SEEKING AMANI @seekingamani-blog - Tumblr Blog

Sixty years ago, Pastor Paulina Mndeme, a kind-eyed Tanzanian woman living in the small village of Mwanga began to serve her community beyond the doors of her church. Twenty years...

Please check out an article from Social Good Families, about Seeking Amani and the Founder Waridi. The article highlights The Seeking Amani Project and how they implement their mission goals, and work as a family collaborative unit.

#social good families #zanzibari #seeking amani #tanzania #csr #un sdg

Seeking Amani

Amani Vumwe Primary School is a progressive and influential school built in Mwanga, a district in the Kilimanjaro region of Northern Tanzania. The name itself, Amani Vumwe, has great significance to the community. Amani is Kiswahili for peace and Vumwe is a Kipare word from the Pare tribe of the Kilimanjaro region meaning togetherness. Established in 1995 by Pastor Paulina Mndeme, the school was originally designed to teach prekindergarten and kindergarten students. In the last thirteen years the school has transformed and expanded to teach prekindergarten through seventh grade, with Pastor Paulina Mndeme remaining actively involved in its daily operations and student activities. Presented to the community over 20 years ago, the school has increased in size, attendance, and blossomed into a prominent school.

Having attended her grandmother’s ceremonial school opening, the founder of Seeking Amani, Waridi Valentine, wanted to incorporate visual arts within the curriculum that supports student creativity. Born and raised in Dar Es Salaam, this Tanzanian American has a diverse international educational background with a unique outlook of being able to understand the needs of the students attending Amani Vumwe Primary School. Noticing the limited access to arts and crafts resources, courses, and supplies, the Seeking Amani project was meant to acknowledge, encourage, and engage students into creative thinking and expression, with the importance of community as the main focus. Arriving in Mwanga from the United States, founder Waridi Valentine, art teacher and co-founder of Yeyo Arts Dail Chambers with daughter Antigone Reed, and recent Master of Social Work graduate and community service volunteer Ophelia Franklin began preparing the necessary activities and supplies needed for the first day. Having started the project on the first day students were back from holiday, it was expressed that classroom size would increase throughout the week. Originally, the Seeking Amani project was meant to teach fourth through seventh grade, about 15 students. At the end of our time, the volunteers taught prekindergarten through 7th grade, about 90 students. After the first day of working with the older students, the younger students were eager to get involved so our time was split. Prekindergarten through 3rd were taught in the morning and 4th through 7th graders were taught in the afternoon. With increased numbers, supplies were limited so emphasis was put on students to share with one another and work together. A few students even collaborated on art projects, coloring, drawing, and even creating short narratives about their artwork. Many of the teachers sat in and engaged with the students but one person, Teacher Joseph Duwe was there in every morning and afternoon class, encouraging students, interacting as well as drawing and painting himself. Teaching several ages and subjects to include Vocational Skills Teacher Joseph was excited to incorporate these activities into his curriculum.

The lesson plan, created by Waridi Valentine, revolved around the importance of community and how the students and school were influential within their community. The older students were instructed to draw how they saw themselves in the present, their future careers, and how their careers would positively impact their community. Students were also asked to draw a map of their community from their point of view and include as much detail as they wanted from railroads, to the school, church, houses, shops and so forth. Coincidently this assignment coincided with what the older students were learning in their civics class. In a collective society like Tanzania, community and togetherness are very important and the students were able to discuss its importance and express their ideas through visual arts. It was interesting to see how students began to come out of their shells at the end of our time and really engage and enjoy their work as well as their fellow students work. Throughout this project, all the students were instructed and encouraged to be free thinkers, brainstorm, work independently as well as work together. There was no right or wrong, good or bad. Nothing was graded and there was no such thing as mistakes so students could be themselves through their art. The objective was to motivate creativity by using a variety of mediums in multiple formats. Fluent in Kiswahili, Waridi Valentine was able to better communicate with the younger students since their English was limited whereas the older students had a better grasp in English proficiency, requiring minimal translation. Also, using her experience and skills as an art teacher, Dail Chambers assisted the students with structure and technique for their illustrations such as background, foreground, and dimensions. This knowledge was shared by other students and what was learned showed through in their art.

Thank you Yeyo Arts for your support through fundraising, promoting awareness of the Seeking Amani project and utilizing your organization to assist those in your community through creativity and knowledge. Thank you for the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis in awarding Seeking Amani the Artist Support Grant and helped make this project possible and successful. With long term support from, community organizations, Amani Vumwe Primary School, private donors, art supplies and resources can continue to enrich the students and promote creativity within their lives. We could tell students were already sketching outside of school but needed a colorful outlet so they can truly show their talent. Seeking Amani hopes to continue this work.

About the Founder of Seeking Amani: Waridi Valentine worked as a Family Support Eligibility Specialist for Social Services for the state of Missouri. She is an active member of her community and volunteers at Yeyo Arts, through which she was able to create exposure for the Seeking Amani project, gain local community support as well as donations. The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis allowed her to take her skills to East Africa and teach students within her Tanzanian culture about the importance of community and how art can play a pivotal role of positive expression and creativity.

Teaching the afternoon class with students within the age groups of fourth through seventh grade students. Teaching the students the significance of their support within their community and what it means to be a productive member within their community.

Team work! Class brainstorming... Breaking down the important rolls of individuals and professions assist the community to develop.

Team work makes a dreamwork Amani Vumwe X Seeking Amani left to right: Amani Vumwe Teacher Joseph D, Seeking Amani Member Dail C, Amani Vumwe Teacher Frida M, Seeking Amani Creator Waridi V, Amani Vumwe Teacher Jesca M, and Seeking Amani Member Ophelia F

Irene is a 4th grader. She is multitalented, creative and wants to be a lawyer within her community. She drew several pictures showing her talents and included creative writing with her illustrations.

Creative Self Portrait By Siriel Grade 7 Inspired to be a fashion designer

Collage of the series of creative work done in our morning classes with the pre kindergarten through third grade students. We encouraged the students to explore using colors, utilizing the whole page, creating a background while exploring their imaginations.

The students mapping out their community and their visions

What's the magic word???? COMMUNITY!!!!!

Restuta, Grade 5 Seeking Amani Final Project: Perspective of Community/Map

When Headmaster of Amani Vumwe Primary School, John Samwel, came to visit our afternoon class and shared motivational and inspirational words.

After hours.... Supporting Member of Seeking Amani and Teacher, Ophelia Franklin, saying good bye to her students.

After school hours… Some of our students are boarders of the campus connected to the Co-Founder, Paulina Mndeme, house plot. We ran into some of our students after hours.

Community and Leaf etchings  by Faraji From the prekindergarten through 3rd graders group

Individual Portrait by Jackline 4th Grade

Enjoys reading and running

When asked to draw an individual portrait of the students future careers Emmanuel, drew a male soldier in a uniform . Emmanuel said that he wants to be a soldier and is determined to serve his country.

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