Shade School is Thriving
In January of 2022, Shade hit a major milestone, the launching of Shade School!
Shade School opened its doors for preschoolers two years earlier but required multiple buildings and government approval to include primary grade students. We are excited to now be offering six grade levels, beginning with a baby class of three-year-olds, a middle class (age four), a pre-unit class (age five), and primary grades one, two, and three. Our plan is to grow the school year after year, continuing to add classes until we have a complete primary school.
In addition to the core subjects of English, Math, and Science, students participate in music, art, Bible, and sports classes. Students are also provided with two healthy meals each day and scholarships are available to vulnerable families and students with albinism.
Shade School is key to actualizing the vision God gave for holistic care to vulnerable children. We believe that education is foundational to poverty alleviation and setting children on a path towards their destinies.
Interested in enrolling your child at Shade School? Learn more here.
Wonder why you see few children with albinism in our photos? You can read the strategic plan for our Shade School here.
How We Got Started
The Tanzanian government has set up centers throughout Tanzania to protect children with albinism. Parents take their children to these centers out of fear for their safety or because they do not want them. For three and a half years, Shade served these children at a center in Shinyanga.
Shade launched two preschool classrooms in 2015 at the center after seeing education for the youngest as one of the greatest needs. In our classrooms, we provided supplies like books, clothes, and uniforms. We brought healthy food to help supplement the children’s diet. We sang with them and taught them the love of Jesus through the Bible.
In 2018, after a policy change at the center which meant that preschool-aged children were no longer accepted, Shade concluded our preschool services. While we were sad about this change, we continue to be thankful that many preschoolers received a good start to their education and were loved and cared for by Shade during those years. When Shade began the preschool, we knew that this would only be a temporary program.
Our vision has always been to have land and to build our school in order to love and serve vulnerable children.
