Moshi Campus News – 24 May 2026

Yesterday we hosted another fantastic graduation ceremony here is Moshi. Congratulations to all our D2 students on their successful time here and we all wish you the best as your journey through life continues. This ceremony is not possible without the hard work of many people on campus and the large number of parent volunteers that helped make the hall and outside area so beautiful for the day. I know the students appreciate your hard work as well. You can see a few photos below of the day with more coming out soon. If you missed the ceremony, you can find it on the YouTube account here.

In the lead up to the main day some parents joined us the night before for some drinks. Thank you for joining us, it was great to hear about your experiences as parents.

On Tuesday it is the turn of the M5 students to finalize their time in the MYP with a ceremony to celebrate that transition. For our M4 and D1 students this is an exam week looking back at their learning this year.

Please note that Wednesday is a national holiday so there are no classes.

I invite you to read through the whole newsletter so you can see the wide range of things happening on campus.

Bob Cofer – Head of Campus

The D2 students finished off their IB exams this week and spent time catching up, cleaning up, and preparing for Graduation. Thank you to the fantastic parent group that worked so hard to decorate for Graduation.

Our D1 students start their final exams on Monday as they continue through June 2nd.

I will share more details in next week’s newsletter.

Catherine Dowie – Head of Diploma

The last Cooking Club session of the year was so much more than just another Tuesday of cooking. While we rolled sushi, attempted to make spring rolls, cooked delicious fried chicken, danced around the kitchen to those old Justin Bieber songs, and worked hard trying not to be left with the unfinished cleanup duties, it just became clear that this club was something far bigger than “just” food.

The Cooking Club began as a simple idea: bring people together over meals that reminded us of home. On this campus with different cultures, tastes, and traditions, we all wanted a place where people could share recipes that carried and created memories.

Over time, we cooked many dishes from all over the world. And, somewhere in the mix of the loud music played from the speaker, lively conversations, and the general chaos of cooking together, the club became a safe space for many of us.

It was never just about eating good food. After a hard test or a bad day, you could go to the Cooking Club and immediately feel better. The smell of food cooking, the laughter, the people singing as they chopped vegetables, and the welcoming atmosphere reminded us that things were never as overwhelming as they seemed. Life could be stressful, but there was always a community waiting for you, ready to dance, cook, laugh, and share a meal.

This final session was also particularly emotional, it was time to say goodbye to the D2 members who helped create the heart of this club. Our kitchen has seen Siima, Reigns, Alma, Dalyn, Devon, Zuhri, Xiaoyi, Datong, and many more who brought energy, warmth, talent, and unforgettable memories. The loudspeakers blasting music, the spontaneous dancing, the incredible culinary skills, and the sense of belonging that all of you created made the club unforgettable. We cannot thank you enough for all that you brought to the table, not just to Cooking Club, but to all the people who looked to it for comfort.

And that last Tuesday night, with curfew approaching, everyone was trying to clean up, but also secretly eating bites of food before we all had to leave. There was a shared sense of nostalgia in the room. We’re sad to see the D2s go, but we couldn’t be prouder of the community they helped build. Cooking Club proved that sometimes the smallest ideas become the places people hold closest to their hearts.

P.S: Special thanks to our teacher collaborators; Ms. Faiza, Ms. Jenette, and, especially, Mr. Kato. And, to our co-founders; William and Dimitrios.
– Daniela (D1)

The final countdown is officially on! While our M5s are soaking in their final days before the big celebration, our M4s are fully focused as they prepare for their end-of-year assessments. At the same time, our M1–M3 students are completely “locked in” across campus, whether in labs, performances, projects, presentations, workshops, or creative classroom activities, the energy around the MYP is very much alive right until the very end of the year.

A reminder that the M5 Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 26th, 2026 at 4:00 pm in Karibu Hall.
Dress Code: Chic!

The campus is busy, the calendars are full, the coffee consumption is concerning… and somehow, there is still so much excitement ahead!

M5:
What a week for our M5s!  Before the big day this Tuesday, they’ve been on the move: shadowing our D1 students (taking notes, stealing ideas… and maybe a few shortcuts!), sipping milkshakes and coffee while meeting with Ms. E for some serious college counseling, mentoring M4s as they bravely start their Personal Project journeys, and getting schooled in financial literacy with Mr. Cofer (yes, they’re basically ready to run the stock market… or at least the school finances… jokes!).

We can’t wait to see all of you on Tuesday at the ceremony…get ready to celebrate in style!

