Bad news: I lost my camera with all the lovely pictures I took of Leboy before I could upload them.
Good news: I still have some stuff I got from his school, including his grades!
So, I had a quick weekend escapade to Tanzania while I was researching in Kenya earlier this month. I stayed with Corneille and Emma, a Scottish volunteer, at the Art in Tazania house. Next day (Friday) we drove up to St Thomas to pick up Leboy as it was the last day of the term. I was immediately impressed with the state of the school facilities as we walked over to the headmaster's office. The Headmaster, Mr. David, welcomed us and while we waited for Leboy to arrive he told us a bit about the history of the school.
St Thomas was founded in 2003 by Mr. Makongoro, a businessman who started a number of pharmacies in Arusha. To date, there have been 5 graduations, and they are ranked top 5 in the region given Nationa Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) scores. Makongoro has established a Christian ethos, as can be seen from the Old and New Testament quotations painted throughout the school.
At this point Leboy ran in and gave me a big hug. He looked exactly the same as when I had left him, only a little bit taller. He positioned himself on Emma's lap and gave me his report card.
As you can see, Leboy is intent on becoming number 1. He has achieved the highest position yet, 6, and is bit by bit shedding all his Bs in exchange for As.
I spoke to one of his teachers, Mr. Isaac, who was very happy with Leboy's performance and attitude to work. Leboy, with flawless English, told me that his objective is to be first in the class. Perfect work ethos, Leboy!
Leboy then showed me around the school. First we went to his classroom and he showed me some of the work that he had done over the term. Then he showed me his dorm and introduced me to the "aunties" that take care of him. He showed me the Computer Lab, which was full of computers kindly donated by the Unviersity of Washington. He showed me the library, which would put a lot of school libraries here to shame: It was full of new and donated books in English, Swahili, and even French!
He showed me the dining hall and the TV room, where some of his friends were watching a Swahili soap. Leboy's best friend is currently the incumbent "Number 1." (We'll see how long that lasts!)
Then he showed me the soccer field. It was beautiful. He told me he loved playing soccer and that his favourite player in the world was Kaka.
Overall, I got a great sensation from the school. The headmaster and the teachers seemed to be very professional and very keen on having their students do well. This is no doubt complemented by the great facilities in the school. St Thomas seems to be a great school that can feed Leboy's ambition.
