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The First Lady Visits MKEZA

As part of the First Lady's mid-July tour of Sub-Saharan Africa to highlight efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, improve education, and support girls and women, Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna visited the EQUIP1: MKEZA First Lady and Jenna Bush visiting MKEZA project in Zanzibar. Mradi wa Kuendeleza Elimu Zanzibar (MKEZA), which means "improving education quality in Zanzibar" in Kiswahili, aims to improve the quality of learning in Zanzibar by training teachers, communities and government officials from the pre-school to secondary school level.

While visiting Kiembesamaki Teacher Centre, where MKEZA is training tutors and teachers, Mrs. Bush announced a donation of 20,000 additional books in support of literacy. "As the Honorary Ambassador for the United Nations Decade of Literacy, I believe deeply in the importance of reading," the First Lady said. The donation will complement the project's provision of laboratory equipment and primary and secondary textbooks to the schools and teacher development centers.

One of MKEZA's objectives is to ensure that children come to school prepared to learn. Building on a First Lady Laura Bush visiting MKEZA half decade of experience, MKEZA provides training to poor communities across Unguja and Pemba islands of Zanzibar in pre-school management, financing, and teaching. After meeting with students and community members at the project-supported Al Rahma Madrasa Pre-school, Mrs. Bush praised "local men and women [who] do their part by getting involved in the school - volunteering their time to repair classroom, to build playgrounds, or to provide meals."

Mrs. Bush shared her impressions from her short stay on this lovely spice island in the Indian Ocean, saying "From the youngest girls and boys in preschool to teachers with years of experience, education is a priority. Your emphasis on education for all creates a hopeful future for the people of Zanzibar." First Lady Laura Bush visiting MKEZA