Moshi — BAM International has built new classrooms, modern pit latrines and verandas at Ngurdoto Primary School in efforts to provide free and better education to Tanzanian children.
Head Teacher of the Meru District-based school Neema Urio said the BAM donation has contributed in the provision of free education, saying it was hard for parents to contribute towards school development as many families in the village are poor.
She said BAM International, through Watoto Foundation, has transformed school's look by building new classrooms, modern pit latrines, renovating some buildings and kitchen, with two water tanks.
"The free education was once misinterpreted by many parents... but the school now have good buildings with conducive learning environment to support improved academic performance," said Ms Urio.
BAM international Administrative Manager in Kilimanjaro Johson Addo said they have chosen the Ngurdoto Primary school, which for the past 40 years had never been renovated.
Mr Addo promised more support to the talented pupils at the school: "For best performing pupils, we will give them scholarships for further studies... we challenge the school management to raise performance and maintain cleanness of the compound."
Citing the undergoing renovation at Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), which BAM is constructing, the company's Project Manager, Mr Matthew Ball said, currently KIA receives 800,000 passengers per year, the figure which is projected to increase by 50 per cent to 1.2 million passengers after completion of the three phases construction works in 2022.
The project will cost 37 million Euros (about 100bn/-), with 50 per cent of it being a grant from the Dutch government and the remaining from ING bank and Ministry of Transport, Works and Communication.