Hull Secondary School
On October 6, after visiting the orphanage, we drove back to Kijota to visit the Hull Secondary School, which had once been called the Vivien Gulleen Institute.
Of the five Travelers, only Mark had previous experience with the school, and he told us later that he was very concerned about what we would find. In yet another example of the Suprising Blessings we had on this trip, we found the Hull School very, very healthy and vibrant -- and asking for help because of how much it has grown.
A bit of history. Many years ago, when the school was a school for girls, Mount Olive had had a strong relationship with the school. It housed around 30 girls, and Mount Olive members paid for the construction of the Dining Hall (among other things.) Here is that Dining Hall.
The school hit hard times, the relationship with Mount Olive was broken for a while, and several years ago, the school found itself with only nine students.
The headmaster of the school, Thomas, got creative. His students' test scores were very high, so he decided to open the school to boys and girls, and to commit to a great education for every student.
It worked.
The students test scores consistently rank among the highest in the region and in the country, and every student who graduates from Hull qualifies for higher education -- college or other post-high school programs!
And just as impressive, there are 170 students in Hull right now, and they expect to have 250 next school year as they fill out all the missing grade levels!
The help they are looking for is related to that growth. Their facilities are pretty good, compared to government schools. Here's a girls dormitory room.
Nicely maintained, but crowded!
Thomas and the teachers are also concerned that it's hard for qualified students of lower incomes to attend. Mount Olive had had a scholarship program for Hull students, but it has gone unused for a few years. During our tour and discussion, it became clear that Mount Olive needed to resume this scholarship, and as soon as possible. You see, there are some students who cannot officially receive their certificates (diplomas) because, while they have completed the program with high enough grades, they still owe the school money. Our congregational focus for our partnerships with Tanzanian churches and schools is education, so we felt confident we could get the scholarship money released again soon.
Our tour was conducted primarily by teachers. They were among the best English speakers we met on our whole trip, and they were bright, fun, personable, and young!
Before our tour completed, the students from Hull were invited to a Question and Answer session with us, and they were told that we, representing Mount Olive, are anxious to help them -- with scholarships and perhaps more.
The students honored us with a few songs, and though they were shy to ask questions, one brave young man asked if we would also help with their Physical Education needs, because the school doesn't have funds to get equipment. We were happy for the question, and while we couldn't make a promise at that point, we did say we'd think about it.
The students at Hull are wonderful kids, and they work very hard in this boarding school environment. We Travelers left with a great deal of hope for the future of Hull, its staff, and its students. And we also left knowing we had found a place where our congregation can really make a difference.
Of the five Travelers, only Mark had previous experience with the school, and he told us later that he was very concerned about what we would find. In yet another example of the Suprising Blessings we had on this trip, we found the Hull School very, very healthy and vibrant -- and asking for help because of how much it has grown.
A bit of history. Many years ago, when the school was a school for girls, Mount Olive had had a strong relationship with the school. It housed around 30 girls, and Mount Olive members paid for the construction of the Dining Hall (among other things.) Here is that Dining Hall.
The school hit hard times, the relationship with Mount Olive was broken for a while, and several years ago, the school found itself with only nine students.
The headmaster of the school, Thomas, got creative. His students' test scores were very high, so he decided to open the school to boys and girls, and to commit to a great education for every student.
It worked.
The students test scores consistently rank among the highest in the region and in the country, and every student who graduates from Hull qualifies for higher education -- college or other post-high school programs!
And just as impressive, there are 170 students in Hull right now, and they expect to have 250 next school year as they fill out all the missing grade levels!
The help they are looking for is related to that growth. Their facilities are pretty good, compared to government schools. Here's a girls dormitory room.
Nicely maintained, but crowded!
Thomas and the teachers are also concerned that it's hard for qualified students of lower incomes to attend. Mount Olive had had a scholarship program for Hull students, but it has gone unused for a few years. During our tour and discussion, it became clear that Mount Olive needed to resume this scholarship, and as soon as possible. You see, there are some students who cannot officially receive their certificates (diplomas) because, while they have completed the program with high enough grades, they still owe the school money. Our congregational focus for our partnerships with Tanzanian churches and schools is education, so we felt confident we could get the scholarship money released again soon.
Our tour was conducted primarily by teachers. They were among the best English speakers we met on our whole trip, and they were bright, fun, personable, and young!
Before our tour completed, the students from Hull were invited to a Question and Answer session with us, and they were told that we, representing Mount Olive, are anxious to help them -- with scholarships and perhaps more.
The students honored us with a few songs, and though they were shy to ask questions, one brave young man asked if we would also help with their Physical Education needs, because the school doesn't have funds to get equipment. We were happy for the question, and while we couldn't make a promise at that point, we did say we'd think about it.
The students at Hull are wonderful kids, and they work very hard in this boarding school environment. We Travelers left with a great deal of hope for the future of Hull, its staff, and its students. And we also left knowing we had found a place where our congregation can really make a difference.
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