DOHA: As part of the Community College of Qatar’s continued commitment to be a beacon of community service in the region and beyond, CCQ has formed a development partnership with a secondary school in the small village of Makunduchi, on the south coast of Unguja island, Zanzibar, Tanzania.
The purpose of this partnership is to explore ways of developing educational practices and to give faculty a bold new outlook on education in a region of the world very different to the Arabian Gulf. International partnerships between institutions such as this show a great understanding and appreciation of the challenges that occur across a range of educational fields.
Faculty members from the Community College of Qatar engaged in a special community service project, as part of this partnership, through two visits to Makunduchi where CCQ faculty worked with staff and students on delivering stationary supplies, teaching English classes and helping to paint the older classrooms, many of which stand at over 100 years old.
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Naimi, President of the Community College of Qatar, said, “I am proud of this worthy and charitable undertaking from our faculty which is part of CCQ determined commitment to civic engagement and to support all educational efforts.”
“This is a real chance for people to make a positive change and to explore not only a new region, but also alternate pedagogical practices and reassess their own attitudes and values towards education, themselves and the wider world,” said Thomas Hodgson, the head of the project and CCQ faculty member.
Dr. Mick King, Chair of the English Language Center at CCQ said, “Returning to Makunduchi Secondary School was meaningful for those who travelled for a second time and for those in Zanzibar who received us. It was a sign that we are in this partnership for the long haul”.
Mr. Mussa Kinole, the Headmaster of Makunduchi Secondary School thanked the CCQ faculty from both visits and stressed his keenness to exploring more ways to further strengthen and harness the relationship between the two institutions. This may include the construction of further new classrooms, delivering the possibility for more students in the village to access an education.
Since the partnership was formed in April 2017, funds had been raised to improve the physical attributes of the school. Enough money was raised to construct a block of 3 brand new classrooms, which were formally opened on January 29 by Mr. Idrissa Kitwana Mustafa, the District Commissioner of Southern Zanzibar.
In the coming years, CCQ will continue its efforts to enhance this partnership through taking CCQ students to Makunduchi as part of their service-learning education programs, which is expected to be a life-changing experience for them.
