INAUGURATION OF OUR SPN SCHOOL IN KWANDOLA NEAR KOROGWE, TANZANIA

Finally the time had come! Our SPN school was inaugurated on Saturday, 19.08.2023. Representing the SPN, Rainer Hertle was on site for us in Kwandola. Accompanied by Martin Stumpf from the association "Vier Steine für Afrika e.V.".

They were warmly welcomed by the children, teachers and parents with a welcome song. Afterwards, our technical director, Rainer Hertle, assisted Father Sylvester in cutting the ribbon. After the unveiling of the plaque, the school and all its buildings were blessed and then it was off to the Great Hall for the celebrations. Songs, dances, learning and maths examples completed the ceremonial inauguration of our SPN school. Rainer Hertle reported that it was very touching, as everyone was very grateful and treated him with a lot of heart. At the end, he thanked the people in charge for their great work on site and presented SPN with a picture of SPN with all the staff as well as footballs and two sets of football shirts with the SPN logo as a gift, which caused great enthusiasm.

An official opening ceremony was actually already planned for February 2022. Due to the Corona pandemic and severe storms with flooding, the inauguration was delayed.

Three classes are already being taught in our SPN school. Further investments are being made all the time. As already reported, a school bus was purchased this year and a well was built. The goal is to teach seven grades.

19 people work for our school. Teachers, caretakers for children, kitchen staff, helpers in agriculture, etc. Out of 111 pupils, 67 are boys and 44 girls. The SPN school includes several classrooms, a staff room, a large dining room, two dormitories, a kitchen, a garden and a stable for animals. Everything has been designed to allow for self-sufficiency.

In the run-up to our 100th anniversary in 2019, the SPN school was launched together with the Fritz and Lieselotte Hopf Foundation and the association "Vier Steine für Afrika e.V." under the umbrella of the "1000 Schools for the World" project. Planning for the school in Tanzania had already begun in June 2019, when Sister Gaspara, Superior of the Usambara Sisters, visited Germany. In August 2020, the construction of the school entered its final phase.

It was also through generous donations, including from our own staff, that this heartfelt project could be realised. We say many many thanks for this! As you can see, the money arrives and great things can be created with it!