Dedicated to Sustaining the Development and Success of the Margery Wolf Kuhn (MWK) Schools
Our Impact
The Tanzania Education Fund works to enrich the lives of young people. TEF supports the development and success of the Margery Wolf Kuhn (MWK) Preschool, Primary, and Secondary Schools which serve the children of Eastern Tanzania.
TEF relies on individual, organizational, and government contributions and maintains a low overhead. 98% percent of funds go directly to MWK and the students it serves.
Our Mission
Provide a broad educational experience grounded in Tanzanian culture and tradition that prepares graduates to participate fully in the continued development of their country.
Our Goal
Make education accessible for the young people of Tanzania who would not otherwise have the opportunity.
Our Board
The TEF Board works with the MWK Trustees, a Tanzanian board that directly supervises the schools. TEF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is based in Vienna, Virginia, U.S.A. MWK schools are in Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
Board Members
Doug Bellomo
Barbara Bogue
Mike Carney
Mary Dollar Hughes
Erin Hunter
Joseph Kammerer
Charles Sloan, Jr., MWK Schools Manager
Daphne Sloan, Executive Director
Benjamin Stephan
Finance Committee
Mary Dollar Hughes
Daphne Sloan
Technical and Solar Design Consultant
Gary H. Koopmann, Ph.D.
Tanzania Board of Trustees
Charles Sloan, Jr.
Faustine Rutaihwa
Aidan Njau (Dr)
Lazarus Mpondo
Nick Walter
Ally Bedford
Allan K. Okoth
Officers
President
John Carney
Vice President
Carl Biggs
Secretary
Margie Carson
Treasurer
Cynthia Pearson, CPA
Our Story
MWK Schools owe their beginning, and their name, to a bequest to school founder and manager, Charles Sloan, Jr. Charlie used the gift to establish a school that instills the values of learning, generosity, creativity and perseverance exemplified by his Aunt Margery’s life.
A musician, botanist and passionate philanthropist, Margery worked to improve the lives of women and created the Wolf Kuhn Foundation to support arts, music, and dance. Her love for the arts and her commitment to education continue to inspire and benefit MWK schools, creating a nurturing environment for students and faculty to thrive.
Margery’s legacy lives on through the hundreds of MWK students who have continued their educations, gaining opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. Students who have graduated to go on to meaningful careers. The MWK Educational Trust is also providing funds for the new clinic.
“My Aunt Margery is the ‘original MWK.’ All the individual donors today support her vision of education for all,” says Charlie Sloan, school founder. “May we all share her generous spirit.”
FAQ
Margery Wolf Kuhn Schools, located on the outskirts of Bagamoyo, Tanzania, serve students through Eastern Tanzania.
The school resides on three campuses with 37 buildings and a large, multi-purpose playing field. Buildings include girls’ and boys’ dormitories, teacher housing, and classroom buildings. The third campus houses the Modern Medics Clinic in Tanzania.
After graduation as a mechanical engineer from Virginia Tech, founder Charlie Sloan served with the Peace Corps in Tanzania. While he was there, he saw many children that were not in school and vowed to return to build a school for those children. He returned to build the schools that became MWK in 2000, using funds he raised plus a legacy from his aunt, Margery Wolf Kuhn.
MWK schools are funded by student tuition and through generous donations from individuals and grants from churches. The W. O’Neil Foundation and The Carney Family Foundation were instrumental in building the Modern Medics Clinic.
MWK built a new library in 2011 to accommodate the growing book collection and increased usage by students and teachers. It also houses the computer lab. For many students, the library offers access to a variety of books and a place where they can study quietly for the first time.
With more than 25,000 books, the school offers more books than any other school in Tanzania. The Sir Emeka Offor Foundation of Nigeria presented 4,000 books to the school. TEF supporters continue to donate books.
All secondary schools are taught in English, while the MWK primary school is an English-medium school teaching in Kiswahili and English.
Girls are underrepresented in Tanzanian secondary schools. Dedicated scholarships can make the difference between education and no education. MWK prioritizes the recruitment and development of girls through the TEF Scholars Program.
Yes, non-boarding secondary students annually pay $700 and boarding secondary students pay $1,400. Fees are heavily subsidized by donor-supported scholarships. Support our students.
In addition to scholarships offered through the TEF Scholars Program, scholarships are available to students in need and to high achievers.
The TEF Scholars Program provides scholarships for tuition and boarding, each offers $700/yr., intensive English classes, mentoring, and tutoring. The program was originally designed to enable girls to continue to secondary school in an area where they were encouraged to stop their education after elementary school. In 2020, this opportunity was extended to boys in need.
Yes, our school bus picks up students who live too far away from the school to walk and provides transportation for field trips, community service activities, and competitive sports events. The banner sign on the bus promotes the school to the community.
At the secondary level, 49% of boys and 39% of girls attend school according to the most recent statistics from the Education Policy and Data Center. Only 31% of Tanzanian boys and girls graduate from secondary school.
There is no financial support from the Tanzanian Government. The US government has supported MWK through USAID grants for buildings and infrastructure.
- Scholarships for TEF Scholars and all MWK students
- Boarding support for girls to create safe and supportive learning environments that campus dormitories provide
- Computers for students
- Housing for teachers is required by the Tanzanian government
- Infrastructure maintenance
For more information, contact TEF Executive Director, Daphne Sloan.
We welcome discussions about named gifts, including endowing programs or scholarships at MWK. Large gifts can also be directed toward the science labs, the library, computers, or the Modern Medics Clinic Tanzania. Find out about giving opportunities.
TEF and MWK Schools greatly benefit from the contributed skills and talents of volunteers from throughout the world. Find out more about volunteering.
Modern Medics is a TEF collaborative project that will offer access to medical services for students and staff as well as the surrounding community. TEF raised the initial funding and continues to support the development of the clinic.
