The Bandari Project

Update from Tanzania / Bandari School from Meg Buchanan

Over the past month, I’ve been working with the wonderful team at Bandari School in Mto wa Mbu, Tanzania, supporting teachers through professional development and mentoring. Together, we’ve strengthened lesson planning and introduced a new whole-school daily reading fluency routine, with several teachers now trained as “fluency experts” to help keep it going.

I’ve also been working with the school social worker to teach social and emotional learning to the Primary 7 students, focusing on confidence, understanding emotions, and asking for help. The students have responded with so much curiosity and enthusiasm.

I have had the privilege of visiting our sponsored student Abdulatif and his mum. Abdulatif is in Primary 1 and lives with his parents and two older brothers (aged 10 and 12) who attend the local public school. The family of five rents a small mud and wood house, and their main source of income comes from his father’s small banana trading business.

At home, Adulatif helps by sweeping and cleaning utensils. He’s a playful boy who loves football, tennis, drawing, and learning Islamic studies. His favourite parts of school are eating rice and beans, playing football, and greeting his teachers. 

Our sponsor teacher, Debora teaches Primary 2 and has been part of Bandari School for six years. Before that, she taught for two years at another school, working with Primary 1 and kindergarten students. Her favourite subjects are arithmetic and health care, and she says the best part of teaching is “seeing my students understand what I teach and perform well in exams, because that means I have succeeded with them.”

Debora describes the Bandari team as one that “works together in everything, we support each other like family.” Outside of teaching, Debora enjoys making Maasai beadwork and running a small business during school holidays selling tomatoes, bananas, and potatoes at the market. She and her husband have three children and also care for a Bandari student in Grade 4, who lives with them after losing her father.

It’s been such a privilege to spend this time at Bandari, learning from the teachers, laughing with the students, and seeing the impact of RGLPS’s sponsorship firsthand. Thank you for your ongoing support, it truly makes a difference here every single day.

Looking forward to catching up soon,

Meg