Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania Preserving the Past and Ensuring the Future Through Education

We are searching for a new Office Manager to begin volunteering in Tanzania November 1, 2010. Make a difference in the lives of underserved children in a remote area of East Africa by managing the financial and administrative functions of Orkeeswa Secondary School. Click here for more information about the position.

Look for IEFT events in your area this Fall. Times and dates TBA

Art for Africa on May 2nd was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who showed up in support of IEFT.

Thanks to everyone who helped make our March 11th Chicago event, A Night for African Education, a huge success! See photos below. We look forward to seeing you next year!

Engineers Without Borders returns to Orkeeswa to oversee construction of solar-energy system and second rainwater-harvesting tank July 12, 2010 -Lashaine Village, Tanzania. Once again, IEFT partnered with the Portland Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) to provide sustainable infrastructure for Orkeeswa Secondary School. A team of engineers traveled to Lashaine in June to oversee the expansion of the rainwater harvesting system and installation of a solar energy system. The existing 60,000-liter rainwater harvesting system was expanded with the addition of a second 60,000-liter ferrocement tank to store rainwater collected from the roofs of two new buildings on the OSS campus.

The rainwater harvesting system is now capable of capturing 120,000 liters of water during the rainy seasons and storing for use during the long, dry seasons. EWB and IEFT also coordinated the construction of a biosand filter to treat the collected rainwater prior to human consumption and a pipeline to pump water from the tanks into the school kitchen.

EWB worked with Chloride Exide, Ltd., a regional supplier of solar energy systems, to expand Orkeeswa's existing solar-energy system, donated by Chloride Exide in 2009. The system was relocated from the classrooms to an on-campus building that will temporarily serve as a dormitory for girls, until a full-scale dorm is built in the future. A new 1 kW solar-energy system, designed by EWB, was installed to power classrooms, staff offices, a newly constructed science lab and the future computer lab and library.

IEFT begins searching for its next class of students June 12, 2010 -Lashaine Village, Tanzania. As IEFT’s third annual student selection process began this Spring, more than 400 students came to sign up for the Orkeeswa entrance exam. After waiting in line, each student was interviewed by village leaders, primary school headmasters, teachers and the Parents’ Committee Chairman to determine their eligibility to sit for the examination. The following day, 279 students sat for the exam. In the coming months IEFT will narrow the number, conduct a second entrance examination and oral interviews and visit the homes of the prospective students. By September, there will be a new class of 35 bright, eager students joining the Orkeeswa student body!

IEFT celebrates Orkeeswa's second anniversary April 14, 2010 -Lashaine Village, Tanzania. On April 14th, Orkeeswa Secondary School celebrated its second anniversary! With your support, in its second year of operation, IEFT facilitated the construction of two classrooms, two science laboratories, four staff offices and two storage areas; IEFT equipped classrooms with solar power and partnered with Engineers Without Borders to construct a rainwater harvesting system that includes a 60,000-liter storage tank; IEFT added its second class of 40 students and 72 students at Orkeeswa have found sponsors to support their continued education.

In 2010, IEFT plans to build a second water storage tank, install more solar electricity, construct a library, computer lab and girls' dormitory and expand the student body to 120 students. Thank you for helping the children of Tanzania continue to reach their goals!

Second annual Night for African Education in Chicago is a huge success March 16, 2010 - Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. With just under 100 attendees in Drury Lane Theatre's beautiful ballroom, IEFT raised $10,000. Funds raised included one full and one half student sponsorship. Guests were impressed with the live music, delicious trays of sushi and delectable desserts. IEFT launched the reverse silent auction, Bid for the Kids, which was a huge success. Thank you to Abbie DeSantis and Drury Lane for throwing such a successful event! IEFT looks forward to returning for Chicago 2011.

Orkeeswa begins new school year with 80 students January 24, 2010 - Lashaine Village, Tanzania On January 18, Orkeeswa began its second school year with 40 new students. The student selection process began in May 2009 and included entrance exams, interviews with students and their families, and visits to the students' homes. In September, the new students began English-immersion classes, which concluded in mid-December. The class of 2014, who started their schooling in April of 2008, began Form II classes this week, while the class of 2015 students started in Form I.

IEFT Press Release: Local Nonprofit, IEFT, Raises $300,000 to Fund Secondary Education for Children in Tanzania January 12, 2009 - Portland, Oregon – Despite the sagging economy and most cutting back on charitable giving this past holiday season, the Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT), a local nonprofit that provides quality, affordable secondary education to under-served indigenous children in rural Tanzania, raised more than $300,000 in 2009 to support its projects and programs.

