(Justmeans.com / CSR News) - Funding the building of schools in Tanzania

Brendan Callahan (BSBA ’09) came to the School of Management as a freshman hoping to make a fortune. Instead, as a senior, he has chosen a more altruistic path.

“After a summer trip to Tanzania with the BU Catholic Center, I was humbled, and felt like the most important thing to do with my life was find a way to give back to those less fortunate,”he says.

Along with Alyssa Snow (COM ’10), he founded Achieve in Africa, a nonprofit organization to fund the building of schools in Tanzania. “One village of 12,000 has 1,900 students in just 16 classrooms, and some of them are crumbling. Our first project is to raise $30,000 to build two new classrooms," Callahan says.

Of this project, Callahan and Snow write on the organization's Web site,

Achieve in Africa has chosen Olasiti Primary School in Tanzania to be the first school in Africa that we will aid. The school is located in Olasiti village, about 8 kms from Arusha, Tanzania, and has a population of around 12,000. In Tanzania, the government creates the curriculum and pays the teachers while the community is responsible for the maintenance of the school. Most of the villagers are subsistence farmers and are unable to support the school because yearly income per family averages between only $90 and $100.

Even with 16 functional classrooms, the school struggles to accommodate its 1,922 students. Classrooms are currently overcrowded, causing some students to stand during class. We wish to provide two additional classrooms by rebuilding a structure in complete disrepair that is not being used.

Construction will begin in June, when members of our organization will travel to Tanzania to start the construction efforts. Travel expenses will be paid for by the members of the organization themselves and will not be taken out of donations. We can provide this new structure, containing two additional classrooms, for $30,000 USD.

"A little money can go a long way,” adds Callahan.

Lear more and see pictures @ http://www.achieveinafrica.org/