I was three months in Mwanza at the Victoria lake in Tanzania where I teached sports at the primary and secondary school...

The Montessori Primary School in Mwanza

Since 1996 Sister Denise Mattle runs a Montessori Kindergarten in Kawekamo, Mwanza, and it was her dream to build a good and solid school to be able to provide further education based on the methods of Dr. Maria Montessori, especially to the children from the Montessori Nursery School. In 1995 finally she made this dream come true and opened the “Montessori English Medium Primary School”, a school quite different from the Tanzanian government schools following the motto: “Help me to do it by myself.” With the help of self-made and very well known and well thought-out materials at that school the pupils really enjoy to learn.

The Primary School is located in Kiloleli, a small village not too far from the central town of Mwanza. Several “Dala-Dala” and taxis pass through this place several times each hour, seven days a week.

Recently, the President with the participation of local people, Civilian and Religious Authorities, opened 4 new blocks, a multipurpose hall, secretary offices and a library.

The opening was a great success, due to the essential great interest of the local population on such a school and the motivation and professional level of the teachers working on the centre. It was followed by plenty of dances and music by the students themselves and the parents, and the invited guests appreciated very much the popular celebration with great interest and pleasure.

 

Since this time, Sr Denise Mattle, in Tanzania better known as “Sister”, tries to solve a very hard problem, as she wants to allow the students who have finished with the primary school to continue, at the same place, with the secondary level. A school not only giving the pupils the usual education but also teaching them what is morally right and what is not would help those young people to get hope for a better future life in Tanzania. With the Montessori Materials and teaching aids for Secondary Schools also the joy in learning and discovering new things could be kept up.

The parents like to send their child to a good Secondary school in Mwanza

The parents live not too far from the primary school and they will highly appreciate the possibility to have a good Secondary school close to their homes.

Aya! Ni me choka…Like usually I’m sitting very tired after a funny, interesting and absolutely challenging school day for some minutes in front of the computer. Finally I’m writing something for the page and especially for you to hear how I am and what I do here. As a short summary I can tell that the day starts a 6.30 and ends at 22.00. this depends on the television program or the amount of malaria parasites in my blood. Most of my time I’m in the hall of the Montessori primary and secondary school at Kiloleli (a nice 20min walk from my home in Kawekamo). On this walk there I pass on small tracks small and simple houses, women washing dishes, men carrying heavy bags on their backs, a colorful market (only Wednesday) and hundreds of children on their way to school. So every meter I greet a greeting child who is calling: “Shikamo Mzungu!” –Mara haba. And I greet the women: ”Habari za asubui?” and they tell –Nzuri! Asante. The men then I just greet with a “Hujambo” or “Mambo” and –sijambo or –poa! will follow.I could just write a full page here about greetings and talks in Tanzania!!! It is incredible how long and how much they just like to talk about how you are and how everything around you is doing! Here at my aunt’s resident I have everything I need and even more;-) So it happens that I put on weight and it makes me feel lazier and lazier. Sitting here in the office looking for English written sports lessons, basketball drills and baseball rules, still in my coaching shirt (smelling like hell) is not really helping much against the back pain and the big belly. But like many others around me, I preach water and drink wine insteadJ….But my head is just so confused about all what I experienced the last two years, is so busy with the ongoing work and already planning the way home and dreaming of Swiss mountains and a big amount of chocolate!!!! Tamilnews I’m afraid to read, everyday ongoing abductions and killings, Outbacknews make me feel lonesome and the Tanzaniennews I don’t understand, like I don’t understand them in many behaviors. Africa is definitely not Asia. And there is a long way to go to Europe and a never-ending story about America. I can just tell you, that I’m happy to by Swiss with all my privileges and this nice red passport. Sorry, I just don’t know what to write. I’m tired. Tired of a lot. It is not only the heat, not only the ongoing sports program, not the long time abroad. I’m tired because of us humans and our failing. I’m frustrated to see how it could be and how it is! Thinking about why it is like it is and why we are like we are, makes me only angry and sad. Hopeless.So I try hard to find my way and my happiness in this funny construction of dependence and hope there is some satisfaction in little but strong friendships! I can help – I find help – so let us help each other. So we can at least find some personal satisfaction. And sometimes we develop a goldmine out of a rubbish whole.