Born and raised in TEC, a neighboring village, Anna Boay was eager to find a job as a teacher. Having heard about the potential of an opening at RVCV, she came home to submit an application and in 2020 became an integral part of our ECCE Program.

Secilia, one of TCF’s scholarship students, grew up in Oldeani town with six siblings. While in her final year of secondary school, Secilia Kalisti witnessed a mother in her village go into labor and immediately wished she knew how to help.

We have big news! Starting in January 2022, we are entering our third public-private partnership with the government to run Oldeani Primary School. As a school with over 700 students and only 6 teachers, the need for resources and leadership is significant.

For two weeks straight, any visitor may have mistaken Rubundo House for an art studio. Up to twelve Rift Valley Children's Village kids could be found gathered there engrossed in their paintings.

One of the strongest indicators of student success and engagement is the student-teacher ratio, or the number of students to every teacher in a school. This number refers to more than just class size as it reflects a teacher’s workload and their availability to offer services and care for students.

Eli Frida Safari, watched as her sister Christina took out loans, started a business, repaid her loans, and enjoyed economic freedom. Inspired by her sister’s success, in 2015 Eli opened up her own shop with a loan from REAP.

In the months leading up to her delivery, TCF also provided Hosiana with transport to her monthly prenatal program visits, ensuring that she did not have to walk three hours to receive the care and education she needed.

Multiple teacher trainings have taken place at OSS and GPS over the last few months, with the plan to continue these sessions bi-monthly throughout the rest of the year. Trainings have been aimed at helping teachers incorporate new techniques to best reach a variety of learners.

“It’s much different here at RVCV than in other communities; no other students my age get the chance to be given an internship designed for their college studies. Because everyone here takes the time to know what I’m interested in and support my decisions, I feel valued and cared for every day,” explains Faraja.

The changes to our pandemic response brought on by the Delta variant.

An average day for a student at a secondary school in rural Tanzania involves a lot of listening, reading, and note taking. Although auditory and visual learners may feel at home in this environment, this leaves those that understand best by doing, touching, and moving at a disadvantage.

With access to increasing loans and foundational business support through our Rifty Economic Advancement Program (REAP), average incomes in the Oldeani community have more than doubled. Over the last month, we’ve seen the tangible results of this as loan repayments from community members have increased by 4%.

When Belinda and Kalisti, both age 4, began the 2021 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Program at RVCV they didn’t know their letters and numbers, couldn’t recognize most shapes and colors, and were shy around their classmates and teachers. After just four short months, their improvements have been quite impressive.

Zawadi Mwema, a Form 3 student at Oldeani Secondary School (OSS), has overcome countless obstacles to be where she is today. Like many other young girls living in the developing world, she grew up in a system that always seemed to be working against her.

Many families in our corner of Tanzania face significant financial barriers that prevent them from sending their children on to secondary school. The Akiba Program aims to bridge that financial gap that exists for these families.

Learn about our five-year strategic plan!

Meet the 2021 Class of Student Teachers!

Just about a year ago, we made the difficult decision to go into lockdown in order to ensure the safety of our community. During that time, our college kids came home and our senior staff remained at RVCV as we went into quarantine. As we reflect on those days spent together, we feel grateful for the unintended positives that resulted.