Land Donation Progress

When CORE Tanzania founder Michael Banobi met with village elders on his 2015 visit to Bushasha and proposed the idea of establishing a new, high-quality primary school in the village, they were very supportive. They told him the village would probably be willing to donate land for the construction of the school. Michael attended a village meeting where he made a formal request for a plot of land to build a not-for-profit, English-medium primary school that would be supported in large part by donors from abroad. The group present at that meeting voted to approve the donation, but their approval was not binding—a vote of the entire village was required to grant such a request. That vote was taken after Michael had returned to Seattle, and the donation was approved.

There are still a few additional legal steps required before the land transfer is complete, but the village has now identified the specific fifteen-acre plot that they are donating for the school. In the accompanying topographical map, the outlined area labeled “School Site” is the future location of Twegashe Primary School. Having the exact site of the school now identified is an important step forward, since it will allow us to begin detailed planning for construction of the school building, teachers’ houses, water system, and latrines.

The site is a grassy hillside not far off the road leading into the village. It’s pictured in the photo at the top of this page.

Fifteen acres will be more than enough space for construction of the school facilities. We intend to use the extra land for a school garden and other agricultural projects. In addition to providing practical education for our students, these projects will provide income for the school. The village council has offered to extend the site in the future if more space is needed. Our hope is to expand these agricultural projects so that the resulting income can help the school to eventually become self-sustaining.