KILIMANJARO: A total of 1,372 students from wards in Moshi District Council near the TPC Limited sugar manufacturing company in Kilimanjaro Region will no longer face long commutes to school, thanks to the establishment of two new secondary schools in the area.
This announcement was made by Mr Lazaro Urio, Project Supervisor for the Foundation for Community Transformation in Kilimanjaro (FTK), during a recent event to hand over a dormitory and a library to TPC Secondary School. FTK, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of TPC Limited, funded the construction of both the school and the additional facilities.
“Before the schools were built, many students, particularly young children, had to walk long distances to attend schools outside the TPC area,” Urio noted. This challenge prompted the establishment of TPC Secondary School and Chewe Secondary School nearby.
However, after the schools were constructed, a new issue arose: many students from outside the TPC area still had to walk between 14 and 20 kilometres to reach the two schools. “To address this problem, FTK proposed a solution by renting buses for student transportation, inviting parents to contribute 50 per cent of the costs. Unfortunately, many were unable to do so for various reasons,” he explained.
In response to this ongoing challenge, FTK decided to build a dormitory at TPC Secondary School to accommodate students facing long journeys. “The new dormitory, which can house 64 students, was built at a cost of 144m/-, with the school’s management responsible for installing the beds,” Urio stated.
ALSO READ: Why upgrade of Kilimanjaro Airport is crucial
Regarding the new library, Urio noted that its construction cost amounted to 126m/- and will include a computer lab. “TPC Secondary School has long needed a library; although there was a small one, it did not meet the school’s requirements.
In March 2024, with the support of TPC Limited and FEMI, FTK began the library construction. This is a significant milestone that will enhance the learning environment for the students,” he said.
During the event, Mr Jaffary Ally, Chairman of the FTK Board, mentioned that the organisation spends over 1.5bn/-each year supporting the communities surrounding TPC Limited, benefitting more than 95,000 people in the Moshi and Hai Districts of Kilimanjaro Region, as well as in Simanjiro District in Manyara Region.
