TANZANIA New Public High School Brings Secondary Education to Rural Communities

In 2024, Meshack Ahsembz attended a community organizing training with 75 other laypeople and Anglican clergy in Muleba, Tanzania, close to the border with Rwanda. Then he traveled to Rwanda to meet with Faith in Action leaders from Mumeya, who’ve transformed their rural community through organizing.

Meshack returned home and built a new grassroots organization in his community of Makarwe. Ten leaders agreed to meet weekly, divided up the four hamlets that make up Makarwe, and listened to more than 400 people to hear their priorities.

The top issue was building a high school to enable young people to continue their education beyond primary school and acquire the knowledge and skills they need to find work.

The Makarwe team secured land from local officials, and negotiated an agreement with the Education Ministry. If the community constructed the foundation and walls for six classrooms, the Tanzanian Government would provide the roof, materials and supplies, and, most importantly, the teachers to operate the school.

The school is set to open in April 2026. In September 2025, Meshack and the other Makarwe leaders shared their success at a follow up training in Muleba, inspiring people in 28 other communities in the region to move forward with similar organizing processes.

Their larger vision is to construct a university in their region, so young people do not need to migrate to receive post-secondary education.