Ng 'Wandakw

Primary School Kitchen Renovation

We built a new kitchen for 1,700 children at Ng’wandakw Primary School in the Haydom region of Tanzania, replacing a deteriorating structure with a safe, efficient, and hygienic space for daily meals.

The project also created over 40 local jobs and marked the first major step in improving the school’s overall learning environment.

Location

Haydom region,

Tanzania

Duration

February–July 2025

Beneficiaries

1,700+ children

Budget

$7,500

Partners

School and

Head teacher

For many children at Ng’wandakw Primary School, the lunch they receive at school is the most reliable meal of their day.

But their kitchen, where that vital meal was prepared, was falling apart. The walls were crumbling, cooking over open fires had become unsafe, and every day, hundreds of children were exposed to risk. In February 2025, our journey began with a shared dream to create something lasting for this community. Together with our local Project Manager John Bei, we started from the ground up.

We sourced local materials, hired over 40 workers from the community, and built a new kitchen that is safe, sturdy, and made to last. When it came time to paint, we let the kids choose the colors. They picked purple and proudly added their handprints to the door.

Those handprints turned into the heart of the project, reminding them that this kitchen belongs to them. What began as a vision became a real structure serving over 1,700 children every day.

The new kitchen provides safe meals, hygienic storage, and proper equipment. It also created dozens of local jobs and sparked a renewed sense of unity in the community.

We didn’t stop there. The project continued with renovations of 11 classrooms, including plastering, painting, and new windows and doors.

This project holds a special place in our hearts since it was the first sign that real change was possible, and that together, we could make a tangible difference. Ng’wandakw was our very first project — the one that showed us what’s possible when passion meets purpose.

We learned that real impact starts small, with genuine people, and that the community always holds the answers. This project wouldn’t exist without John Bei, who led the work on the ground, Elisha, our Stove Engineer who designed the kitchen stove in an efficient and sustainable way, as well as the dedicated local builders and every donor who believed in this mission.