Colorless and dull walls don't always engage creativity, particularly in young primary school students. According to Isaka Dalei (YES 2018-2019, placed with PAX in Portland, IN) and Edson Geffi (YES 2018-2019, placed with ASPECT in Fort Worth, TX), the academic success of  a student is equally contingent on the environment in which she or he is being taught as the quality of the education she or he is receiving. Both alumni believe that they can contribute to the education of young children by improving their learning environment. This belief is what motivated them to visit schools in their region and assess which ones needed renovation. 

Upon visiting numerous schools, the duo decided that the best way to improve the schools would be by renovating classrooms. For their first project, they decided to paint a classroom at the Gidhim Primary School. The school, which is located in the Mbulu District in Manyara, has 521 enrolled primary students and a total of seven classrooms. Alumni purchased paint and tools and painted the inner and outer walls of one of the classrooms. Alumni were assisted by a few students from the school who helped prepare the room by moving benches and cleaning the walls. The project was a big success! At the end of the project, the classroom looked brand new. This project was very important because it improved the students’ learning environment by brightening up the room, making it more conducive to learning. Students and school officials were very grateful and expressed their appreciation for the alumni’s work and contributions to the community. 

Through this project, alumni inspired students and school administrators alike to volunteer in the community. They also talked about the YES Program, discussed eligibility criteria, and encouraged students to apply when they are in high school.