Congregation of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

 

Via del Carmelo, 3          00058    Santa Marinella (RM - Italia)     tel: +39 0766533830

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Proposal for purchase of School Bus to enhance children`s safety at Mwalimu Nyerere Pre and Primary school at Butiama - Tanzania

The need for a bus for the pupils at Mwalimu Nyerere pre and primary school is now becoming crucial after the increase of use of motorcycles in the Village of Butiama. Several accidents take place regularly and there is also high risk for child abuse from motorcycle riders most of them being young men with reckless riding habit. The school recall with sadness an incident which occurred on 09/05/2022 around 17 hours, at the time when the pupils were leaving the school two students were involved in an accident that was caused by a rough entry of a motor bike, who un expectedly knocked a pole and caused injury to two pupils who were playing around the school boarder. This was a near death situation, Thanks be to God, the situation was not that much worse. It’s with deep sorrow that the two got some fractures. Magreth, standard III, broke the right leg while Omary, kindergarten, broke the left hand. These two were rushed to District hospital but the situation for Magreth was serious, it needed higher attention so was referred to the regional hospital where she had to spend several weeks before she discharged.

Luckily Omary showed a sign of quick recovery at District Hospital, for him it was pity to be involved in the accident around this place. Little as he was, he walked from classes at pre primary compound to join his bother at primary school compound so that could go home with his elder brother. Before he found his brother, the incident took place. The school management all the efforts in collaboration with police, hospitals and parents’ procedures can imagine how much care is needed to assure that these children these children - who later come back to school after period of hospitalization – are able to surpass the trauma. This is just one of many bad news that we can say on travelling difficulties which children face while coming to school or going back to school

Now the school has 360 pupils with an increase of around 120 pupils from last 2 years. This increase can be considered as a rapid growth for a private school in a rural area. It has a very high academic performance at National Level. In other words, the school which was established back in the year 2000 as kindergarten, in 2015 grew to a successful present primary school, expecting to reach at advanced secondary level in few years to come. A lot of effort has been done to make sure that the village children has access to good school. Is good to insist though Butiama is growing, it can still be considered a remote area, habited, in major part, by families in need with low income and live hood. It being a home village of the first president and the Father of nation Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, is a famous village/District in Tanzania. The school bears the name and we consider it as His brain child.

However, the absence of specific school bus, some children are obliged to walk a long distance to reach the school or use un safe means of transport such as mote bikes or are forced to use overcrowded private taxes. During several school meetings, parent have raised this concern and are requesting the school management to see that is making arrangement to solve this big problem. In fact in parents

 

meeting we do talk of positive parenting and child protection. Normally this topic provokes them to resort back, asking us to be consistent from what we tell them to do while as school we fail to provide safe transport.

As the congregation of the Carmelite Missionary sisters (school managers) is advancing on the issue of child Protection and Safeguarding is kindly looking for partners to provide save transport to our children, to reduce the burden they bare of waking up early in the morning, walking long distance to come to school or using risky means of transport.

Financially, the school is run and maintained from parent’s contribution while other major expenditures, construction and building are handled by the Congregation and donation from other well-wishers. For example, In few month a go, a block wall of 300 matters block wall was constructed. Initially, the whole school was bare and there were a lot of unwanted entrance in the school. animals could easily cross the school. Currently, the most dangerous area: front part of the school including the school entrance, car park area and administration block are well protected with a block wall, Areas near to dining hall now has more privacy, protection and security. Children and our sisters living in the area feel different and are more peaceful. children were more exposed to dangers. Presence of the school wall has added value and good reputation, protection and privacy. Having spent a lot of money for this wall, the Congregation is short of budget and will appreciate a hand of help for purchase of the school bus.

Our plan on school bus.

This proposal seeks to provide means of transport to all pupils at Mwalimu Nyerere school. At current we need two buses, Toyota Costa used. We are flexible and thinking of getting one at a time. Each of these will cost about 24.300/= USD. Kindly see attached picture of the Bus to observe more specification.

 

 

With sincerity

Sr. Lilian Kapongo,

 

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