By Barbara Sirigos, Director, Grand Circle Foundation
I am delighted to report that Endoro Primary School in Tanzania was recently awarded a "Most Improved in Standard 7" certificate by the Karatu District of Education. Standard 7 is the nationwide exam that all students take to see if they qualify to move on to secondary school.
A certificate of recognition commemorates the achievements of Endoro Primary School.
We’re proud that with our travelers’ generous donations, we’ve been able to supply the students with the resources needed to study. The school is now ranked fourth out of the 107 schools in the district.
When we first came to this school in 2014, there was such a shortage of basic necessities that up to five students would share a single desk. In one classroom, there were no desks at all.
Solar-powered lights enable students to study when electricity is limited.
Since then, we have not only supplied the much-needed desks, but we’ve also constructed toilets, renovated classrooms, installed water catchment systems and storage tanks, and made sure that every child had their own set of all textbooks and a brand-new uniform. We also provided solar-powered lights to enable students to study at night without access to electricity—a crucial factor in successfully completing the national Standard 7 exam.
Musical instruments help keep truancy rates at bay by keeping kids entertained in the afternoon.
In 2023, the Foundation delivered sports equipment and musical instruments to supplement the students’ curriculum. We were astounded to hear that as a result, truancy became nonexistent as the kids could look forward to activities in the afternoon.
Now, we’re in the process of building a 16-door girls’ toilet, a 12-door boys’ toilet, and toilets for both male and female teachers. These are all in the final phases of construction.
Bravo to all the hard-working students and teachers for such an incredible achievement—and thank you to all the generous donors who helped make this success possible.
Visit a primary school in Tanzania and see firsthand how Grand Circle Foundation is helping to foster academic success during Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari.
