62% of Tanzanian children finish primary school, and only 53.5% of those students continue on to secondary school. A solid primary school education is a crucial foundation to passing national exams and excelling later on in their educational career. However, good schools are few and far between, and getting to them may mean walking on dangerous roads - often unpaved and overgrown - for miles. The children need reliable transportation in order to make the journey safely to and from their schools.
Tanzania's public school system lacks many of the resources Amani's children need in order to excel academically. There is a lack of textbooks and teaching materials, classrooms are wildly overcrowded, and teachers often lack the ability to prepare students for national exams. This is not because these children are not already intelligent pupils, but because their teachers simply cannot equip them with the knowledge they need. Most good schools are beyond walkable distances for our children.
Our children generally walk to local public schools each day. Several students are bright enough to attend private academies, but these schools are often further away. This lack of transportation limits a student's choice of schools. Additionally, walking alone - especially for young girls - is a safety concern. This year, Amani plans to buy a car to serve as a mini-school bus for our children's home. The car will allow us to transport children safely and quickly to schools (no matter how far).
Transport to school is not the only reason Amani needs its own car. The town of Mto wa Mbu has no formal ambulance services. In the event that a child is injured, the staff often have to ride on a borrowed motorcycle all the way to the main road and hail a taxi. A car will allow us to ensure immediate medical attention during emergencies. By providing access to both high-quality education and rapid-response medical care, a car will literally be a life-saving addition to our children's home.
