Update From Zanzibar

Three years ago staff and pupils at Coleridge set up a sponsorship programme with a lovely school in Zanzibar, Tanzania called KINS (Kiwengwa Nursery and Primary School). At KINS, pupils enjoy a creative curriculum which has a lot in common with our curriculum here at Coleridge. Children learn Maths and English in the mornings, followed by a variety of foundation subjects including music, PE, drama and even yoga on the beach! Children are taken on school trips around the island where they are encouraged to explore the natural beauty of Zanzibar and respect its vulnerability.

At Coleridge, we have been sponsoring a little girl called Zulekha to attend KINS. Zulekha lives in the village where the school is based. The education system in Zanzibar is still developing and many of the local free schools can only offer a very limited curriculum, using very traditional teaching methods. We are very proud that Zulekha is able to attend such a fantastically creative school as a result of our sponsorship.

Ms Davies was able to visit the school during the summer holidays in 2013 and 2015 where she met Zulekha and her mum Khadija. Since then, pupils at Coleridge have made penpal links with pupils at KINS, and one of the teachers from KINS has visited Coleridge twice to talk about life in Zanzibar.

Zulekha’s most recent school report stated that she is “a kind and quiet little girl who is happy to be at school and enjoys interacting with peers”. Zulekha’s teacher also reported that she “enjoys stories and listens eagerly”. Zulekha is also beginning to learn English, and can identify some of the early letter sounds in English.

We are delighted to continue to sponsor Zulekha and to watch her grow and flourish. Thanks to your donations during the Christmas performances of Bugsy Malone, we are able to support Zulekha for another year of her education – thank you!