all the latest news from Mlali

Thanks to the QEA team for all the photos and updates!

Kili’s coming to Scotland and we’re having a ceilidh!

October 2024

Kili, the school’s founder, is visiting Scotland, and we’re hosting an exciting fundraising ceilidh in Muir of Ord, near Inverness in partnership with our friends at the African, Caribbean, Asian and Mixed Heritage Association of the Highlands! She’ll share the inspiring story of the school as we come together to dance, drum, and celebrate the rich cultures of Tanzania and the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The evening will feature Gaelic poetry, ceilidh dancing, Afghan poetry, Syrian oud music, and African dance—an unforgettable night of cultural exchange and celebration! Get your tickets here!

Students, staff, families and the community celebrate the graduation of 2024’s p7 class

September 2024

In September, the staff, students, and families of the school united to celebrate the accomplishments of the recent P7 class at QEA. The event was filled with dancing, performances, speeches, delicious food, and celebration.

QEA celebrates its 10 year anniversary

September 2024

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since Kili, along with her brother, parents, and sister-in-law, started the school in a small local council office space that was generously donated to them. The progress made in these 10 years is truly remarkable, all thanks to the dedication and passion of the community.

QEA’s farm is producing well, but more water needed

July 2024

The farm is producing maize, beans, peppers, tomatoes, bananas, sunflowers and more, but it relies heavily on rainwater which is increasingly unreliable as result of the climate crisis. QEA is in need of its own water source, and are planning to install a borehole. They just need funding for it!

QEA comes first in district exams

May 2024

QEA’s P7 class has done brilliantly in their mock exams, coming first in the district and giving lots of hope for the final exams coming up later in the year! Well done to all the teachers and students and support staff for all their work!

Construction of new rainwater collection reservoir - April 2024

The new rainwater collection system at the school has improved the relaability of the water supply, especially as rainfall becomes increasingly unpredictable. Better access to water improves hygiene, reduces disease, and allows students to focus on learning rather than fetching water. The new system also helps keep the school farm watered, supports sustainability, and saves on water costs. The school’s big aim is to install their own bore hole, but this system is helping a lot in the meantime!

New toilets for QEA

Installing new toilets at the school has made a big difference in health, hygiene, and learning. With fewer diseases and better hygiene, students are healthier and attend school more often, which helps them do better in class. The new facilities, especially for girls, ensure privacy and dignity, which reduces absences and supports gender equality. This has created a better learning environment and helped keep teachers at the school. The project also raises awareness about sanitation, benefiting both the school and the wider community.

A new nursery building for QEA

April 2024

The new nursery building, built in 2023 and funded by local income, has been a great benefit to the school. It gives the nursery children a safe and proper space to learn and play, helping them get ready for primary school. The building reduces overcrowding in other areas of the school and shows how much the community values education. The community is really proud of the new building, and the nursery children are enjoying learning in it!

New nursery branch in neighbouring village

In January 2024, the QEA expanded to Chamkoroma, a village 11 km away from Mlali, by opening a new nursery branch there. This new school makes it easier for local children to access education without having to travel far. It helps them to develop important skills and prepares them for future schooling. The partnership with the community and church in Chamkoroma encourages local involvement and pride in education. Additionally, the nursery has created jobs in Chamkoroma, promotes gender equality, and strengthens community ties.

School Shops up and running

2021

The school shop units are now open, with one rented out to a local pharmacist business (Duka la dawa) and one being used as a general shop for income for the school. Mama Faith, the school cook, sits on the steps outside.

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School shops now plastered, steps and grates are in place!

November 2018

Thanks to funding from our partners Mama Hope, the school shops took another few steps forward towards completion. They are now plastered, the stairs are complete and the metal grating too. When complete, the school will get income through rent from one unit and will use the other one to sell their organic farm produce in the village.

There are still a few steps to go to get this project complete. If you would be interested in putting funding towards this project please donate and send us an email specifying that you want it to go to this!

QEA welcomes it's new school nurse, Perpetua Greyson

November 2018

Perpetua will provide health based education to the students for health awareness and disease prevention, but she will also be there to treat, advise and comfort students if they feel ill or have a query about their health or well being.

Alongside other female staff and Aika Nkya and Mercy Mushi from Nguzo Foundation from northern Tanzania, she will be involved in building out the girl’s support programming at the school, specifically in the area of menstrual hygiene and feminine health.

Everyone is very excited to have Perpetua on board, and is looking forward to see the change her support will bring!

If you are interested in supporting Perpetua in her new role, please get in touch.

Primary 7 National Exam results - everyone passed!

October 2018

Each year, Primary 7s all around Tanzania sit for their national exams. Within the current system, these exams determine whether a student can continue on to secondary school or not.

QEA takes this very seriously and does all it can to ensure that each student is able to continue on.

This year, all 21 of QEA’s primary 7s passed, and so all can go on to secondary! The school was placed first in the ward and 6th in the district - their best placement ever since the school began.

Huge praise goes to the students for all their hard work, and to their teachers for all of those extra classes and hours put in to make sure this result happened.

Women’s group begins work on the permaculture plans for the school land

October 2018

The women’s group have begun implementing their permaculture plans for the school land. They have already been developing their homes as demonstration sites to teach their friends and neighbours about the freeing principles and techniques of permaculture.

Now they are applying what they have learnt to the school land, ensuring that the children have varied and healthy food to eat and the land is protected for future generations.

Here Winny celebrates the delivery of organic fertiliser.

Kilines is Guest of Honour at Sega Secondary School’s Form 6 Graduation Ceremony

October 2018

Kilines’ story inspires people wherever she goes. It is particularly inspirational to young Tanzanian girls and women, who can see themselves in her.

In October, she was invited to be the guest of honour at the sixth form graduation ceremony at SEGA Girls’ School in Morogoro Tanzania (where four QEA Alumna attend).

At the event, she was able send the next generation of young women out into the world, as an example of how they have the power not only to change their own lives, but to change the lives of hundreds and thousand of others too.

Here Kilines is pictured at the ceremony with two of the graduating class.

Vital steps completed on the boarding house

October 2018

The boarding house is now roofed, the window grates are installed and the plumbing system is in! Not far to go now!

When this building is finished, the financial sustainability of the school will increase hugely, as they will be able to accommodate many more paying students from further afield - meaning that they can viably support many more non-paying students from in the community.

Please be in touch if you would like to support the completion of this transformational project!

Teachers participate in a teacher training course

August 2018

Members of QEA Women's group complete Permaculture Design Course

June 2018

Mach, Winny and Emma took part in this two week long intensive course which provided them with the knowledge and experience they need to transform the school land and the lives of many in their wider community.

Permaculture is a system of agricultural and social design which is centred around mimicking the no-waste, regenerative patterns of nature.

This course gave the women insight about how to use the renewable natural resources already available to them to feed themselves and their families without having to spend lots of money. They learnt how to do this while also encouraging growth and healing in the environment and making some income too.

The women were hugely inspired and are already teaching what they learnt to the other members of the group and to the children at QEA. They came up with a permaculture design for the school land and have begun to implement it.

“The permaculture training opened my eyes to what is possible. All this time I have been struggling away, buying expensive chemicals fertilisers and things, when all the answers were around me for free! It’s given me even more confidence in myself as a woman and in my ability to be independent.”

Mach Kingamkono, QEA Women’s Group