Verein Benedictine Sisters of St Agnes Chipole
Urs Scheidegger
Verein Benedictine Sisters of St. Agnes Chipole
In the southwest of Tanzania, a modern hydroelectric power plant has been producing clean energy for a region that is half the size of Switzerland since 2016. The power plant was financed by the Albert Koch Foundation and is operated by the Benedictine Sisters of the Chipole Convent 45 km away. Since 2018, several Credit Suisse volunteers have supported the sisters in teaching them accounting and IT skills.
This project is only one of many engagements of the Benedictine Sisters of St. Agnes in Chipole. The approximately 350 catholic sisters are a stand-alone community. They run schools, a small hospital, an orphanage, a mill, a bakery, small shops, take care of elderly people and provide work in different kind of business areas, especially agriculture.
Former Credit Suisse Volunteers founded in December 2019 an Association to support the convent. 3 main goals have been defined as
1) Investing in the education of the sisters,
2) Investing in the education of children and young adults
3) Supporting the multiple non-profit projects for the region that are run by the sisters
The Association works closely with 2 other foundations: The Verein Kinderprojekt Chipole who has been supporting the orphanage for 10 years and the Albert Koch Foundation who has also enabled the construction of the first school building in Elfumbili and continues to pay the teacher salaries.
The Association now supports the current infrastructure project to refurbish and extend the current basic school infrastructure. The project is run by a sister and progress is reported on a regular basis. The next onsite visit is planned for May 2021.
Donations are fully invested in the respective projects and no administration fees are deducted. Donations from in Switzerland based donators are also deductible from the income taxes.
For further information please visit www.verein-chipole.org and www.chipole.org
Asante sana - Thank you very much for your support.
READ MOREProblem We Are Trying to Solve
Invest in education through female empowerment! Lack of basic education will force children to work without any perspective. Providing access to education is a game changer and the fact that the school is managed by the sisters ensures continuity and adequate management thereof.
How We Are Going To Do It
We are fund raising to support the school infrastructure project to refurbish and extend the 2 very basic school buildings (with 4 school rooms), build a teacher’s house, buy pupils uniforms as well as teaching material.
The project is run by a sister and progress is reported on a regular basis. The next onsite visit is planned for May 2021.
Who Benefits
The school project in Elfumbili is a new project from the sisters.
The area with three rural villages didn't so far have easy school access, so access for children to education was difficult.
In 2018 the sisters took over the lead together with Albert Koch Foundation to start to build a first very basic school building with two school rooms.
Work is in now in progress to extend the facilities and also to improve the existing building.
Currently there are already around 100 children at school (kindergarten and primary school) that will benefit from a better access to education.
Long Term Impact
- Access to basic education will drastically improve the chances in life for those children.
- The number of early age marriages (12-15 years) was observed to go down since the school has been providing free education for children.
- The school has been registered by the State of Tanzania this year. The State will only take-over the school in terms of paying the teacher etc once the school need has been proven and the school is operating.
What We Need To Do
- Bags of cement
- Lorry loads of sand
- Windows
- Salary of the technican/constructor
- Paint & transport
- Pupils uniforms
- School infrastructure
- Roofing material
- Playground for children
The actual work is performed by the local community.
Funding is needed for:
In addition to providing financial support, the Association also coaches the Sisters in running the project and oversees the work. Therefor regularly reports are provided on how the funds were used by the Sister in charge.
UN Sustainability Goals Supported
Project Goal
Open
Target: CHF 4'000
Raised: CHF 1'400
Time Remaining : 36 Days
Fund Project
Start a Campaign
Champions
Supporters
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Barbara
CHF 50
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Beat
CHF 100
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Christoph
CHF 100
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Sarah
CHF 150
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Oliver
CHF 250
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Nicole
CHF 500
View all
