• Build a secure computer lab

In 2024 the Foundation helped:

• Built and fenced 1-acre garden with irrigation

 • Built new teacher’s latrine

 • Bought laptop for educational access

 • Bought copier for printing school materials

 • Installed kitchen water pipes and wash stations

 • Rebuilt 45 desks, reopened unused classroom

 • Repaired well and water system for school/community

 • Installed larger solar power system for office

 • Built stronger fence around well and solar pump

 • Installed soccer goals and fixed field

 • Built new boys’ latrine

After a pause in operations due to the pandemic, we were once again able to complete some major renovation projects at the Kibaoni Primary School this year. Most of these projects were possible thanks to the generosity of a group of travelers- Caring Americans on Safari- who came together to raise over $21,000 USD to support the school. 

Classroom Repairs

• new floors for several classrooms
• indoor and outdoor painting
• electric wiring in the classrooms
• new metal doors and new blackboards.

Dining Area & Kitchen Upgrades

• installation of outside vented stoves
• floors were refinished
• wiring was run in the walls
• walls were repainted

BOOST Project

•  Initiation of the Foundation's participation in Tanzania's national governent BOOST program 

Leveraging our Investment in Water

We are deeply grateful for your continued support of our mission. While we understand the ongoing economic challenges, for those who can help further, several meaningful projects are planned:

 • Install water filters on spigots 

 • Develop a revenue-generating garden 

 • Renovate an additional classroom 

 • Empower students, faculty, and staff through projects that build skills and self-sufficiency

Although 2020 brought global challenges, it was a transformative year for Kibaoni Primary School — especially with the arrival of WATER on campus! Thanks to a powerful partnership, several major improvements were made:

 • Drilled a new well on the school’s soccer field, providing water to the campus and local community

 • Installed a solar-powered submersible pump to operate the well sustainably

 • Partnered with Notre Dame alumni, Water Boys Foundation, World Serve International, and our foundation to make this possible

 • Fully renovated a classroom as part of our ongoing campus repair and maintenance program

 • Built new desks for Kilimamojo School, a neighboring school in need

Latrine Projects

• Planing construction of a new staff latrine to provide separate facilities for teachers.
• Full repair of the boys’ latrine. Demolition of an old, unusable latrine.
•  Extension of water lines from the main tank to the latrines and dining hall
• Full renovation of classroom STD IV B, including new floor, door, and window repairs, Interior and exterior wall repairs and painting.

Teacher Initiative Program

•  Launched a new teacher-driven grant program allowing teachers to apply for funding for student-focused projects.
•  First approved project:for school marching band instruments, requested by teacher Daniel Tsekeway.

Dining Hall and Kitchen Refurbishment 

 • Repaired and repainted main entry door.

 • Repaired and painted side exit door.

 • Installed three new windows for better lighting and air circulation.

 • Added three large vents above existing kitchen windows

 • Exterior masonry repairs, including cracks and steps.

 • Repaired interior floor cracks.

Hygiene and Functionality Upgrades

 • Installed a sink for students to wash hands, plates, and utensils.

 • Repaired all broken windows, hinges, and latches.

 • Applied silk paint to all interior surfaces and ceiling (easy to clean).

 • Cleaned, sanded, and painted exterior wood trim.

 • Painted the entire building exterior to match the existing color.

 Kitchen Redesign and Fire Safety

 • Added covers to fire pits.

 • Redesigned fire pits: smaller, steel-lined for better fuel efficiency, less smoke, and greater durability.

 • Fabricated new chimneys to vent smoke properly and protect the building.

 • Storage Improvement

 • Constructed new firewood storage

Library Furniture

 • Approved funds to furnish the new library

Solar Power System

 • Approved funds to  replace a damaged solar inverter and repair the existing system.

 • Approved an additional funds to:

 • Relocate the solar panels and system

 • Wire the library for solar electricity and connect computers and a printer.

 • Secure the inverter and batteries inside a locked strong room with a steel security door.

Library Ceiling Board Project

    Approved funds to install ceiling boards in:

 • The main library room

 • The teachers’ room

 • The small classroom

Library/Administration Building

After much delay, both planned and unplanned, the Library/Administration Building construction began in March, 2015. This building will house the new library, a room for teacher preparation, a meeting room and an office for the Head Teacher. The scheduled date of completion is the end of August 2015. Please see the pictures below to note the progress of the construction.

New Latrine

In addition to the library/administration building, a much-needed new latrine facility with 12 stalls is under construction. It, too, will be completed by the end of August 2015. You may see a picture of the construction project below.

Renovation and Painting Project of Old Classrooms Completed

Over the last few months our renovation and painting project to rehabilitate the older classrooms was completed. It involved major patching of exterior stucco walls, interior stucco walls and ceiling, and skimming and sealing floors. Doors and windows were also replaced. Finally, both interior and exterior walls and ceilings were freshly painted. What had been rather drab spaces are now bright and inviting places to teach and learn.

In early February of 2010, a tour group of alumni from Yale University visited Kibaoni and were inspired by the students and staff. From Headmistress Anna Mzava they learned about our foundation and contacted us and asked what they could do as a group to help. After several planning sessions between Jim Furner from our foundation, members of the Yale Alumni group and the Staff and Parent Committee of the Kibaoni Primary School it was determined that building a combination kitchen/dining hall would allow the school to take advantage of a World Food Organization program that would provide all 750+ students with a second meal each school day.

The Yale Alumni Tour group took the initiative to raise $9,000+ for the dining hall and one of its members, Anne Elbrecht, donated an additional $10,000 to build the kitchen.

While all this was taking place Sylvia Furner, wife of Jim Furner, gave $10,000 in memory of an aunt and uncle. Part of these funds was combined with other previously collected funds, to build a much needed water reserve tank. The balance of Sylvia’s gift has been used to install initial solar panels and related batteries. These panels were placed on the library/staff office building, allowing students and staff to utilize several computers given to the foundation for such use.

Founders took their first initiatives before the foundation was formally created, principally through another foundation (H.E.A.L. Foundation of Illinois) that agreed to assist until the Kibaoni Primary School Foundation could be formally approved as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt fund. Within weeks of our visit to the Kibaoni Primary School of our Smithsonian Tanzanian Safari one of the founders (Darrell R Lund) became a sponsor of a Kibaoni student ready to begin his Advanced Secondary School studies. During our transition to a formal foundation we also addressed two facility needs: running water fountain for drinking and building a new latrine to be used by girls. These two projects were fully operational in 2009.