WiFi, Robots & Sugarcane –
Mark’s Adventures in Moshi, Tanzania
Mark just returned from an unforgettable three-week whirlwind in Moshi, Tanzania—a trip packed with “firsts,” fond reunions, and a few moments where we really weren’t sure if all those Lego kits were going to clear customs.
The First of Many Firsts...
Mark’s time in Moshi marked the first-ever robotics program in a Tanzanian secondary school. (Let that sink in!) But it was also filled with more humble firsts: first time teaching high schoolers, first real internet at school, first YouTube chemistry lesson, first teacher dance party, and even the first time Mark rode a bike past several miles of sugar cane only to end up with a flat tire. (He blames the goats.)
The Grand Welcome at Kiusa Secondary
Kiusa Secondary School gave Mark a joyful welcome complete with a luncheon, teacher dancing (yes, really), and a round of warm, enthusiastic speeches. Kiusa serves students in Forms 1–4 (equivalent to U.S. grades 8–11) and now boasts a computer lab with 20 machines, 20 handmade wooden tables, 45 chairs, a projector, and a white sheet doing a surprisingly good job as a screen. We provided Wi-Fi and wired connections via a newly installed fiber-optic cable. That meant teachers could now print directly from computers (no more “flash drive relay races” to the printer), and we even added coverage in the teachers’ break room. A small thing—but it felt huge.
Meet Imani-Kiusa’s New Tech Guru
The school also added a wonderful young teacher, Imani, to the staff. He teaches both ICT (Information, Communication, and Technology) and math, and he’s already a favorite with students. He’s taken over the computer room and is teaching all the students (and the teachers too!). He’s also creating computer tools and spreadsheets for the teachers to handle grades and report cards. All while taking three online courses in college.
Computer Class Chaos (the fun kind)
Mark taught two sections each with 50+ Form 1 (8th grade) students, covering the basics: Word, Excel, Paint, and Internet skills. Compared to the younger students he’s taught before, these kids picked things up fast—and loved the internet. They searched heart diagrams and watched circulatory system animations, delighted in finding Simbas Sports Club (the local football team) online, explored maps of Africa and beyond, and had an absolute blast playing with Paint, resizing Tanzanian flags, and accidentally deleting things (a rite of passage, really).
The Form 3 Advantage
Form 3 students also got the tech bug—despite never having used a mouse, they took to computers like pros. They were eager to learn and were especially quick to pick up the mouse which made everything easier for them as they dove headfirst into Word & Excel. Their favorite of course was Google —they searched like pros. Besides finding the educational things like Form 1 did, they also found lots of games and things like America’s Got Talent.
After the basics, we launched Tanzania’s first secondary school robotics program. Thanks to donations from San Diego French-American School and Mission Bay High School, we brought in 8 Lego Robotics kits (each the size of a legal box)—carefully packed into Mark’s luggage and miraculously cleared through customs.
Robotics: The Main Event
Our driver Joseph and teacher Imani were the first to give it a go. They gleefully followed the Lego pictorial instructions to build a working robot cart, which they proudly zipped around the room. Soon, teachers and students joined in, breaking into teams, racing robots, adding motion sensors and arms, and trying to make their bots do laps around the classroom. It was loud, chaotic, and pure magic. Even after the lunch bell rang, no one left—they were too busy tweaking their creations and the software.
The Lunch Bunch: Elisha and Godfrey
At lunchtime, students flocked to the lab. Two standouts, Elisha and Godfrey, came by daily—even skipping lunch some days—to explore more. Elisha had been taught by Betsey and Mark at Jamhuri years ago (a beautiful full-circle moment). These two weren’t just goofing off—they were searching things like “characteristics of an entrepreneur” for writing assignments and watching YouTube math tutorials to master approximations. They even tried to set up email accounts to stay in touch. Teachers also joined the fun. Some treated the lab like a mini internet café, while others asked for help mastering Word and Excel.
Chemistry, Kiswahili & YouTube: Unexpected Successes
What started as a computer class quickly turned into an interdisciplinary tech explosion. The chemistry teacher brought his entire classes (three Form 3 Classes) in to better understand electron movement and titration—YouTube videos brought the concepts to life, and then he did the experiment live, toggling back and forth to the video.
The Kiswahili teacher projected full-length plays for her 50+ student classes, including one classic titled “Love is the Cause of Laziness.” (You really can’t make this stuff up.) Mark fashioned a proper screen using a large white sheet and some ingenuity. It worked like a charm. These moments showed us what’s possible when teachers have tools.
The Mud Stops for No One
One thing you quickly learn in Moshi: the mud and dust are undefeated. Depending on the season, the school courtyard is either dry and dusty or a mud puddle waiting to happen—and all of it gets tracked into the classrooms with each class change. By the end of the day, the floors tell the story of every footstep and shoe tread.
But here’s the remarkable part: at the end of every single day, students grab rags and buckets and scrub every classroom and sidewalk floor clean. No mop, no fuss—just elbow grease and teamwork. The computer lab, though, got a bit of VIP treatment. A specially selected group of students was assigned to clean it, and they went above and beyond. Not just wiping down the floors, but dusting desks, monitors, even gently cleaning the keyboards. We can only hope the sparkle—and that sense of ownership—lasts long after the novelty wears off.
And Then There’s Joseph…
Over the years, we’ve become deeply connected with Joseph, our first and forever tuk tuk driver. At just 26, he supports his mother and two brothers and works every day without a true concept of a weekend. We’ve made it a goal to help lighten his load—providing food staples so he can attend English classes and save a little money. We bought his brother a bike to make it easier to get to school, we encouraged Joseph to get a national ID and then paid for his driver’s license so perhaps someday he can drive a safari company. He dreams big—and we believe in him.
Weekend Adventures
Mark’s motto: weekdays are for school, weekends are for exploring—and explore they did. Joseph took Mark up into the hills on a mud filled TukTuk ride to the top - often sliding down through the mud filled roads. With Joseph in tow, he hiked the lush, colobus-monkey-filled Rau Forest. Another weekend, Mark, Imani, Joseph, and Joseph’s brother Antony (somehow all squeezed into the tuk tuk!) visited Mataruni Falls and toured a Chagga coffee plantation. They even swam under the falls—because why not?
One sunny day, Mark and Joseph rented bikes and rode out through one of Tanzania’s oldest and largest sugar plantations (60 sq mi). The plantation is a major employer in the region. The return trip hit a snag when Mark’s tire went flat (because of course it did). Joseph flagged down a TukTuk and we fit both bikes and us into it for the ride back to town.
Their final adventure? A bus ride to Arusha to explore the Cultural Heritage Center—a treasure trove of Tanzanian and East African art, history, and artifacts. Joseph, who had never experienced anything like it, was in awe. So were we. Moments like this are why we travel.
Looking Ahead
Three weeks flew by, but the impact is lasting. The students and teachers at Kiusa have embraced the new tools, the potential for computer-assisted learning is enormous, and Teacher Imani has a growing list of tech lessons ahead. Robotics was the cherry on top! We’ll both be back in September—to launch Majengo Primary and scout new schools for next year. We couldn’t have done this without Shantel who got everything set up in Kiusa - arranging all the building of tables, chairs, electrical work, painting - well done. And of course Robert who got all the computers, internet, WIFI, and routers set up and working! Finally, Emmanuel and the parents at the school made it happen with their support! Many others helped and it turned out great! As always, thank you for cheering us on. More soon—from wherever the road leads next.