Sponsor a child
Enabling Maasai children to attend private schools to attain a higher level of education is something which will have countless benefits not only to them individually but also to the greater good of their community and the future of their tribe.
Discovering Utawala School
The majority of high-level private schools are in the cities of Arusha, Dodoma and Dar es Salaam, all of which are several hours away and would mean that the children have to be away from their families for months on end and board. Margie's Foundation was delighted when it was introduced to Utawala Pre & Primary School in the county town of Kiteto, all through over hearing a young Maasai boy speaking near fluent English.
Utawala's vision
Utawala is a new private school which was set up in 2020 by Latipha Masoud from Kenya & her Tanzanian husband who is also a teacher. It started with 27 students and 3 teachers. 3 years later they have nearly 400 students and 24 teaching staff, with a teacher: student ratio of 1:26 which is well below the country’s average of 1:51.
Utawala’s vision is a community where all children feel loved, respected and encouraged to develop with the fullest potential. On visiting the school, you see the vision come to life. All the children are incredibly cheerful and focused. They have dance, art and drama classes – something most government schools do not have as part of the curriculum. They also provide additional classes for any child that has special needs.
They provide breakfast and lunch for all students and also have school buses to transport the students safely to and from school on a daily basis.
100% pass rate for standard 4 exams
In 2021 & 2022, 100% of students passed their Standard 4 exams. Positioning Utawala second in the district and 7th in the region; an incredible achievement considering the school only opened in 2020.
The school is supportive of the Maasai culture, which is of great importance, as it can be seen that some children, who board in Arusha, gain a high level of education but are not exposed to their Maasai traditions so fail in maintaining their culture.
