In July 2018, I am travelling to Zanzibar as part of a group of students from Blatchington Mill School. We will be in Zanzibar for twelve days, and during this time we will be volunteering at Fuoni school. Fuoni school is one of the number of government schools in Zanzibar that African Adventures supports.

These schools face real challenges in terms of overcrowding, due to an ever-increasing youth population across the Island. The Zanzibari government cannot facilitate the density of schools, leading to a lack of funding and vital resources. The schools are struggling to accommodate the number of students, with at least 100 per classroom. As a result of this, some schools have elected to split the school day in half and run a separate timetable in the morning and the afternoon, literally halving children’s access to an education. A lack of resources, as well as the large class sizes, means students are often seated on the floor.

We will be helping by volunteering as teaching assistants and sports coaches, helping to improve the school buildings, as well as bringing much needed resources such as exercise books, stationary, and sports equipment like games balls.