OLPCorps CMU Tanzania

Who we are

Aspiring filmmakers Roxanne Benjamin and Aparna Dargar are studying Entertainment Industry Management at Carnegie Mellon's Heinz College School of Public Policy and Management. The two graduate students are teaming with William Kampton, a Tanzanian undergraduate student at the Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA) to implement 100 laptops and a basic technology and online storytelling curriculum at Shepherds Junior School in Arusha, Tanzania. William has worked at the school since its founding by his mother, "Mama Lucy" Kampton, a local woman who used to sell chickens and used her income as the school's original "seed" capital.

Who is the local partner?

[Shepherds Junior School] is a program of Shepherds Foundation, a Tanzanian NGO led by Ms. Kampton, and is staffed entirely by local teachers. In 2007, US nonprofit Epic Change began innovatively investing in the school's expansion, and in 2008 the school was certified by the Minister of Education to participate in national exams for the first time. The school's students placed #1 out of 117 schools in the Arusha district. Both Epic Change and Shepherds Foundation have infrastructure in place to support this program over the long term, and their letter of support is available.

Shepherds Junior School is located in Arusha, Tanzania. The country is among the most impoverished in the world.

How will this impact 6-12 yr old children?

This program will provide computers and basic technology training at a school that now serves over 300 children, including nearly 200 in the targeted age range (6-12). In addition, we will create a curriculum as part of the students' coursework from 6/17 - 7/31 that will enable students to share their own stories online, using blogs, vlogs and potentially social networks, thereby transforming the children into change agents. The project will result in a short documentary or series of short films that help to share the stories of Shepherds Junior students with the world. As most students are not on campus during August, the final two weeks of the project will be used for knowledge transfer to school teachers and staff, as well as documentary filming.

Project Financial Needs

RT Travel for 2 US - Kigali - Arusha: $5000
2-Bedroom Apartment Rental in Arusha for 2 months: $3000
Miscellaneous Expenses (Food & Supplies): $1500
Immunizations & Passport/Visa Fees: $750
BGAN Satellite Rental & Associated Data Transfer Fees: $1000
Total: $11,250 USD