KIA Learning House

WE DID IT!! WE BUILT A SCHOOL!!

Welcome to the KIA Learning House (Formally the Flood Garden School Project)

Almost 2 years ago, many of you rallied and helped raise almost $10,000 on this platform (see our last campaign). With matching funds from a generous donor,  we met our goal and raised $64,000!! As you will read, our plans changed a bit, but our goals are still strong.

You donated to help us build a school away from the city prices and in a place where we could grow.  As we looked for affordable land, we found that in the village of Majengo, there were many children that did not go to school.  Schools in the area are either too far away or require school fees that most of the families in the village cannot afford.

Majengo is a Maasai village that lies approximately 2 hrs away from the city of Arusha, Tanzania. The children in this area are not expected nor encouraged to attend school.  Instead, they are raised to look after goats and cows which are the traditional economic status symbols of the Maasai people.  The villagers depend on their animals for subsistence. For this reason, Majengo has no viable farms, nor nearby markets.

To the Maasai, land means life and due to a Land Right Act many were awarded land in post-colonial Tanzania.  However, the families in our area are not able or willing to farm the land.  They lack water for irrigation and they use the land for grazing their animals.

Because of this practice, poor families do not eat well.  It is standard to eat only one meal per day consisting mostly of Ugali (corn mush).  Many of the children in the village (including our students) currently lack important vitamins and most suffer from painful scurvy-like wounds on their scalps, feet, and bodies.  This is yet another reason why using a food science and farm economy curriculum will be life-changing to the students of our school.

The Maasai are a very traditional people and in Majengo, women stay within the confines of the village and often give birth to 7-12 children.  Girls are expected to marry young since their marriages bring gifts of cows and money to their families.  

With your help, we were able to purchase 1 acre of land in the dusty village of Majengo.  In Tanzania, land is very expensive so we were extremely lucky to find something we could afford.


It took months but we dug a life-changing water well by hand.  


There is a water well in the village but it is very far away so this well is an important addition to our neighbors and the village.


Soon after we had access to water, the construction of the Learning House began.



In October of 2018, the school staff was able to move to the Learning House and begin preparations to begin teaching the kids.  


Shortly after the move, children began to arrive.  First, out of curiosity, but soon they were coming every day because they love it.

                               AND NOW WE HAVE A SCHOOL!!!!

Meet our first batch of kiddos (click on the link to learn more about our students and our staff).  We currently have 2 teachers and 12 students.  We are also planning to offer literacy classes for adults in the evenings once we have electricity.

We are offering a school schedule that fits the lives of the Maasai children who often have to graze cattle far away from the village.  So far, we have a very open model.  Students can come in and learn when they can and we will continue to flex our model to meet our students' needs.

Student-led learning.


Teacher Jacky working with a small group of 3-5 year-olds.

Learning outdoors.

Check out this happy face!!!

WE NOW ALSO HAVE A FARM!!
Soon, we will be able to feed the students with fruits and vegetables, eggs and milk from our farm.
Digging a trench for the water pump.

Teacher Jacky creates the kitchen garden to teach the kids to grow nutritious veggies and fruits.

(Phase 1)

With your donations, we were also able to :
- Get a generator and install a water pump/tank for the water well
- Purchase farm equipment
- Purchase a used jeep 
- Cover healthcare bills and staff salaries
- Fill the pantry

What makes the KIA Learning House stand out?

Problem/Inquiry-based learning model 

We aim to offer learning opportunities that build on the ingenuity of children and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. Every day, we work to help our students tell their story and imagine a future where they are not shackled to their biographies.

We aim to focus on building a diverse set of skills to allow our students to better seize opportunities to improve their quality of life. With simple tools and concepts that respect traditional ways, we build skills that will enable them to find their way in today’s global economy.

We aim to make our programs self-sustaining with a decreasing reliance on charity and financial sponsorship.

- We aim to place small in-house industries in our learning models to encourage hands-on opportunities from an early age.

- We aim to set up long-term learning programs that start at age 3 and follow them into young adulthood.

We aim to create our problem/Inquiry-Based Learning model that is tailored for the cultural and social needs of the children we serve.

HERE IS WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP


This is Jacky Lyimo,  she is currently the Team Leader and Head Teacher. She has also been the backbone of this project and did the impossible during very hard times.  Her dedication to the students is an inspiration to me and her strength is already inspiring the young girls in the village not used to seeing an independent young woman running such a big project.  I met Jacky in 2012 in Arusha when she worked in our Flood Garden city school with David Gido.  She keeps the project on time and on budget.  She is not only a teacher, but she is also now a farmer and community leader.  

Although the teachers have moved in and we are offering classes daily, there are still a lot of infrastructures to finish. We are working to become self-sufficient: The farm is currently not yet producing enough to pay for some infrastructure that is still needed.  In the meantime,  we plan to open a small store on our property.  Because the women in our village do not usually have the means to go into town  (2hrs away), we will sell simple kitchen goods and farm produce (oil, sugar, candles, matches, flour, etc) as well as crafting goods (needles, thread, fabric, etc).


Your generous contributions will go toward (Phase 2):

- Installing a large solar electricity system (there is no electricity in the building)
- Completing the construction of the Learning House (wall plaster, paint, bathroom fixtures, kitchen, floors tiles, etc)
- Outdoor classrooms
- Mosquito netting for the outdoor classroom spaces
- Completing the  kitchen garden (fencing, garden tools for the kids, small irrigation system, sun cover)
- A chicken coop for 10-12 chickens
- School supplies (shelves, learning rugs, paper, notebooks, pencils, backpacks, indoor sandals, outdoor sandals, uniforms, chalk, and a second chalkboard, learning tools, crafting materials, etc).
- The construction of a small Maasai style house where we will open the only store in the village!
- Inventory for the store
- Plant more crops
- Over the counter first-aid items
- A small refrigerator
- Monthly health check-ups and care for every student
- Playground equipment and outdoor toys 

ONCE AGAIN, YOUR DONATIONS WILL BE MATCHED BY A GENEROUS DONOR.  FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT YOU DONATE, THEY WILL DONATE $3.  This means, your donations will have THREE TIMES THE IMPACT!!!!! Your $10,000 could become a $40,000!!!!

Wishlist (Phase 3):