March 2025
In the last week of February, Niels Claeren, a Kamitei board member since 2010, embarked on a visit to Tanzania with his daughter to catch up with the Kamitei Foundation team on the ground.
They met up with two young Kamitei supporters, Tom Claeren and Yanniek Peters, who had been working in the field with the Kamitei team for four months. Their journey began with a safari and was followed by a two-day tour of schools around Karatu, which are being transformed by our Primary School Support Program.
On the first day of their schools’ tour, the group visited Gilala Primary School, where they were joined by Bill, Kamitei’s Field Education Coordinator, and Jane, one of our founders. They sat in on several engaging lessons in classrooms filled with enthusiastic students. During the breaks between lessons, they distributed fresh fruit, which was eagerly accepted by both students and teachers. The group then proceeded to Kilimatembo Primary School, where Rashid, another Field Education Coordinator, joined them.
What initially seemed like a routine visit took a surprising turn. Unbeknownst to Niels, Tom, and Yanniek, the community leaders and headteachers had organised an event in collaboration with Bill and Rashid to express their gratitude to Kamitei Foundation. The uplifting ceremony featured children singing songs, speeches from teachers, and gifts from community leaders. A local mama provided food, ensuring everyone, including the students, enjoyed a meal and juice. Although Niels, Tom, Yanniek, and Jane accepted the gesture with gratitude, the thanks was extended to all Kamitei supporters.
At Kilimatembo Primary School, the visit took a surprising turn. Unbeknownst to Niels and his family, community leaders and headteachers had organised a ceremony to express their gratitude to Kamitei Foundation. The event featured students singing songs, speeches from teachers, and gifts from community and school leaders. After the ceremony a local mama provided food, ensuring everyone, including the students, enjoyed a good meal and juice.
On the second day, the visitors, accompanied by Bill and Rashid, visited Kainam Primary School. They observed Kamitei’s teaching interns in action and distributed treats to the students. For the Claerens family, the trip was an immensely rewarding experience, particularly for Niels, who was heartened to see the younger generation now supporting Kamitei’s field work. This visit provided everyone with additional motivation to continue their efforts in advancing Kamitei’s mission to enhance educational opportunities for children and youth in rural communities in Tanzania.
