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Cititec is a long-term supporter of COCO and has played a key role in the development of Hoja Secondary School. Last month, graduates from Hoja Secondary achieved the highest results in the region of 181 schools for the fourth consecutive year!
Stephen Grant is the Managing Director of Cititec, an IT recruitment firm based in London. The latest way through which Cititec has supported COCO is through Steve taking place in the Maasai Cycle Challenge last September.
Some of the funds raised from Stephen’s ride have been used to replace the old wooden beds at Hoja Secondary School, with new metal beds. The metal beds will be durable and good-quality, meaning that the school doesn’t have to incur the cost of replacing these.
The metals beds are also triple-decker, which means that an additional 50 students can be accommodated across the two dormitories. A much cheaper way of ensuring that more students can benefit from the safe and secure dormitories than having to fund construction of an entire dormitory.
One of the lucky students who has been able to move into the dormitory is Dorothea Mbiro, who is 16 years old and studies in Form 3. Previously Dorothea had travelled by bus to the school, however, as students are charged less for bus travel they are often not picked up during busy periods.
“I used to arrive at school late as the bus driver would notice my school uniform and ignore me, since I pay less compared to those who are not school students. Staying in the dormitory helps me to be in class on time, since I do not need transport to go to class.”
A significant problem in Tanzania is schoolgirls being encouraged to take lifts with strangers on their commute to school. This can lead to girls being attacked or having to drop out of school due to pregnancy.
Furthermore, staying in the dormitory means that Dorothea does not have to complete household chores in the evening. As a result she is able to spend her evenings studying or relaxing, which she is confident will help her to improve her performance.