Friends of East Meru Community School is a UK charity which was set up in 2016 to support the work of East Meru Community School. The main function of the charity is to raise awareness and funds and to support the work of the local management team. It has been created by a small group of individuals who have seen the work of the project first hand and who are committed to ensuring its success. The charity is now handling the majority of UK donations with a view to ensuring that donations and sponsorship payments from UK tax payers can be Gift Aided and used as effectively as possible. For more information please go to the Charity Commission website.
Meet the Trustees:
IAN is the original founder of the school and his story can be read here.
Both Ian and his wife Mary have worked tirelessly for the last 16 years to develop and support the work in Tanzania and although Ian is now working in the UK, he still maintains very close contacts with the project.
He continues to share his vision with the in country directors and board members, and as Chairman of the Friends of East Meru Community School he helps to direct our fundraising and ensure that it is meeting the needs of the school.
Ian maintains very frequent and regular contact with the school and continues to play a vital role in its growth and the development.
JANE first visited Tanzania in 2006 to climb Kilimanjaro and vowed that she would return, having heard first hand of the barriers that many Tanzanians face in receiving a quality education.
Having previously worked in the Bahamas, the UK, and Indonesia, she returned to Tanzania in 2011 as the Academic Head at The School of St Jude where she met Ian and Mary. She remained in Tanzania for a further two years as the School Coordinator at Orkeeswa in Monduli from where she was able to maintain close links with the EMCS project. Since then she has worked in both the Cayman Islands and Uganda.
Jane now handles our communication and promotion through the website and social media.
JON was Head of Imberhorne School in East Grinstead for 10 years before he moved to Tanzania in 2013.
He was the School Director at The School of St Jude until 2015, when he became the Advisor to the Rwanda Education Board in Kigali. John has since returned to the UK and is now a very proud grandparent.
Whilst working in Tanzania Jon met Mary, one of the Founder Directors of the EMCS project, who was also working at The School of St Jude.
Although he has now returned to the UK he and his wife Sandra are sponsors and remain supporters of the project. His managerial experience is particularly useful to the rest of the Board and his numerical skills make him an ideal Treasurer!
PAT taught in various educational establishments including an outdoor centre, a community school for boys, an inner city school and an independent school before retiring in 2006.
Pat first visited Tanzania with her husband Nigel in 2009 and again in 2011. In 2012 they returned for 2 years to oversee the Boarding facilities at The School of St Jude.
She met Ian and Mary during this time and became a dedicated sponsor and supporter of the school, returning each year to help with the selection of new pupils.
Pat has been very instrumental in finding sponsors and donors from the UK and returns as often as she can, following closely the progress of the school. Pat is our charity Secretary.