Neema’s Nursery and Montessori Daycare at Kiwodea, Saba Saba, Moshi, Tanzania, began with seven children on January 6, 2014. Now, 35 3-6-year-old children are coming to the nursery and daycare. Neema’s Nursery and Montessori Daycare is located in Moshi. Neema’s Nursery and Montessori Daycare is a private school, with teaching primarily conducted in English.
Neema Marko, a teacher and the founder of the nursery school, has previously taught at Khuba Nursery for seven years. Her longtime dream is to help children’s education as someone helped her once. Neema comes from a poor family, and as a child, she sold mangos and onions to make ends meet. Her uncle’s friend from Germany sponsored her, allowing Neema to finish school. Now, she wants to return the favour by helping children from complex life situations study. Now, along with the work in Khuba Nursery, Neema started a new nursery school in January 2014 with the help of a volunteer from Finland. When her contract ends, Neema will complete her work at Khuba Nursery in December 2014. She has taught adult English classes to individuals with limited English or writing skills. Additionally, volunteers can also help in this regard.
Since Neema has worked with volunteers in her new project, she has had many excellent cooperation experiences; this is also why she wanted to work with Art In Tanzania. Neema’s Nursery and Montessori Daycare Volunteers teach English, drawing and math. They are also playing with the children.
Currently, there is also a local girl working as a volunteer. She hasn’t been able to attend college, so working is a valuable experience, even if she isn’t paid the teacher’s salary. Neema needs someone there to help her teach, cook, and be with children. Additionally, for the days when Neema is not present, the school must continue to operate.
Neema wants to invite many people to help the children, and there are several ways to do so. Teaching is the most crucial aspect, but sponsoring the nursery is also essential because the school relies heavily on donations. The school lacks many essentials, including books, pencils, and food for the children. Neema is renting the building, and the rent for two rooms, desks, mattresses, and water is relatively high, so help is needed. “Teaching is the most important help for the children. But I want to tell you about the problems we have. It is not to ask for money or force people to donate but so that people know.”, Neema highlights.
Helping children with education and starting a nursery school has been Neema’s lifelong dream, which has now come true. The challenge is to keep the dream alive and the school running. When asked about her future hopes and plans, Neema says that she would like to obtain a teaching diploma. She dreams of moving to a new building and expanding to have both a primary and a secondary school, with a boarding school component. Of the shorter-term dreams, she would like to collect enough money to get Dala Dala a car to pick up the children from school every day. Some of the children live far away, and it’s challenging to get them to school. Many stay at home because the parents don’t have the money to pay for transportation to the school.
These are big dreams for her, but not impossible. “Me and you. When we share, the dreams can come true.”, Neema says. Neema says that even with her name, the nursery school is not hers but the community’s. Even if something happens to Neema, the nursery school must continue to operate. “This is our nursery because this is our society.”
Two volunteers working at Neema’s Nursery and Montessori Daycare in Kiwodea wrote this text in May and June 2014.
