Blå Skole

For the past two weeks we have had the pleasure of some (great) Danes in our life! Vita, Flemming, Tova, Gunnar and Helen arrived in Shinyanga on the 5^th February to visit some of Vita’s old friends, help out at the school and kick-start a widows’ poultry keeping project. It was Vita’s fifth time in Tanzania and she has been a long time supporter of AICT Shinyanga and its general secretary Rev. Jakobo. The other four were here for the first time.
 

The four ‘newbies’ are all retired teachers and headmasters of schools in Denmark and had offered to help the school in whatever way they could. Despite the wealth of educational knowledge and experience in the group, the school management decided that the guests would best serve the needs of the school by painting it. Unfortunately, it was also decided that the already painted outside of the school was the priority. An attractive, ‘shining’ exterior is thought to be more important than the educational environment of the students. Another clash of opposing continental mindsets!

For the first three days, the Danish team worked tirelessly in the searing Tanzanian heat. On the fourth day, after some cajoling, encouragement and borderline coercion from Alice the school decided to host its first co-operative painting day. Classes were cancelled, a speaker ‘fundi’ was summoned, music blared, children danced and we all painted, painted, painted. Teachers arrived to school in their old clothes, students formed teams of eager workers to help, the headmaster exhibited his roller skills and even some of the AICT Reverends were spotted toying with a brush.

In one day we painted a full classroom block and the boys’ dormitory. Some of the teachers and most of the students worked from 9-4, barely taking breaks for food and water. Their commitment and enthusiasm kept us all going as energy flagged towards the end of the day. The fact that the DJ possessed the Westlife back catalogue may also have helped...

It was a fun day for everyone and great to see what can be achieved when we work together – a principle we hope to build on over the next few weeks. School went back to normal the next day. The EU crew spent the day finishing up some details and cleaning up a lot of blue paint but it was well worth it. Photos of our handiwork here.

The school does now ‘shine’. It’s a vivid shade of blue and is visible for miles around. Hopefully, as the management expects, the freshly painted school will attract new students like flies to...well, maybe that’s too blue

Swahili word of the day: Rangi (paint)