Lutangilo Secondary School

July 7, 2017

Headmaster Sebastian Chaulla

We took a long ride up into the mountains, over roads that were bumpy and rutted from the rainy season, into a remote area with the most amazing views. Lutangilo Secondary School is one of six secondary schools owned by the diocese, and situated in remote areas of the district where the government has yet to establish many secondary schools.

The welcome here is amazing.  After the long and treacherous ride, full of amazing mountain sights, we are met by students singing and dancing, chanting.  The students surround our vehicle, and we join the singing and dancing procession. The welcome continues with more dancing and singing, probably at least 45 minutes before the speeches begin. Wow.

There is a clear mix of joyful celebration as well as discipline and high expectations at this school.  The teachers join the dancing exhibition, and the headmaster is perhaps the most joyfully enthusiastic of all.  But when he asks the students to stand in rows, form ones here, form twos and threes there, the students find their assigned places quickly. Some time later, after all the speeches have been delivered, welcomes made clear, and thanks offered, we the guests are ushered into the headmaster's office for conversation and to sign the guestbook.

History of the school – it was founded in 2004 with Elisande Mhanga as the first headmaster.  Two more came between, then 2012 Sebastian came here from Image where he had served as second headmaster. There were 104 students in 2012, now 263 in forms 1-4.

“It is God through his people," says the headmaster, that has allowed the school to grow with projects and improvements such as water, a well, dorms for boys and girls, and now two science laboratory classrooms under construction.

Laboratory classrooms were started by the school itself (gathering stones and doing the foundation work), and from there the people of God have raised funds for walls, roof, finishing work. Much of the funding for this construction comes from congregations in the Saint Paul Area Synod.  In the past, individual congregations have sometimes donated a dorm for a secondary school, but this is the first synod wide project for infrastructure at a diocese school. Many small gifts have added up to enable the project to move forward. The interior walls and floor are in the finishing stages. (Yes, Shepherd of the Valley made a contribution.)

The headmaster told us, "I expect to have many more science students," as a result of the new labs. "There are 53 science students in form 4.  The new national policy is ‘science first.’"

There are 20 staff members – 13 teachers, 7 others. The headmaster tells us that, "Even students from Arusha and other regions attend here; the academic challenges bring them here." Tuition is 1,150,000 TSH, room and board additional (four payments).

106 students are sponsored by Bega Kwa Bega.  Five students are supported by the school – they work during school breaks because their families cannot pay.

Our group enjoyed the drive, was amazed by the school, and returned to Iringa to spend the evening watching the sun set from Sai Villa, just up the hill from the Lutheran Center where we stay.

Another amazing day.