its own English speaking primary school. As I write this post today the dream is a living reality. 

Set in the beautiful highlands of West Kilimanjaro outside a small town known as Sanya Juu, at the heart of Wiri Village, the school today stands with over 270 students, 12 teachers and 9 auxiliary workers. On the 28th of October 2017 the school celebrated its grand opening, which as a great opportunity for the invited guests, supporters, parents, government officials, students, family and friends, and the community to come and learn more about the school. It was an opportunity for them to tour the facility and meet the amazing students and Staff who make the Arise Community what it is.

With a user friendly infrastructure, arise community school has 7 classroom for Primary section and 3 classes for the preschool section, both Section receiving their full registration from the ministry of Education and Technology. Also while at the school’s premises you will come across a school Library with over 2500 books, School Kitchen, and a standard looking toilet block accessible to all kinds of students including those with disabilities. The environment surrounding the school is always green and environmental friendly, supporting a safe, clean, and sustainable place for the child to come in and learn. It has become a safe haven for both the student and the community as a whole as it’s always open for all.

I myself joined the school in September 2016 volunteering as the school’s administrator; I have been a part of the still growing amazing team of Arise since then. I have experienced the beauty it has to offer, both to its students, staff, and the community in general.

As you all know I have always been interested in working with the community especially working with Community based Organizations (CBOs) and projects that targets to empower sustainable development, this has always been at the centre of my heart. I myself was raised by a charity therefore my world has always rotated around the urgent of helping others. What drew me to working with Frank and the school was its mechanism of solving a community problem through education. The school in conjunction with ACE Charity UK provides sponsorship opportunities to nearly 70 and over children out of the 270 students attending the school, which is a step toward poverty and illiteracy reduction. Someone once told me that ‘If you have an educated mother or father, you will also have an educated child’, giving those children an opportunity to stand up for their rights and have the best in life is what the school aims at. We know that by giving these children an opportunity to education we are building tomorrow’s better generation.

Despite the fact that some of children’s parents pay a small fee for their children to attend the school, the school has set a contribution that make it possible for any parent to contribute bearing in mind the community’s welfare background. The school’s main aim is to make equal opportunity to high quality education for the underprivileged.  The school does not receive yet any financial support from the government, and therefore, any money collected goes towards the running expenses of the school (electricity and water bills), expanding the etc.

In order for any social program to grow it needs the involvement of the targeted group and the Arise Community School has achieved a successful story by ensuring that this component is in their general goal. Whenever there is something to be done that needed advice or man power, Arise Community School has always looked toward the people available in the community, for example the school’s building project has always involved local builders, the auxiliary workers come from Wiri Village.

Whenever there was a need to dig a classroom’s foundation or lay a brick members of the community have been involved. The heart of solving a problem in the community is what made me share the story about Arise Community School Today. If you would like to learn more about the school and ACE Charity please visit www.acecharity.org

Below I have shared some photos from the schools grand opening ceremony that took place on the 28th of October this year. Hope you find them interesting and inspiring.
Until Next time my friends chaow chaow!