"This year proved to be tough for many organizations. When wallets and pocketbooks tighten, it's nonprofits that usually suffer the greatest; ironically, when they are needed most,” said Ashley Holmer, co-founder and Executive Director of IEFT. “We were pleased to see IEFT's projects expand and meet all our capital goals for 2009, and we know it wouldn’t have been possible without our dedicated donors and volunteers. It is because of their amazing generosity, IEFT looks forward to another successful year in 2010."

Major gifts to IEFT in 2009 included a $62,000 grant from Africa Directo for the construction of two science laboratories, two staff offices and two storage areas; and $25,000 raised by, “A Night for African Education,” a fundraising event held in Laguna Beach, Calif. to complete construction of a staff house on the school campus. A partnership with the East African-based company, Chloride Exide Limited, also led to the installation of a solar energy system, providing lighting and electricity to current campus structures. IEFT partnered with Engineers Without Borders to construct a rainwater harvesting system at the school, including a 60,000-liter water storage tank. Engineers Without Borders also received a $12,000 grant to install solar panels that will power new classrooms, computer labs and science labs.

IEFT plans on expanding Orkeeswa Secondary School facilities and accepting additional classes until full build-out is reached in 2013. Last year, IEFT raised enough funds to build two new classrooms with two staff offices, two science laboratories with two staff offices and two storage spaces, and a staff house.

IEFT hopes to boost fundraising efforts in 2010 and raise over $500,000 for Orkeeswa Secondary School. Fundraising events will be held throughout the year, around the world. Look for the 3rd Annual Portland Art for Africa event and the 2nd Annual Chicago Night for African Education event, both happening in spring 2010. Other annual events are also planned for Seattle, Laguna Beach, Fresno, Atlanta, Boston, New York and Dublin, Ireland.

Engineers Without Borders finishes construction of Orkeeswa's new 60,000-liter water tank October 24, 2009 - Lashaine Village, Tanzania The Portland Chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) has partnered with IEFT to help address Orkeeswa’s infrastructure needs. The first phase of EWB’s project was completed in September 2009 with the construction of a 60,000-liter rainwater harvesting tank.

Until recently, Orkeeswa Secondary School collected rainwater from the classroom roofs to be stored in plastic tanks and boiled prior to use. The storage volume was insufficient to last through the dry season so IEFT trucked in water from neighboring areas; this water is known to naturally

contain excess fluoride. Rainwater harvesting and storage was deemed the most appropriate solution. In Spring of 2009, the EWB Tanzania Team conducted a site assessment and then spent the summer fundraising and working on a design for the first of two 60,000-liter tanks. Corporate sponsorships came from engineering firms Biamp Systems and Tetra Tech.

Three EWB team members traveled to Orkeeswa Secondary School in September 2009 to oversee the construction of the tank, educate Orkeeswa students about water contamination and rainwater harvesting, provide operation and maintenance training, identify the priorities and assess the options for the next phases of the project. Tank construction was completed, leaving enough curing time prior to the onset of the rainy season.

The EWB Tanzania Team plans to return in 2010 to construct a second tank to provide sufficient volume for the anticipated 2011 enrollment. The team is also designing a sand filter to treat the rainwater and reduce the need for boiling prior to consumption.

"Through our partnership with Engineers Without Borders, IEFT is not only able to provide Orkeeswa with renewable energy resources making it a more sustainable project, but also allows students the ability to interact with trained engineers and learn about ways to improve their communities. It really is a truly remarkable relationship."

Second Annual Laguna Beach Event a huge success, bringing in over $25,000 dollars October 24, 2009 - Laguna Beach, CA Orkeeswa Secondary School’s staff house is slated for completion, thanks to “A Night for African Education,” a charity event held on October 8 at the Laguna Beach Women’s Club. The dinner-dance event, organized and attended mostly by Lagunans, raised more than enough to complete the project and help fund further improvements in the coming year.

The event featured local rock-n-roll band, the “Blues Offenders,” an auction with donations from local businesses, delicious catering by chefs Sandie Ward and Josie Allen, and a generous crowd of 135 people. Ticket sales, donations, a silent auction, Maasai jewerely and ornament sales, six student sponsorships and an anonymous grant for the staff house brought in over $25,000 dollars for Orkeeswa students and facilities.

The event was held in Laguna Beach, as IEFT has many connections to the area. In the summer of 2008, a group of 32 volunteers ventured to Lashaine Village for a service project in the rural Maasai area of Tanzania. They broke ground on the “Laguna Beach House,” so-named because most of the volunteers were from the Laguna area.

Peter Luis, Executive Director and co-founder of IEFT, made the transatlantic trip from the school in Tanzania for the Laguna Beach event and was among the presenters. Peter commented that “the generosity of the donors and guests at this event has really overwhelmed me. Times are tough for everyone, but this town has really rallied for a needy cause. Can’t wait to come back next year.”

