Makuyuni School Lunch Program

Structural progress at Makuyuni Primary School includes the completion of water lines to a 5000 liter water tank that now provides fresh water for cleaning. Previously, there was no water source at the school. An especially important goal within a pandemic, to allow students to wash their hands throughout the day. There is now a wash basin next to every classroom, regularly refilled with soap. Plus, the runoff water from the wash area feeds a large garden in a field behind the kitchen, which supplements the rice and corn diet with more nutrients.

Moving full steam ahead, we completed the new dining pavilion at Makuyuni School, so the students can eat lunch, sheltered from the hot sun during the dry season, and the heavy rain during the rainy season. The construction not only benefits the school, but also kept local construction workers employed during the pandemic (some have worked with HOP and KKC since 2007!). The dining pavilion will also serve as a central meeting place for the school and the community for years to come.

Each year in June, Tanzania’s crops go to harvest. We buy a year’s supply of food in June while the prices are at their lowest, knowing that food costs will continue to rise as the year goes on. In June, we budgeted and spent $26,000 on a year’s supply of food to store for the upcoming year, and will be able to successfully provide a hot lunch for the Makuyuni school, the children and staff for the next year. This is especially important now, as many of these families in Tanzania will struggle to provide food for their families in the upcoming year.