Hoja Secondary Students Top The Regional Exam Results!

Our Form Two and Four students produced
outstanding results in the recent mock exams

Update from Oswin:

In Tanzania, Form Four and Two students enter the Regional Mock Exams before attempting the National Examinations.

In July 2012 Hoja secondary school students attended this examination.  The results of this exam came in August, and Hoja Secondary School (at the VTC) has performed the best in the region.

I did not expect something like this.  There are very big, experienced and famous schools in Ruvuma, and Hoja Secondary School has only entered this examination for the first time, yet is the first school for results.

Teachers, students and the community of that area are very happy with what has happened.

The Form Four students are siting their National Examinations in October this year.  Everyone in the region is looking forward to hearing the results.

From these Mock Exams results, if these were the National Exam results, then all students would have passed .

Volunteers Andree, Kat, and COCO Director
Lucy Philipson a few days before the exams started

I asked some of the students, why they think their results are such better, they said:

• They are used to the examinations because they are doing similar examinations every month;
• They have enough books;
• The presence of light (Electricity) enables them to have more time to study unlike other schools in the region;
• Also teachers are working very hard.

When I asked them, which thing do you think might affect these results in the future, they said water.

They have to go far to find water every morning, sometimes some of the students are missing the lessons because of this.

Permaculture Builds A Primary School At Litisha Village

Update from Oswin:

Litisha is very big village with 9 sub villages (known as Vitongoji in Swahili).  This village has no nursery school, the children have to travel about 2 to 4 km to get to school in a nearest village.

It became very difficult for children less than 5 years to travel this distance and is unsafe for them.   After a very successful permaculture programe in litisha village, the women of Magima sub village decided to start their own nursery school in their area.

The permaculture participants decided to contribute some maize so that they can have the nursery school.  They requested that Hoja project organise a market for their maize, organise with the government, organise with teachers and help with the management.

The village owned the disused building, and we suggested to renovate the building by putting windows, doors, cement and painting. We also bought some books, table and chairs for a teacher.

The money from the maize was enough to do all these and everything was in place, and in June 2012 the class started.  Now children of that area are walking 10 to 20 minutes to the school.

And they are getting very good education because is being overseen by the Hoja project.   Currently there are 59 children at this centre.

Passing It On

Sorry to everyone about the lack of updates lately.  I've found myself very busy this year so haven't had much time to update the website, but all of Hoja's programmes still continue to make a difference in Tanga ward.

Recently Julia received this rather marvellous message about one of our Income Generation Project groups:

"Do you know that IGP is soon going to make Posh people?  There is one group of Form Four graduates who call themselves EDUCATED YOUTHS.

Took a loan for the first time and did very well, we were convinced to give them loan for the second time to expand their business, now they have open a business in Dar after geting very good profit from the two loans.  They are now training other youths to use computers in Dar and doing beans business Songea to Dar.

They are going up very quickly.   I love this group very very much.   When I come to Dar, I am using their office to do my works.  It looks like it is a branch of Hoja project at Dar, but EDUCATED YOUTHS have originated this.I am proud of what is happening with Hoja project."