About VEPK
The VEPK charity was set up in September 1994 by Katy Allen. It's overall purpose is to promote and provide for the advancement of education and the relief of poverty, in the Kilimanjaro area of Tanzania. It has educational staff in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania and trustees in the UK. It relies on donations, gap year volunteers, sponsored climbs and other forms of fundraising and charitable support.
The Trustees in the UK
Our trustees are: Katy Allen; Margot Branson; Alix Beldam, Sandy Todd and Geof Todd. Our Patron is the famous actress Dame Judi Dench.
Katy, a lawyer in the City of London for over ten years, gave up her career to go to live and teach in Mshiri village on the north eastern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Katy now spends more time in England concentrating on fund-raising and developing the work of the charity. In 2001 she was awarded an MBE for services to education in Tanzania. Katy is ably assisted by Dilly Mtui who works full time as overall coordinator.
Margot's background is in the arts. She is now retired, but was a freelance fashion illustrator, and later a producer of musicals for schools. She is now a serious painter exhibiting locally. She sings in a large choir and is on the committee of the local music club. Katy is a member of her family, and Margot has been a trustee since the inception of the charity. She visited Kilimanjaro in 1995, and the appalling condition of the primary schools convinced her of the need for help such as the charity could provide.
Alix met Katy when they were both reading law. After their degrees Alix completed the barrister's vocational course and was called to the Bar in 1981. She is now with the Government Legal Service working for the Ministry of Justice. She lives in London with her partner and four children. Throughout their schooling she has been an active participant on various committees and parents' associations. She and Katy have kept in touch since the student days and Alix was delighted to offer her support to the charity by becoming a trustee.
Sandy became involved with the charity after a visit to Tanzania in 2001. She met Katy on her return to the UK and knew that there was no turning back! Sandy has many years of experience in project management and administration, and has been able to assist the charity in these areas and with fund raising. She has visited the project on several occasions to see at first hand the results of the charity's work. Sandy is married to Geof and they have two sons.
Geof has worked in IT for over 25 years. He originally qualified as a teacher from St Luke College, Exeter University in 1978, and has maintained an interest in educational matters ever since. Having also visited Tanzania in 2001 he shared Sandy's interest in the country, and wished to become involved in helping the people, particularly the children. Working with VEPK has enabled him to do this, and he is very pleased to be associated with the charity and to offer his support as a trustee.
Dame Judi Dench Our Patron
Our Patron is Dame Judi Dench the famous actress. Dame Judi is very well known for her work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and many successful films including an Oscar for the film Shakespeare in Love. She was awarded an OBE in 1970 and became a Dame of the British Empire in 1988. She was appointed a Companion of Honour in 2005.
Those who run the projects in Tanzania
Dilly Mtui is the coordinator of all the projects. Dilly is an ex primary school headteacher of 25 years. He started working for the charity in 1999 when the Tanzanian Ministry of Education gave permission for his secondment. Dilly retired from government service in 2005, aged 55, but continues to work full-time for the charity.
Our work in Tanzania is run from four departments: the Project Management Unit; the Teachers' Resource Centre; the Guerba Computer Centre and the Vocational Training School. For details of the staff in each of these departments click on the links below.
Project Management Unit staff
Vocational Training Centre staff
Teachers' Resource staff
Computer Centre staff
The local environment
Children go to primary school from age 7 for seven years. For the first two years they have half a day at school, so it is not until age 9 that they start full time education. Most schools are in a terrible condition with earth floors, breeze-block walls, no shutters or doors and decrepit desks. Over 90% of primary school leavers in rural villages never have the chance of secondary education. Their primary schooling is vital for their foundation in life.
The majority of villagers on the slopes of Kilimanjaro are subsistence farmers, but the land is now cultivated to the full. The tribal tradition of sons inheriting part of the father's plot in most cases can no longer carry on as there is insufficient land. So, most of today's children will not be able to stay in their village as subsistence farmers. They will need to find jobs and new homes. For this they must be equipped with an adequate basic education so that they can act to their advantage and have some hope of earning a living. Basic education is the key to any lasting development for rural communities, and that is what Village Education Project Kilimanjaro seeks to improve.
Read more on the importance of English for rural Tanzanian children.