Successful fundraising efforts in Nova Scotia help with school construction October 23, 2009 - Wolfville, Nova Scotia In February, IEFT Board Member Jeff Britton and his wife Jenny Walker collaborated with Women of Wolfville , a female theater group in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, which performs to sold-out houses to raise money for various causes.

Jeff and Jenny were some of the first volunteers on the ground at Orkeeswa Secondary School and now concentrate their efforts on fundraising in the U.S. and Canada through their “Be the Change Project.” After discovering that Jenny’s professor played a major leadership role in Women of Wolfville, Jeff and Jenny presented IEFT’s cause to the group, which was eager to hold a fundraiser.

The Women of Wolfville performed the production “Women of the Night” for three nights, February 26, 27 and 28 and raised $4,200 dollars for IEFT, specifically to be used for the construction of the staff house at Orkeeswa Secondary School, which is now being built. Thanks to all who contributed to the success of the production.

University grant fellowship recipient joins IEFT volunteer staff July 24,2009 - Monduli, Tanzania The Jean Donovan Summer Fellowship granted to undergraduate student applicants attending Santa Clara University is "designed to encourage and support students who desire to deepen their understanding of social justice issues through a summer community-based learning experience."
Santa Clara University student, Hilary Titus, was granted a Jean Donovan Summer Fellowship and will be spending her 6-week experience in Tanzania with IEFT's team by working with students in the classroom, assisting the organization's office staff and promoting the importance of education within the rural villages where IEFT works.

TEAM AFRICA visits Orkeeswsa Secondary July 13, 2009 - Lashaine Village, Tanzania Fourteen volunteers arrived in northern Tanzania last month as part of TEAM AFRICA - a group of dedicated, trained EMTs working to assist projects in-country with education in the areas of first aid, reproductive education and health topics. The group brought with them from the US over 100 lbs of school supplies, including new shoes for each student, donated by Crocs and Feed the Children, water purifying tablets and school supplies. The

Lashaine Village community celebrated TEAM AFRICA's visit with a big party with over 300 villagers, where students performed plays and sang Maasai songs, and the village's womens group danced for the honored guests.

IEFT volunteers assist in school supply donation drive - June 24, 2009 Portland, Oregon For IEFT volunteer Annie Coonan, the last chapter of her high school career at The Catlin Gabel School included assisting in the procurement of donated school supplies for the students at Orkeeswa Secondary from local area schools at the end of the school year. Both The Catlin Gabel School and Riverdale School District took part in not only recycling their unwanted school supplies, but donating them to students in need in rural Africa. Over 20 boxes of pens, pencils, paper, binders, notebooks, art supplies and organizers were collected.

Next came the sorting. Again, IEFT volunteers stepped up when Brittany Cornett spent time packaging up the supplies and preparing them for travel to Tanzania, which occurs mainly when international volunteers and staff head to Tanzania and are able to pack supplies with them on their journey.

InFocus Corporation donates two projectors for Orkeeswa's classrooms - June 18, 2009 Lashaine Village, Tanzania IEFT's teaching staff got a big lift from the InFocus Corporation when it received its newest gift donation: two industry-grade, portable, compatible wall projectors to assist with classroom facilitation and to compliment their teaching methods. The donation coincide's well with the school's new installation of solar system panels and equipment.

Orkeeswa Secondary receives gift of electricity with help of local Tanzanian partner - June 12, 2009 Lashaine Village, Tanzania With the help of Chloride Exide Limited, Orkeeswa Secondary School was outfitted with two 80-watt solar panels, complete with wiring, light bulbs and power outlets in the school's classrooms and staff offices, bringing a source of renewable energy to the school's campus. Though 7 kilometers off the grid in nearby Monduli town, Orkeeswa can now rely on the power of the sun to run computers, power printers and provide lighting in the evening on campus.

The donation, worth Tsh.2.5 million (around US $2,000), is part of Chloride Exide's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. IEFT Co-Founder and Executive Director, Peter Luis said, " We are thankful to Chloride Exide for their valuable contribution to our school and now our students will be able to study at night and improve their individual performance in national exams. The solar system will also help our staff carry out their duties more effectively and improve on how we run the school." Based in Kenya and Tanzania, Chloride Exide is the leading solar solutions provider as well as the largest battery and renewable energy distributor in East Africa.

TEAM AFRICA is a group of volunteer EMTs from the Darien, CT area, who have just completed their first VolunTourism trip to Tanzania.

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Portland Professionals Chapter

EWB sent a team of engineers to Tanzania in April/May of 2009 to survey the Orkeeswa campus and assess options for providing a reliable water supply system for Orkeeswa. The team returned to Portland, spent the summer fundraising and designing a rainwater harvesting system, and returned in September to construct the first 60,000-liter rainwater tank.