ASP-net Twinning project Experience

 Kiluvya Secondary School in Tanzania and Helene Lange Gymnasium school in Germany By: Erick C. Nyoni, Chairperson, Kiluvya ASPnet and UNESCO Club

Introduction:

Kiluvya Secondary School in Tanzania is currently conducting a Twinning project with Helene Lange Gymnasium Secondary School in Germany.  The project started about four years ago with the objective of conducting intercultural learning programmes. Students from Kiluvya exchange cultural and educational ideas with their counterparts from Germany through exchange visits, ordinary and electronic mails. Students and teachers from Germany have come twice to visit our country and the teachers and students from Tanzania also have visited Germany. However, due to economic strain, when Tanzanian students visit German, Helene Lange Secondary School has to cover transport costs and up-keep in Germany; whereas Tanzanian students only pay incidentals, such as entry visas and insurance.

Kiluvya Students’ Trip to Germany

The journey from Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania, to Hamburg City in Germany started on Friday 23rd April 2010, whereby a group of four people; two teachers, and two students from Kiluvya Secondary School, led by the outgoing headmistress and incoming headmaster made the visit to their sister school Helene Lange Gymnasium in Hamburg city Germany, to attend an anniversary of Helene Lange Gymnasium Secondary School. On the arrival, Kiluvya student got a very warm welcome from our host, and we were all overjoyed because of their style of welcoming guests to their country.

From the first day, things were a bit different from what we are used from our home country, the days were longer than nights and it was hard to get sleep but as days passed, adaptation took place and so it became just normal. We felt very cold, so we had to put on pull over and gloves, which were a little bit fun because to them it was a warm day and some, came out in shorts. 

The Programme of the Event

(i) Week One

On Monday we were given the week schedule. Some of the activities were to conduct interview with different people of Helene Lange Gymnasium and I was among the participants; how it started and what kind of challenges it has faced up to this time of its 100th anniversary. It was a good time for us. We had an opportunity to visit the town hall where the Hamburg City Second Mayor, currently dealing with education matters was delivering a speech about Helene Lange. The current Helene Lange Headmistress delivered a speech as well. One of the former students of Helene Lange, who is now 92 years old, delivered a very wonderful speech about her school time.

After the speeches, students had an opportunity to make interviews with presenters, and were very much impressed to make interview with the former student of Helene Lange.  She said the school at that time was completely different from the one of today and admitted that it was a great experience to talk to her. She also helped students to have good articles for the school magazine made in collaboration with UNESCO students of Helene Lange Gymnasium School.

Apart from those prominent figures, I also managed to meet the UNESCO ASP net coordinator in Germany. I asked him several questions about UNESCO and how they deal with schools. He was very happy to meet me and it was luck for me to talk to such an important UNESCO figure in Germany.

The interviews made went on well, at the end of the day we appreciated that it was a great job which we did in co-operation with students of Helene Lange Gymnasium Secondary School. After the collection of different articles we were able to print the school magazine about the festival week together with UNESCO students of Helene Lange Gymnasium

 (ii)      Week Two

During the second week we joined Helene Lange Gymnasium students in their classes for class observation. It was a great experience for us to see how Western syllabus look like and how Germany students are taught. For sure we learned a lot from them and I think they also learned a lot from us as well, because everyone of us was involved and we got chances to exchange ideas. They asked us different questions and we answered them accordingly.  They were also happy to be asked questions; all in all it was a great experience I had never seen before in my life.

The second week of our stay was very interesting because we were taken to museums and to the city centre where we saw different things.  Before we left, they arranged for a Goodbye ceremony, it was sad to say bye to them but we had to come back to our home country.  We came back with new personalities, new imagination and perspectives and our point of view have changed in terms of education and the economy of our country. For sure the journey was successful and we enjoyed a lot.

However the link between Kiluvya secondary school in Dar es Salaam Tanzania and Helene Lange gymnasium school in Hamburg German led to the city partnership between the free Hanceatic city of Hamburg and Dar es Salaam. Also the Youth exchange between the youth of two cities has now been established between two Youth organization of Hamburg and Dar es Salaam.

Appreciation goes to the UNESCO National Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania for the moral and material support provided to us before our departure and specifically to the National ASP-net Coordinator for her encouragement in implementing UNESCO projects.

A group photo of Helene Lange students and the visitors from Kiluvya, Tanzania at the fish market in Hamburg city German.

Publishing the School UNESCO ASPnet magazine at Helene Lange gymnasium secondary school in German.

(iii) Expectations

It is expected that, our friends in Germany will visit Tanzania sometimes next year and it will be an opportunity for other schools to join hands in the event