Al-Ikhwan School, Zanzibar

A School at the Heart of Its Community

Al-Ikhwan School is a school located in Zanzibar, Tanzania, serving children from a low income area where many Zanzibarians survive on 75p a day. The school was founded in 2011 and educates around 290 students between the ages of 4 and 14.  The school provides education and opportunities for young people who often face significant challenges in their daily lives. Despite limited resources, the school staff work incredibly hard to provide a safe and supportive environment where children can learn, grow and develop their ambitions for the future.

When Al-Ikwhan Nursery & Primary School first opened, it had only two classrooms and enough space to educate 40 children. The school has since constructed ten more classrooms. Despite the progress made, Al-Ikwhan is severely underfunded and lacks basic facilities and equipment, such as chairs and sports equipment, which can be challenging for the teachers.

Life for the Children

Many of the children who attend Al-Ikhwan School come from families with limited financial means. Access to educational resources, technology and equipment is often far more restricted than in UK schools. Some pupils face challenges such as overcrowded housing, limited access to healthcare and financial hardship at home.

Despite these difficulties, the children demonstrate remarkable resilience, enthusiasm and determination. They value their education and are eager to learn, making the most of every opportunity available to them.

 

Penrice Academy's Visit in 2025

In Summer 2025, a group of students and staff from Penrice Academy travelled to Zanzibar and spent time working alongside the Al-Ikhwan School community.

During their visit, the Penrice team took part in a wide range of voluntary activities, including:

• Supporting classroom teaching and learning.
• Completely repainting the school building as part of a major renovation project.
• Taking part in singing and dancing activities with the children.
• Playing a variety of sports and games together.
• Helping to improve the learning environment for pupils and staff.

The visit was a hugely rewarding experience for everyone involved. Lasting friendships were formed, cultural understanding was strengthened and both schools learned a great deal from one another.

 

Looking Ahead to 2027

Building on the success of the 2025 visit, another group of Penrice Academy students and staff will travel to Zanzibar in Summer 2027.

The aim of the visit is to continue supporting the children and staff at Al-Ikhwan School through voluntary work, educational activities and community projects. Students will have the opportunity to work directly with local children, share experiences and contribute to improving the school environment.

The trip will not only support the school in Zanzibar but will also help Penrice students develop valuable skills such as teamwork, leadership, resilience and global citizenship.

Supporting Al-Ikhwan School

As a school community, Penrice Academy is committed to helping Al-Ikhwhan School. We hope to raise funds over the coming months to provide much-needed support for the school and its pupils.

Funds raised will help contribute towards:

• Essential educational equipment and learning resources.

• Classroom improvements.
• Building repairs and maintenance.
• Renovation projects.
• Improvements to school facilities.
• Creating a safer, more effective learning environment for pupils.

Every donation, fundraising activity and act of support will help make a real difference to the lives of the children who attend Al-Ikhwan School

 

How You Can Help

By supporting our fundraising events and initiatives, you can help us provide opportunities and resources that many children at Al-Ikhwan School currently go without. Together, we can strengthen the partnership between our schools and help create lasting improvements that will benefit future generations of pupils.

Penrice Academy and Al-Ikhwan School share a common belief: that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, thrive and fulfil their potential. Through our ongoing partnership, we hope to continue making a positive difference in the lives of young people in both Cornwall and Zanzibar.