Tanzanian life at Idigima Secondary School

Things are going well here. Form II students start their two-week National Exams this week, so Gary will have a few open periods to devote to lesson preparation and final exam development, not to mention assisting with student projects and his Form I and Form III classes, which have a lot of material to cover before the December finals.

As for Joanne, her Pre-Form I student count now stands at 331, nearly as big as 2/3 of the rest of the student body! They’ve been divided into five “Streams” (classes), and Joanne is the teacher for the two most advanced streams of students. Five new national teachers, who arrived just a week ago, are teaching the other three streams.

Things haven’t changed much on the home front; students and teachers line up for filtered drinking water and sewing projects. A big change is that the students have added a small store (duka) to their canteen. Students can now buy school supplies, uniforms, and household items right here on campus. Joanne is making the uniforms after orders are placed at the duka. Scarves and ties are made in bulk and are in stock at the store. She’s got the system down to a science, sewing a shirt in 2 hours and 45 minutes. (Gary is the donkey that gets to go to town and haul back bolts of fabric and inventory.) Student leaders of the project are frequently at our house wanting to brainstorm ideas of how to expand the services: kerosene for the study lamps used in the ghetto, cooking oil, and even a barber shop. It would be nice to see a permanent structure for the canteen, but that will not likely take place until a lot of other buildings are completed. We will be content; the nationals certainly don’t mind . . . it is far more than they’ve had in the past!

Thank you for sending us here as your hands and feet of hope and service. We continue to feel a strong sense of purpose and belonging here.

Love and grace to all,

Gary and Joanne Grenell, your ambassadors in Christ to Tanzania