Project Arusha

(Registered Charity no. 1124283)

Since 2004 Project Arusha has sponsored twenty-four ex-Year 13 students to go and teach in Tanzania. The last group went in Autumn 2010 after their 'A' levels. The next group will be going in January 2012. The young people fund half of the costs themselves, and St Mary’s and Holy Family parishes fund the rest. None of the donations given to the charity go towards their expenses. Following the initial selection process the five young people who went to Tanzania in 2010 received a number of briefings which included cultural awareness and basic language lessons in Kiswahili and Kimaasai. During their three months in Arusha between them they taught in two secondary schools and a primary school. In the classroom they mainly helped the students with their English though some also ventured into the Physics and Music curricula.

During their three months in Arusha - September to November - between them they taught in four secondary schools. In the classroom they mainly helped the students with their English though some also ventured into the Maths and Music curricula.

When the young people returned from Arusha they were asked to submit an individual written report on their trip. These quotes from their reports give some indication of the impact the experience has had on them:

"I felt so welcomed by the Maasai people of Loolera [a remote parish in the Arusha Diocese] and I was flattered when they saw fit to dress us up in their traditional dress and gave us gifts.”

"The girls in our class were all so lovely and despite being at different English-speaking stages, all tried really hard with every lesson and constantly gave their all."

"Generosity.... was embedded in their culture ...they live through community and sharing. One of the priests said, ‘If you do not share you cannot be part of the community and if you are not part of the community then how can you be human?"

"Although I had moments that I found difficult, for example home sickness and illness, none of it took away from the experiences that I had, the kindness of the people I met, the enjoyment I got from teaching and the many places that I visited."

"The priests [in Arusha] were some of the most generous and kind people I have met, and they would honestly do anything for you ..."

Applications for sponsorship are invited in October each year. This opportunity is open to young people in Year 13 (upper 6th) at St Benedict School (the local Catholic Secondary School in Derby), or in Holy Family and St Mary’s parishes at other schools. For more information contact Denis Homer or Pauline Roberts.

Donations

Thanks to the generosity of parishioners and others, during the financial year 2009/10 the Project was able to make donations totalling over £21k. Donations were made to seven different schools. In some instances the money was used to support students whose families could not pay the fees or could not afford to buy the uniform. In other instances it was used to buy text books, or to repair the school roof and refurbish wash rooms and latrines. In a parish in Maasailand money was used to buy mattresses for children not able to travel daily to school; also to buy drugs for their Medical Centre and new tyres for the parish lorry.

All donations – big or small - are welcome and very much needed. The money you donate goes directly to the Arusha Project. If you are a tax payer you can also use Gift Aid to increase the value of your donation.

Every summer a priest from the Arusha Diocese comes to Derby to help our priests in St Mary’s and Holy Family parishes. In the summer of 2010 we welcomed Fr Ephrem and enjoyed showing him some of the sights of Derbyshire.

See also Charity Commission website: www.charity-commission.gov.uk entering ‘Project Arusha’ or number 1124283.