All Change!

You may have noticed that this site has become quieter and quieter in terms of providing news about what Hoja are up to in Songea.  However, this doesn't mean that Hoja has been winding down in any way.  Just that I've been ridiculously busy with other commitments, and haven't been involved in Hoja so much lately.

Hoja continue to produce excellent exam results for their students, give out microfinance loans so local people can start small businesses to create their own income, and help farmers get the most out of their land.

In fact an important change has been made to Hoja recently.  In the UK it's no longer operating as its own charity, but is operating as part of COCO.  Don't worry though, Hoja have in practice been operating as part of COCO for years, so this doesn't represent any change in operations.  Rather, a bit of housekeeping.  It just seemed a bit silly to keep them as separate organisations.

As such, I've done a bit of an edit of some of the content on this site (contact and donation details, mostly).  I'm also going to stop pretending that I have time to keep typing out updates on here, when COCO have their own News Page anyway.

You can find out Hoja's news there, as well as all of the other wonderful projects that COCO run.  If you ask them nicely, I'm sure they'll even add you to their mailing list.

Next time I make it out to Tanzania, however, I may well post some updates on here of what I've learned.  Sadly that won't be all that soon.

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.