In May 2016 a team from Beckhoff visited Mpanda again. Goal of the visit was to see the progress that the school had made, and to discuss the next steps for the further development of the school - with the overall goal to make the school independent from external financial support.
The school board met twice during the visit in order to exchange ideas and discuss the status with the Beckhoff team.
A Report about the visit can be found below.
Word of Thanks
The Beckhoff team would like to start this report, by extending thanks and acknowledging the outstanding hospitality and support of Bishop Gervas Nyaisonga and his team during our visit to Mpanda Ndogo, St John Paul II Seminary. The team also appreciated the openness displayed, which enabled them to come to a successful conclusion after gaining greater understanding of the state of the school and being able to assess the current challenges and future goals.
FTNE
In the second year of secondary school, Tanzanian Educational System has a national assessment examination (“Form Two National Examinations”, FTNE) which allows those who pass to continue to study for an additional two years. The St John Paul II Seminary did well in the 2015 FTNE, ranking first in the Katavi region and in district level.
Support Strategy
In general, well run secondary schools in Tanzania which achieve outstanding results at the national examinations are financially self-sufficient, and may even become a source of income for the organization that runs the school. However, the St John Paul II Seminary is in a poor district and therefore cannot charge usual school fees: too many students would not be able to afford those fees and attend the school. Nevertheless, the financial figures indicated that when operating at full capacity the seminary will be able to cover the running costs from the school fees.
The Beckhoff team suggests to achieve financial self-sufficiency by implementing the following strategy [extract]:
- To continue to make the school appealing for students. This primarily means to ensure that the students achieve good results.
- To attract well-educated, motivated and committed teachers.
- To continue with innovative projects, such as agriculture, to cut running costs.
- To strengthen mechanisms and processes to maintain the existing infrastructure to prevent large scale expenses.
- To improve systems and communication with existing and future partners of the seminary.
In order to facilitate this approach certain investments are necessary.
Investment proposal and Beckhoff Commitment
The Beckhoff team suggest and supports the following investments:
- Construction of the seminary chapel.
- Construction of a residential house for the non-teaching staff.
- Upgrading and improvement of the teacher houses.
- Construction of storage facilities.
- Maintenance. With this funding also two robust metal football goals shall be built, as promised to the students.
Future A-Level Education Plans
The seminary intends to also provide advanced level (A-level) education later. The Beckhoff team suggest to consider a support or scholarship program encouraging the students to remain at St John Paul II Seminary. Such a program could also reward and thus encourage good exam results by providing support according to those results, with the best student getting a full scholarship, and reasonably decreasing the scholarship down the ranks in such a way that all students suitable for A-Level education can afford it, and performance is nevertheless rewarded.
Beckhoff is confident that funding for such a scholarship program can be found, if the program is laid out and managed well.
Closing Words
On behalf of Hans Beckhoff and his team, we are looking forward to a continuing and fruitful partnership and relationship with St John Paul ll Seminary to fulfill the vision to provide good education and spiritual growth to the children in the Katavi Region, Tanzania. We also extend our faith to believe with you that these pupils will grow up under the care of the seminary to become citizens of Tanzania that will build a preferable future in the nation of Tanzania.