M1 English Language and Literature
“We are reading a book that describes a boy’s journey from Mexico to the United States. As he crosses the desert, his challenges bring out a deep sense of reality that a lot of children face across the world. The reality of poverty, war and forced migration is something that we wanted the children to understand. M1 students were asked to create a short documentary that informs and tells the story of resilience from students who have had to face political and social challenges. They interviewed different students and captured moments that not just changed perspective but also developed empathy.” -Ms. Vagisha

M3 I&S
This week, our M3 Individuals & Societies students dove into the exciting “Biome in a Box” project! In groups of four, each team explored a unique climate zone. From the icy Arctic Tundra to the lush Tropical Rainforest took on roles as Ecologists, Climatologists, Anthropologists, and Environmentalists. Students researched the plants and animals that thrive in their biomes, how indigenous people live and adapt, and the human-made threats impacting these environments. Using their findings, they got hands-on, transforming cardboard boxes into creative 3D displays, complete with climate graphs, world maps, images, and fun props. This week’s lessons were full of teamwork, creativity, and discovery as they prepared to showcase their Biomes at the upcoming Biome Fair, where the best “Biome in a Box” will even be judged by a special guest!

M2 Creative Process
This quarter, our M2 students have the wonderful opportunity to work with Ms. Miriam, our guest teacher, as they explore the fascinating world of self-portraits. Through the use of mirrors, pencil sketches, paint, paper, and mixed techniques, students have been reflecting not only on their physical features, but also on identity, expression, and personal style through art.

The room was full of creativity, experimentation, and thoughtful discussions as students develop their observational skills and artistic confidence. A huge thank you to Ms. Miriam for bringing her expertise, energy, and creativity into the classroom and for inspiring our young artists throughout this unit!

MYP Dates to Remember
Monday May 25th to 29th – M4 End of Year Assessments
Tuesday May 26th – M5 Ceremony
Wednesday May 27th – M5 Students Leave
Wednesday May 27th – Holiday
Monday June 8th to Wednesday June 10th – M1 to M4 Week of giving back – No class
Thursday June 11th – MYP Fun sports day
Friday June 12th – Last day of school for students

Have a wonderful week,
Farah Fawaz – Head of MYP

Last weekend, UWCEA Leopards competed in the annual Kilimanjaro Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. Competing teams involved club teams and student teams from Kenya and Tanzania. Our Leopards managed to secure 4th place out of 9 teams, beating all the other Tanzania teams and losing only to 3 very experienced Kenyans Teams. Our team was a mix of UWCEA Moshi Alumni, Diploma, M1, M4, M5 and staff. The 2-day tournament left us with sore legs, blistered feet, massive smiles and pride to be the Top Tanzanian Ultimate Frisbee Team for 2026.

As we wrap up the school year, we say goodbye to some incredible D2 sportsman and sportswoman who have made a significant contribution to our Ultimate Frisbee sports program. Their energy, enthusiasm and fair play will be missed. We say goodbye to some top players who helped take 1st place victory at Sports Weekend. All the best for the future, farewell to Dorka, Malo, Zacharia, Hynek, Bing and Tabea.

Ultimate Frisbee – Mr Baden Dowie

Our inaugural UWCEA Rugby Festival was a huge success. On Friday afternoon we introduced contact rugby to 118 students, ages 7-14, from schools in the Moshi and Usa River areas. Schools Included PPA, (Mama Clementine Foundation), Bridge, Hope, Kennedy House, Kibo Shanty, Eden Garden and UWCEA. Maintaining a high standard of safety, our 24 coaches guided the students through a series of rugby drills. The drills focused on defensive strength, such as strong-correct body positioning for safe rucking, tackling and competing for the ball. For attacking play our coaches taught ball handling skills needed for running with the ball, passing and scoring tries. During the second part of the festival, we divided the participating schools into 16 teams to test what they had learnt. Each team played 5 matches in a round robin format. The first games for all the teams were as expected, unstructured and chaotic, however under the guidance of our amazing coaching team, students started to get the hang of contact rugby. I’d like to say thank you to our Junior Rugby Festival team, to Ms Debbie, our teacher coaches, our student coaches, our teaching assistants, our ground staff, our kitchen staff, our parents, our student alumni, and our photographers for making the UWCEA Rugby Festival a huge success.

Baden Dowie – Rugby Coach

As you can see in the article above, the Contact Rugby Festival on Friday afternoon was a big success. We had around 120 children in attendance. The pitch was full of children having fun and learning new skills. Many thanks to Mr. Baden and the huge team of teachers, EAs, support staff, parents, community members, older students and returning alumni that made the event possible.

The P6 and P2 classes both went camping last week (Lake Duluti and Kishari House respectively). The children had a wonderful time – see the newsletter articles below.

I hope everybody received the email detailing the costumes for our “Kick It!” Musical. All classes (EC – P6) are involved in the production.

