On a brilliantly clear day in early May, we went to the dedication ceremony for the two new classrooms at Orkiu Primary School. We were welcomed by women singing and dancing in their finest shukas and jewelry along with the elders and village leaders. After greeting everyone, the guests of honor, including two of our representatives and two Thomson Safaris guides were seated on the veranda of the new classrooms for the ceremony. The District Commissioner of Ngorongoro District, Hashim Mgandilwa, was the guest of honor. He thanked FoTZC for our dedication to completing projects in Loliondo, and noted that Orkiu now has enough classrooms for the entire student body. Prior to the construction of these classrooms, half of the students had to wait outside while the other half was in class. At an elevation of almost 8,000 feet, Orkiu gets cold! The students are happy to have more time in the classroom. Eliza, the FoTZC Director of Operations spoke about how much we value our partnership with Orkiu, as well as our incredible partnership with Jane Moore. Jane raised the majority of the money to fund these classrooms through her effort called Pencils and Dreams. We are grateful to have Jane helping us with our projects, but the students are especially grateful!
