SHARE saw an important need at the Hekima Girls' Secondary School in Bukoba, Tanzania, and fulfilled that need by providing the 470 students with a new dining hall.
The Problem: Unhygienic dining conditions for students. When the school first opened in 1988, it had a very small barn which was originally planned as a place to store food for about 160 pupils. Even as school enrollment increased dramatically over the years, students continued to use the tiny barn as both their eating place and for food storage. However, most students had to eat standing or sitting outdoors. This was a problem, as during the dry season it is often windy, hot and dusty outside, and during the rainy season it is usually wet, cold, and slippery outside. In any case, the conditions were highly unhygienic, and therefore dangerous to the students' health.
The Solution: In 2011, SHARE built a spacious new dining hall, complete with carpenter made wooden tables and chairs, that can seat up to 1,000 people. Now the students at Hekima can eat their meals indoors in a clean, safe and pleasant atmosphere. This structure is the largest building on the campus, and it serves as a multifunctional hall, used for recreation and community gathering purposes as well.