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About Shepherds Junior

Shepherds Junior is locally-founded pre- and primary school located in Arusha, Tanzania. The preschool is located in the village of Kimandolu, and the primary school nearby in the village of Moivaro.

Shepherds Junior follows the national curriculum of Tanzania and, over the past three years, has consistently been ranked in the top 3 of over 120 area schools on national exams. While all courses are taught in English, Kiswahili, the country’s primary language, is a required course at each grade level, and the school offers clubs that celebrate the vibrant culture and history of Tanzania. The school is very highly regarded by the local community.

Shepherds Junior aims to ensure that all children in and near the Kimandolu and Moivaro areas are provided access to a high quality education at an affordable price. We seek to nurture children to become disciplined, independent, wise, confident, hard-working individuals with a wide range of knowledge. Our goal is to give students the skills to become the builders of a stronger nation and change-makers who overcome the challenges of modern society.

Local Leadership

Local founder Mama Lucy Kamptoni established the school independently in 2003. Since then, the school has grown from 6 students to over 450 children, ages 2 – 13, from pre-school through seventh grade.  All staff and faculty, including the headmaster, deputy headmaster, and well-qualified teachers are from the local community. Parents, teachers and students are adamant in their commitment to ensuring the success of their school. An active parent’s committee meets regularly and has been instrumental in creating a school that is considered a vital contributor to the future of the local community.

Economic Diversity & Inclusion

Shepherds Junior school charges an affordable tuition to most students, and uses that income to subsidize the costs for orphans and other students who might not otherwise be able to afford a high-quality education. Unlike many local international schools that cater only to affluent students, or charity schools that segregate and serve only the poorest students, at Shepherds Junior all children work and play together, learn from one another, build lifelong friendships and have equal access to a great education.

Progress to Date

Since its founding in 2003, Shepherds Junior has grown from only 6 preschool students in a single classroom to over nearly 450 children at ten grade levels in thirteen classrooms. In addition to classrooms, the school has recently completed construction of its learning center, which includes a technology lab and the school’s first library, and an on-campus home for many of the children who attend. Seed capital for the school was originally raised by founder Mama Lucy by selling chickens in her village. In September 2007, Lucy Kamptoni was named a fellow of US nonprofit Epic Change, an organization that has since invested to fund significant capital expansion to support Mama Lucy’s vision to provide a high-quality education to children throughout the Arusha area.

Future Plans

In August 2011, the school will break ground on a secondary school to continue the proud tradition of excellent education provided at her primary school. In addition, as there is a substantive waiting list to enter Shepherds Junior school, there are plans to expand the number of classrooms available for each grade level.