In response to children arriving at school hungry and unfocused, and some sick students being diagnosed with malnutrition, CEFZ implemented a rigorous nutrition program, nourishing growing bodies, minds and hearts.

Students receive oat milk porridge with dates on arrival at school, a heavy mid-morning snack like pancakes, or peanut butter sandwiches, a hot lunch and milk and snack before returning to class, and a home time snack of an egg and a piece of fruit on departing school. Attendance now runs at over 90% due to improved health, and buy in from both families and students.

Wefind families living in poverty often delay medical treatment, simply becasue they can;t afford it. They wait days hoping children will recver. This results in lost learning time in the least, and more complication and severe illness. In 2023 we have treated broken bones, deep cuts, urinary tract infections, asthma, colitis, severe anaemia, malaria, skin infections, dental abcesses, rotten teeth, and much, much more. Ensuring medical care of our students (and sometimes their siblings) relieves the burden from their mothers, expediates the child's comfort and safety, and guarentees they miss minimal time from school. We are a community, not just a school.

Annually, we approach our local governement school, where between 100 to 180 students may be crowded into a roo with poor light and hygeine. We figure no one would have their children in this setting if they had a choice, so this becomes our first selection criteria. Secondly, we ask the Head Teacher there for the names of children without both parents, fathers, or those who seem to be from struggling families. Thirdly, we meet the families and carry out home inspections, assessing environement, electricity and water presence. Through this process we have integrated into the community and only take the children with the highes need. We believe every child deserves, and can better their life outcomes with quality education.

Exceptional teachers are needed to guide the learning of children living in exceptinally difficult circumstances. Our teachers are mentored daily in the workplace to ensure each and every child is receiveing the same standard of education any and every child is entitled to. As we add a grade class each year, we recruit and train more local teachers, reaching further into our community and imcreasing our impact on the lives of children living in poverty. In August 2023, we partnered with All Africa Anthroposophic Training to present training to 76 teachers and 15 biodynamic farmers from all over East Africa in Zanzibar

Our school farm not only supports our rigorous student nutrition program, it serves to teach children the value of animal and land care. Working the farm instils a deep gratitude and each class regularly 'gives back' by providing the remainder of the school with a cooked meal using their harvest. As our farm grows, we aim to become the first biodynamic agricullture teaching center in Zanzibar, with a one week workshop having taken place for local farmers in August, 2023.

We take the Zanzibar government curriculum and inject engagement, fun and joy into the child's learning experience. Steiner Education is a proven producer of creative thinkers, community leaders and agents of change; just what Zanzibar needs. After Primary School, their learning journey continues with a secondary teaching team trained in the art of learner centered education to foster a sense of enquiry and problem solving to produce employable young adults.

It's important we can trive as a school, even though our students do not, an can not, pay fees. We have some income generating projects such as farming of biodynamic spices. The sale of cloves and cassava from our farm contributes to offset the cost of our Nutrition Program. Currently we are building our stocks of local chickens to begin production of enough eggs for students with left oveer to sell for income.. Our bee hives produce honey, however it is such a treat for our students to have honey we do not sell this crop.

When the school reaches full capacity of K-12, we aim to be in a position to take fee paying students, who will offset some of the costs of our sponsored students.

All of our Primary teachers attend the East African Steiner Teacher Training Course held in Nairobi, Kenya. This course leads to a certificate qulaification and consists of ten intensive modules held over three years. Mentoring on the job by our resident Steiner Teachers and visiting Steiner Teachers is an important past of our teacher development training. Our Secondary Teachers receive mentoring, and attend anthroposophical trainig events whenever possible.