What are we doing?
To celebrate Orkeeswa 10 (ten years of Orkeeswa School in Monduli, Tanzania) we are going to walk the Camino Way which is an 800 km (500 mile) pilgrimage route from St. Jean Pied de Port (France) to Santiago de Compostela (Spain). The route goes over the Pyrenees, through the green valleys of Galicia and the great plains of the Sierra de Campos before reaching the cathedral in Santiago.
Why?
We thought that taking on this ancient pilgrim route, whilst a wonderful achievement for us, is also a great reflection of the day to day life of the pupils at Orkeeswa. We will be averaging between 20-30km each day for 35 days. Many of the pupils at Orkeeswa can walk over 20 km return trip just to get to school every day. Having both spent time at Orkeeswa, we have experienced the tough and sometimes inaccessible terrain that Orkeeswa pupils overcome to ensure that they access the fantastic education opportunities at Orkeeswa.
Tanzania has a special place in our hearts for both of us, having spent years between us in education in this beautiful country. Orkeeswa School is also a part of the Marafaki partnership, a cross-cultural project linking schools in Tanzania with Our Lady's Catholic High School, Preston (where we both currently teach).
Please see the website for more information about Orkeeswa School: www.ieftz.org
What is the goal?
We aim to raise $1000, which will provide two sets of textbooks (ideally Geography and Biology!) for the new Form 1 class when they start in January. The school is going from strength to strength and is growing each year, so resources like books are an absolute must. We are covering all the costs of the trip ourselves, so every penny will go straight to the school and any amount, big or small, will make a difference. Having experienced first hand the amazing work the school does, we absolutely vouch for the life changing impact it has on the community in Monduli. Thank you!
