Bringing Secondary Education Closer to the Children of Mkoyo

For years, students from Mkoyo Village travelled approximately 18 kilometers each day to attend secondary school in Hombolo Bwawani. The distance made regular attendance difficult and contributed to many students leaving school before completing Form Four.

The project was created to give children in Mkoyo access to secondary education within their community. By bringing classrooms and learning facilities closer to home, it provides students with a safer and more supportive environment in which to attend school, participate consistently, and pursue their academic ambitions. 

The Sanjeev Mansotra Foundation supported a wider project to develop ten classrooms at Antony Mavunde Secondary School in Mkoyo Village. As part of this development, two classrooms and three dedicated laboratories for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology were completed and officially handed over to Dodoma City Council.

The school forms part of a two-school education initiative completed by the Foundation in Dodoma, providing modern classrooms and science facilities that will collectively serve hundreds of young people.

The additional classrooms strengthen the school’s capacity to accommodate students from Mkoyo and surrounding areas. The laboratories introduce spaces designed for practical science education, allowing students to explore scientific concepts through observation and experimentation alongside classroom instruction.

The facilities were developed in coordination with public authorities and local education stakeholders, helping ensure that the school responds to the community’s needs and supports national standards for secondary and STEM education.

Before secondary education became available closer to Mkoyo, approximately 70 students from the village were selected to join secondary school each year. According to the Dodoma District Commissioner, an average of only eight progressed to complete Form Four, illustrating how strongly distance shaped educational continuity.

The new facilities give students more time and energy for learning while supporting safer and more consistent attendance. For girls in particular, reducing the long daily journey also creates a safer route through their secondary education.

Within the school, the science laboratories expand how students can learn. Practical sessions in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology can now form part of their everyday education, helping students develop scientific understanding through direct experience.

For families across Mkoyo, the project brings an essential public resource closer to the community and gives more children the opportunity to continue their education where they live.