Rombo. Hiti is typical of primary schools in most of rural Tanzania until the recent past.
Structures
have aged despite major repairs, may be alongside with several coats of
painting. Designs are of yesteryears for school buildings; narrow
doors, tiny windows and a small compound for a small number of pupils
then.
In an era, where up to 100 pupils can be squeezed
in one classroom in some primary schools, Hiti cannot do the same given
the small size of classrooms.
Unfortunately, Hiti
Primary School situated at Merere Village, was closed for the mid-year
vacation, when The Citizen team paid a visit recently.
There
was nobody to explain, when the school came into existence, but from
the look of things, specifically the ageing structures, it could have
been in the 1960s or before. This is where Mr Ben Saanane pursued his
primary education until 1998, when he was selected to join Lyamungo
Secondary School in Hai District, which is located in the same region,
Kilimanjaro. Hiti Primary School is located only a stone’s throw from
the home of his parents. In fact, it is a walking distance even for a
child attending a nursery school. Mr Saanane is the first born in the
family of ordinary banana and coffee growers as is characteristic of
much of the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro.
He was born in
1982. The family is still tied to a small tract of land, which has
coffee and banana trees, an even smaller portion for the cultivation of
maize and vegetables and the family graveyard.
The
built up area has three living houses and a livestock shed. There are
two modern and fairly spacious residential houses built recently.
This is the residence of Mr Ben Saanane’s parents: Focus Saanane and Renatha.
Members
of the extended family are also there. According to Mr Saanane’s
mother, the residence remains a ‘point of call’ for her children, who
are either at college or work outside Kilimanjaro.
when they come home during holidays or attending family matters.
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