The History of the Centre
The Kilimahewa Women and Orphan Centre for Education is a Community Based Organization located 7km outside of the city of Moshi in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. This Centre serves the needs of area post-primary youth and young adults who lack the ability to continue formal education or seek to build skills that will allow them to re-enter or continue their formal learning. It provides English and math classes, life skills & horticulture training, computer and IT training and a secondary school equivalency program. The Centre also serves as a location for community water, a community library and a community gathering space for educational purposes.
Most of the students who attend the Centre and the families who participate in community activities come from challenging conditions. Many live in soil huts with subsistence farming as their only means of survival. Some are orphans who live with grandmothers and other family members who struggle to meet basic needs. Some families have challenging lives impacted by disability or diseases including HIV and tuberculosis. Many of the students turn to Kilimahewa as their last chance to gain an education and overcome poverty.
Kilimahewa started in September 2007 when a group of local citizens teamed up with Grace Lyimo, owner of the property, to provide an educational refuge for local youth. The result was a Local CBO “Company Limited by Guarantee” called The Kilimahewa Women and Orphan Centre for Education (KIWOCE). Through this organization, Grace and local women, in particular, were determined to turn what had become a gathering spot for local brew drinking and marijuana use into a center for learning.
Kilimahewa started with meetings of youth and young children in a nursery school program under a tree using volunteer staff members and local woman from the community. It then offered tailoring classes for young women with classes to teach them business skills. The nursery program worked to train a local community member in early childhood education and eventually moved to another building in the Kilimahewa village. This community leader currently runs an independent nursery program that helps over 100 young children today.
In 2010 with the help of US based non-profits, Kilimahewa began a major transformation to offer informal secondary school education for at-risk youth to gain their secondary school equivalency and learn vocational skills. A water project, completed in 2012, allowed the community access to water and provided students with daily lunch. The Centre was able to employ paid teachers, develop a garden program, create a small computer training program, start to build a small library and create a chicken project. The Centre also offers local seminars to students and community members on topics such as health education, business skills, and life skills.
The Centre also utilizes school breaks to offer enrichment programming and tutoring for students in the Northern regions of Tanzania (Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Tanga). It also serves as an education center for families, local teachers and skilled professionals to participate in professional development activities.
The mission of the Kilimahewa Educational Centre remains to empower, educate, and promote social economic development for youth and local community members. Today the Centre offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes Pre-Form 1 and Pre-Form 5 courses, including a model THRIVE program for Form 4 and Form 6 graduates that reinforces their academic preparation and learn critical career development skills. Active learning and critical thinking strategies distinguish the Kilimahewa education. Group learning, debates and diversified activities mark the classroom. Qualified and dedicated teachers deliver emotional and motivational support, while providing a solid academic foundation. All teaching is supported by the use of Internet resources and software. The Kilimahewa Educational Centre offers the best in educational practices to a population deprived of formal education. It thereby propels them into a better life of dignity and economic security.
Most of the students who attend the Centre and the families who participate in community activities come from challenging conditions. Many live in soil huts with subsistence farming as their only means of survival. Some are orphans who live with grandmothers and other family members who struggle to meet basic needs. Some families have challenging lives impacted by disability or diseases including HIV and tuberculosis. Many of the students turn to Kilimahewa as their last chance to gain an education and overcome poverty.
Kilimahewa started in September 2007 when a group of local citizens teamed up with Grace Lyimo, owner of the property, to provide an educational refuge for local youth. The result was a Local CBO “Company Limited by Guarantee” called The Kilimahewa Women and Orphan Centre for Education (KIWOCE). Through this organization, Grace and local women, in particular, were determined to turn what had become a gathering spot for local brew drinking and marijuana use into a center for learning.
Kilimahewa started with meetings of youth and young children in a nursery school program under a tree using volunteer staff members and local woman from the community. It then offered tailoring classes for young women with classes to teach them business skills. The nursery program worked to train a local community member in early childhood education and eventually moved to another building in the Kilimahewa village. This community leader currently runs an independent nursery program that helps over 100 young children today.
In 2010 with the help of US based non-profits, Kilimahewa began a major transformation to offer informal secondary school education for at-risk youth to gain their secondary school equivalency and learn vocational skills. A water project, completed in 2012, allowed the community access to water and provided students with daily lunch. The Centre was able to employ paid teachers, develop a garden program, create a small computer training program, start to build a small library and create a chicken project. The Centre also offers local seminars to students and community members on topics such as health education, business skills, and life skills.
The Centre also utilizes school breaks to offer enrichment programming and tutoring for students in the Northern regions of Tanzania (Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Tanga). It also serves as an education center for families, local teachers and skilled professionals to participate in professional development activities.
The mission of the Kilimahewa Educational Centre remains to empower, educate, and promote social economic development for youth and local community members. Today the Centre offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes Pre-Form 1 and Pre-Form 5 courses, including a model THRIVE program for Form 4 and Form 6 graduates that reinforces their academic preparation and learn critical career development skills. Active learning and critical thinking strategies distinguish the Kilimahewa education. Group learning, debates and diversified activities mark the classroom. Qualified and dedicated teachers deliver emotional and motivational support, while providing a solid academic foundation. All teaching is supported by the use of Internet resources and software. The Kilimahewa Educational Centre offers the best in educational practices to a population deprived of formal education. It thereby propels them into a better life of dignity and economic security.
