Uru Academy's First Halloween!

            On Wednesday, Uru Academy had its very first Halloween party! Halloween is not traditionally celebrated in Tanzania, so our kids had no idea what to expect…

We started off the celebrations by introducing the idea with the Halloween special from Paw Patrol. Preschool shows such as Paw Patrol teach young English learners new words, building on their pre-literacy skills.

Fun fact: Our kids love Paw Patrol so much we name our three rescue dogs at the school Rebel, Rocky and Zuma!

Each class made a Halloween-themed art project out of recycled materials. Our little artists made pumpkin paper-plate masks, paper-plate black cats, lunch-bag monsters and toilet-paper-roll bats!

All our children had the opportunity to dress up in costumes collected from years of donations. They embraced the occasion to be silly, embracing their inner monsters and princesses. They were also able to see their future selves as professionals such as doctors, teachers or chefs!

We taught the kids to say “trick or treat!” Then they toured each classroom at the school, getting a piece of candy at each station. At the end of the day, everyone was exhausted from a long day of candy and play!

Many of the children we work with have a traumatic past. Neema International aims to meet their basic needs of nutrition, health and education as well as providing them positive childhood experiences. For these children, Halloween was much more than candy and a costume, but an opportunity to play in a safe and positive environment with their peers and trusted adults.

Can’t wait for Halloween next year!