Help us reach more students….

I am humbled by you, for taking your time in visiting this post and reading the story I want to share with the whole world from Tanzania, Africa. I'm Fabian Christopher Mwakabanje, a volunteering teacher at Kizwite Secondary School and Ufipa English Medium School in the Municipal of Sumbawanga, Rukwa (region), who teaches an extracurricular activity that deals with helping a child/student in creating a reading habit. How I do it? I establish literature circles that I supervise and make sure we (members and I) conduct two meetings per week; the first day which mostly are Mondays mornings or Sunday evenings is for assigning weekly work to be done, and second day is either Friday or Saturday.

In 2016 - 2017 I started working in Kigoma region (Kigoma/Ujiji Municipal) at Bangwe Primary School with only 25 students as book club members. When we began there were challenges of most of the members not being interested with the new activity, I had to use incentives like bringing drinks, pancakes, different bites and my laptop for short computer lessons at the end of our sessions. Then 2018 to 2019 found me working with schools in Sumbawanga; as in 3rd March 2018 at Kizwite secondary school we launched a book for a friend and an author Justine P. Kakoko titled "100 THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED IN 21ST CENTURY BY AN AFRICAN STUDENT." I worked on the book as an editor when I was teaching at the school which gave us the venue for book launching event. Now I have added a new school to my list Ufipa English Medium School making the third place and a total of 105 students in the book clubs on all three schools.

What we do? On our end of the week sessions we discuss themes, point out vocabularies and know their meanings, plots, provide written and oral book/chapter review, suggestions for the next meeting and reads. I teach reading and writing skills so that they can start to tell their stories instead of holding them inside and giving the power for other to tell for them their stories. Also there's a lack of this reading culture in my whole African communities hence failing to reserve and preserve her culture and heritage.

What I need the money for? I have two schools in close range, and I'm planning on adding more schools but as you all know no man can work alone, in order to have a team there's a need for a generating income to increase it's earnings, because a man who works needs to eat. Meanwhile I have an office already paid for six months for a stationery business. The money will be used on renovations, advertisement and purchases of machinery equipment such as a photocopy machine, an office computer, Canon 5D MARK III camera, rim papers and other stationery.

The purchasing of the equipment will boost the office into growth and be able to pay at least allowances to the team of volunteers working with me; the photographer Stan Mbuja and teacher Gamba Masau. The printing service will be demanded from the schools we work with as their token of appreciation for the service we provide to them for free. The camera will do as an extra income due to the rise of a want of professional photographs in my area of Sumbawanga. If we secure such a machine it will increase the money flow hence enable us to work a little effectively and efficiently.

Best regards!

Fabian C. Mwakabanje

Founder

Tanzania Student Readers and Writers Club