Do you remember the photo we posted of Freddy the other day? He was telling Ambassador Lane, and the 7 journalists accompanying him on a tour of Tanzania, all about his school - the Arkatan Primary School in the Monduli district. Here are some more photos of the school and the children's parents, who have a very strong and colorful tradition, which includes singing and dancing by the women, and chanting and jumping by the men. Do you know what tribe of famous warriors this is? And why do the men carry sticks? The school is in a very poor area where families of nomadic livestock keepers struggle to feed their children It is part of the World Food Programme (WFP)’s Food for Education program. The fortified meals these children are given at school serve a double purpose: they provide the children with much needed calories and nutrition, while encouraging their parents to send them to school. Traditionally families in this culture rely on their children to watch livestock at pasture, so they find it difficult to send their children to school. The program has been a big success: since WFP started supporting the school in 2010 it has seen an increase in attendance from 55% to 89% and the dropout rate has dropped dramatically.
Kids in school uniform line up for lunch
Young Maasai warriors jumping
Ambassador Lane speaking to kids and villagers, with the help of a Maasai translator
Schoolgirls
Maasai women
Schoolgirls singing and dancing
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