11 March 2021
In early 2004, during a trip to East Africa, we visited this Primary School near A&Ks Swala Camp in Tanzania's Tarangire National Park. Part of a community conservation initiative pioneered by the Abercrombie & Kent Global Foundation, it provides schooling for boys and girls. Most of the students walk several miles a day, many of them barefoot, to reach this opportunity for a basic education. We have never witnessed a more fervent desire to learn. The teachers, several of whom live in simple housing on the School grounds, impressed us as well, displaying enthusiasm for teaching that was almost infectious.
In addition to many basics, the School needs an outdoor Cafeteria and a garden. The MK Foundation has recently donated additional funds to such ends and intends to make the Gijedabung School one of its long-term missions. More information can be obtained at: www.friendsofconservation.org/Gijedabung1.htm
Mission
FOC efforts join with local people and partners to support sustainable ways of living in harmony with wildlife, ecosystems and the environment.
Gijedabung Primary School, opened in 1999, is located on the western border of Tarangire National Park in Northern Tanzania. The 563 students attending the school live in a rural area and have such a strong desire to learn that they travel many miles on foot through the bush to attend school each day.
