SHORTAGE of girls' boarding schools in Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, has prompted stakeholders to initiate construction of the first national secondary school in the area at Terati Village which will accommodate pupils from across the country.

Simanjiro District currently has only three boarding schools and 18 schools lack boarding facilities.

Speaking about the project, Peter Toima, Chairman of ECLAT Foundation who has previously served as District Commissioner for Rombo (Kilimanjaro) and Kakonko (Kigoma), stated that residents of Terati Village have agreed to change the land use of the current grazing area to allow the construction of the school.

“To be honest, education is fundamental. If you look at most people who have made progress by transitioning from poverty to prosperity, it is because of education,” he said.

He added: “Once completed, the school will be handed over to the government and will accept girls from all over the country. The main reason for building this school in Simanjiro is because the district lacks boarding schools, making it difficult for girls to achieve their dreams.”

According to Toima, the project to be implemented at a cost 3bn/- will be handed over to the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government) for further steps to make it a national school.

Chairman of Terati Village Kone Madukenya explained that the land where the school is being built was originally designated for grazing by the Maasai pastoralist community, but they decided to change the use of 100 acres to host Tukuta Girls High School.

“This area is open and has a unique breeze. It is public land, and the village had initially set it aside for its own use. But when the idea of building the school came up, we saw that having the school here is a great opportunity,” he said.

A resident of the village, Theresia Oldomunge, said that most girls were previously being married off due to the lack of such a school, but now they would be able to attend school and fulfill their dreams.

Thomas Alais, another resident, said they welcomed the school with open arms because their children had previously suffered by traveling long distances to receive education due to lack of boarding schools.

When contacted for a comment on the project, Gracian Makota, Executive Director of Simanjiro District Council, said that the initiative aligns with the government’s efforts to establish girls’ secondary schools.

“This is an important school that we in Simanjiro are very proud of because it will bring development to our district. As you know, Simanjiro is home to the Maasai community, and traditionally, girls were not often sent to school. However, the community has woken up and people send their children to school,” he said.