Mshiri Vocational Training School

Herman Mlay has been appointed to manage all activities at the School. The masonry students have built an office and storeroom for him next door to the principal's office.

Vocational Training Centre

Herman's office on the left

Gilbert (left) in his workshop

Donated carpentry and joinery machinery has been installed and the workshop is being run by Gilbert Mremi as a commercial enterprise. A share of the profits goes to the School to help with its running costs. The School is connected to three-phase electricity and has electrical equipment as well as many handtools for use by its students.

The East African Safari Rally passed through Arusha on 1 December 2007. Village Education Project Kilimanjaro and the vocational training school were invited to display their crafts and provide cultural entertainment with drumming and dancing.

The School's display at the East African Safari Rally

Students dancing at the East African Safari Rally

The new Village Crafts Shop and Cafe sells some of the items made at the Vocational Training Centre.

At Marangu Mtoni, next to the new shop, we have built a traditional thatched hut as used by the Chagga tribe. There are very few of these left and the Chagga traditions are being forgotten. This will not only be a tourist income-generating venture but will serve to educate the local children in the traditions of their forefathers.

Chagga house under construction

New boarding accommodation

New accommodation for boarding students has been built on the same site as Gilbert's workshop. The building was designed by final-year architecture students at Edinburgh University who approached us via Quest Overseas to see if there was a building they could design and help to build. The architects arrived in August 2005 and worked on site until early October.

Since then Quest Overseas have sent two more groups who have worked on the ground and first floors plastering, flooring, painting and providing plumbing and electrical equipment as well as door frames, window frames and window glass.

It is hoped that the first boarding students will be received in 2008. These students, from towns and cities further afield, will pay commercial fees and so help with the running expenses of the School.

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