Project Summary

Kusini School is a primary and secondary school, which is situated in the area of Makunduchi in the south of Zanzibar. It is in the village of Mzuri Kaja which has a population of approximately 4000; with the main focus of work in agriculture or fishing. The school has existed for a great deal of time, having been established in 1942 and is supported by a project named the Mzuri Kaja Development Society who try to help both the schools and surrounding village. With approximately 840 students ranging between the ages of 6 to 15 years, Kusini School is fairly substantial in size. There are 11 classes altogether, with approximately 40-50 students in each one and a total 29 teachers throughout the school.

Activities

Kiswahili, maths, science, English, social studies and sports are all taught to the students of all ages. Volunteers are needed mainly to teach English and also science at Kusini, but are always welcome to assist in any of the other subjects or activities. It’s often a good idea to become creative when planning lessons, as this is something that tends to lack in most education in both Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. Corporal punishment is generally in place as what’s considered to be an effective discipline system. We do not ask volunteers to adopt this method only to respect it. You will usually find your own method that works and may try to introduce it to the other teaching staff.

Schedule

Kusini School is open for 7 hours, starting from the early morning up to early afternoon; Monday to Friday. Holidays: The school closes in the months of June and December.

Resources

Kusini Primary and Secondary School has a number of spacious classrooms with wall length chalkboards which helps create a comfortable teaching environment for the volunteers. Any stationary is always appreciated as they merely have the basics. However, we’ve found that it is sharpeners and erasers that are needed most. Pens and pencils can always be bought locally. Any extra stationary or work resources you may wish to bring in order to enthuse the children about their education and develop any creative outlets will always be appreciated. Arts and Crafts is always a great way to get the pupils to learn a topic more intently. At Kusini, science is an important subject and any science apparatus that can be provided will be highly appreciated. O Level reference books are also requested.

Special Points

The majority of children attending are Muslim. We ask volunteers to respect a more professional dress code on Zanzibar due to the large Muslim population. This is a rather large project and would be able to take up to 15-20 volunteers. The maximum time required for volunteers to attend is one year.

Contact Details

Kusini School
Mzuri Kaja Development Society
P.O Box 239
Mzuri Kaja
Makunduchi
Zanzibar
www.mzuri-kaja.or.tz