Mpanda — TANZANIA Airport Authority (TAA) has donated 237 bags of cement valued at 5m/- as support for the construction of the Inyagantambo satellite school at Tongwe ward in Tanganyika District, Katavi region.

Mpanda Airport Manager, Eng, Jeff Shantiwa on behalf of TAA's Director said the donation follows a report that 150 children from Inyagantambo had to walk 28 kilometres to attend classes at Mpandandogo primary school at Majalila village to and from each school day.

The distance from the Inyagantambo area to Majalila village covers 14 kilometres.

"The authority has a policy of returning part of its profits to the community. Our aim of donating 237 bags of cement is to support the construction of the Inyagantambo satellite upon completion the school infrastructure will help the children to conveniently attend classes and subsequently improve school attendance and academic performances," he said.

The Tongwe Ward Councilor, Mr Frank Mibigasi commended the gesture shown by TAA urging other stakeholders to emulate the authority.

"The donation has come at the right time I can assure the authority that will be utilized at the intended project," added Mr Mibigasi.

On his side, the Majalila village chairman Mr Ally Mashaka said Mpandandogo Primary School accommodates 1,400 pupils among them 150 pupils from the Inyagantambo area.

"With this big number of pupils, our school is congested as it is afflicting with a dire shortage of 22 classrooms. The actual demand is 36 classrooms but presently we have only 14 classrooms," he noted.

The school head teacher, Ms Halima Naison said the project will ensure comfort to the children to have the school built closer to their area as apart from trekking long distances to Mpandandogo primary school but they were compelled to stay the whole day at school with hunger.