International School Moshi
  Outdoor Pursuits Maasai Community Service
2 September 10 (22:12 EAT)
International School Moshi


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Community Service

International School Moshi’s Visiting Schools Programme (VSP) is committed to community service projects. The goal is to give visiting students a first-hand look at poverty and provide an opportunity to help out. Each group of students raises money for a project, usually a classroom, before they arrive. When they get here the hard labour begins - digging foundations, hauling bricks and putting up the classroom walls. Some schools that have been visiting Moshi regularly have "adopted" a local primary school, which they work in time after time.

Less physically strenuous community service work can also be found. ISM has identified other community service projects in various areas such as teaching basic math or English, interacting with children at orphanages and supplying a library or a computer room.

Whether building classrooms at overcrowded schools or volunteering at one of the nearby orphanages, VSP students find the experience rewarding both physically and emotionally.

In the last three years schools participating in the VSP have built 50 classrooms at schools across the Kilimanjaro Region. The visiting students work hard and the local students are thrilled with the attention and the results. Unfortunately, a slowing economy and rising prices have caused a slowdown in the community's ability to finish the roofs on some of these classrooms.

To help out, we are starting a Raise the Roof fund. Visiting schools are asked to raise $5,000 for their community service project. $4,000 will be used to purchase raw materials before you arrive and the other $1,000 will go directly towards hiring skilled craftsmen to put the roofs on unfinished classrooms. Once the classrooms are complete, the local Kilimanjaro government provides the additional teaching staff required. ISM believes it is extremely important to invest into the Tanzanian educational system. We offer a scholarship programme at ISM to top Tanzanian students to help develop future Tanzanian leaders. For more details see http://www.ismoshi.org/scholar.htm.

Please view written reports of previous visiting schools that have completed a community service project and the positive effect this has had:
International School of Geneva, and
Munich International School.

ISM students complete this "hard labour" as part of their own CAS programme and, although it is hard work, it is an incredibly rewarding service. For more photos of the school's own trips and to give you a greater idea of what it is all about please see www.ismoshi.org/hardl09.htm.

Duration of activity: 2 - 5 days
Suggested age range: 14+
Approximate cost: nil (excluding sponsor money described above for the cost of raw materials)
[Note that ISM will charge $65 pppd for the costs of all meals, transport and accommodation whilst students are undertaking community service work in the region]

     



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