ACE NEWSLETTER AND CHRISTMAS APPEAL: “Somewhere to Play” November 2021
Dear Supporter(s),
Achieving the sustainability of Arise School has remained a priority for ACE throughout 2021. Following the successful Well Appeal in 2018, the school is now virtually self sufficient in vegetables and fruit. This year, with your ongoing generosity and support, two cows were purchased and are now providing milk for the children. There is also an ever growing goat herd, two fish ponds have recently been constructed and pupils are currently getting to know the school’s newest arrivals – rabbits!
Please join the pupils of Queen’s Park School in raising funds and donating to this year’s ACE Christmas Appeal:
“Somewhere to Play”.
All donations will go directly to build and equip a separate playground for the younger Arise children.
Here in St. Helens, over the years, pupils from Queen’s Park Primary School have been raising money towards this, including sponsoring two children at Arise. Part of their International School Award, they are now linking with Arise pupils to undertake work on their chosen project “Charity and Hope”. Seeking to teach the children how integrating sustainability principles into charity leads to positive impacts, it seemed very befitting that they should launch this year’s ACE Christmas Appeal: “Somewhere to Play”.
The target is to raise £2,000 to build and equip a separate playground for the Arise pre-school children, aged 3 and 4 years old. Tanzanian Daycare requirements were recently changed and, in order to ensure Arise meets the new standards, alongside upgrading and furnishing the daycare classroom with beds and mattresses, the youngest children need “somewhere to play” that is separate from the older pupils. Queen’s Park students will be linking with their Arise counterparts to share ideas for designing the playground and the sort of equipment to be installed.
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A Fitting Farewell to 2021 Grade 7 Students
On Saturday, 18 September, their national exams behind them, Arise School said farewell to this year’s 34 Grade 7 students. Subject to them passing their exams, all hope to move to secondary school in January 2022. Celebrating this educational landmark, pupils were joined by parents, staff, the village chairperson, various local councillors and officers, including the local M.P. who is also Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of Health.
As always in Tanzania, it was a colourful event with displays of dancing, a fashion show, drama and poetry. Following the speeches, awards were presented, including to two pupils who received the highest marks of all students in the whole of the District in their pre-national mock exams. Emphasising their role as ambassadors for Arise, the Minister told the students: “This school should be an inspiration for you to shape your future and the future of others…..you are so lucky, and it is your time to shine”.
We wish them all good luck as they move to the next stage of their education.
During 2021, many of the families of Arise children, staff and members of the local community have been affected economically by the impacts of Covid. Thanks to the ongoing regular donations and sponsorship we continue to receive from you, our ACE supporters, the charity is able to continue actively working with Arise to minimise the impacts of this for the children and staff.
On behalf of everyone at Arise School and our ACE Management Committee, a huge “Asante Sane” (Thank You) for all the interest and support we have received from you in 2021. Season’s Greetings and all good wishes for the year ahead.