• Speaking parts = orange Leopards shirt
• Chorus = purple UWCEA shirt

These are available from the front office.

• Backstage crew = black T-shirt

There is an option to buy an “AFCON” style T-shirt for 20,000 TShillings as a memento of the production. This shirt was designed by some of the PYP children and will be issued after the show. It can be worn next year as a UWCEA primary school T-shirt. Purchase of this shirt is entirely optional. The sizes are the same size as the regular UWC school T-shirts. Please send all “AFCON” Shirt orders in by Monday.

Please note that there will be a Saturday rehearsal for “Kick It!” on 6th June 11:00am – 1:00pm for all classes EC – P6.

“Kick It!” will be performed in Rafiki Hall on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th June, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. Everyone is welcome, and there is no entry charge.

We’ve had a very positive response from the PYP regarding orders for the 2026 Yearbook. We will be submitting the orders on Monday morning. If you would still like to order a copy, please send in the payment of 10,000 Tsh by 7:30 am on Monday.

Wednesday, 27th May, will be a public holiday and there will be no classes.

Upcoming dates

• Monday, 1st June – Student Led Conferences for P6 only. This is a normal day for all other classes.
• Thursday, 4th June – P6 moving up ceremony at 7:40am in Rafiki followed by PYP move up day (incoming EC1s are invited to visit the EC playground at 10:10am to meet the teachers)
• Saturday, 6th June – Kick It rehearsal 11:00 – 1:00pm
• Monday, 8th June – Kick It performance 5:00pm – 6:00pm (children should arrive by 4:30pm)
• Tuesday, 9th June – Kick It performance 5:00pm – 6:00pm (children should arrive by 4:30pm)
• Wednesday, 10th June – farewell gathering to departing PYP students followed by fun sports day.

Deborah Mills – Head of PYP

This has been a great week of learning how to act. We chose two short stories: The Three Little Pigs and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. We made small groups of 3 to 5 students and every one had a chance to act in the stories. The children learned about facial expressions, speaking in loud voices and how to be a good audience during a play. Thank you P3 for coming to view our short skits and for being a good audience. They shared some insightful feedback with the children.

Next week, we will explore how music can make us feel. We will explore emotions as well as different types of dance.

Mboka Mwasongwe

It was a wonderful week with lots of learning. The highlight was certainly the P2 campout at Kishari. It is the rite of passage to begin the primary camping tradition there. We had a fantastic time and a good night’s sleep. We were happy to be joined by our P3 friends for a walk to the river. It was a very special time.

Next week we will continue our look at terms in Economics. We’ve noticed that they seem to come in pairs: needs/wants, goods/services, producer/consumer, import/export. We have also started looking at money in math lessons. In Kiswahili class, the students are looking at Tanzanian money. In Math, we are also looking at currencies like the dollar or the euro in order to learn how to add and subtract with a decimal involved.

Our class will go to Library on Monday because we missed the Friday lesson with all of the camping excitement.

Kacey Buckley

This week, the children have been working on their unit of inquiry: We can make choices to support the sustainability of the Earth’s resources.

They are considering:

• Earth’s finite and infinite resources
• The impact of people’s choices on the environment
• The balance between meeting human needs and using limited resources

We learned about the construction of Maasai bomas, which provided a nice transition from our previous unit on building design to our new unit on resources.

The children are now working on a topic of their choice. These include the resources used to make smartphones, overfishing, wildlife as a natural resource, T-shirt manufacturing, water conservation, plastic bags, sand mining, and rock quarrying.

They have also completed their end-of-year maths assessments, and we will use the remaining time this quarter to revisit areas that require reinforcement.

The photo shows our completed James Rizzi inspired paintings.

Deborah Mills

The big thing this week was definitely Camp at Lake Duluti. We went boating on the lake, spotted a Nile monitor lizard, a malachite kingfisher, and a fish eagle, and came across papyrus, which nicely connected back to our learning from the start of the year about Ancient Egypt and what papyrus was used for then. The students were very impressed that something from class had appeared in real life.

Students also planned their own menu and cooked food for the group and staff using two tables, limited supplies, and a lot of problem solving. Somehow, out of all of that came some excellent burgers, very solid chicken wraps, and minimal chaos overall.

A huge thank you to Mr Isaac, Mr Salimu, Mr Collin, Mr Pascas, Mr Emmanuel, and Mr Andy for all the support, organisation, and for helping keep things moving all week.

A reminder as well that P6 Ceremony is coming up on June 4th, and students will have their Move Up Day, where they’ll spend the full day over in the MYP pretending they’re already far too grown up for PYP.

Elisha Jaffer

As part of our service Women’s Health Empowerment (WHE) we are sending the third edition of the magazine “Njia Yetu” to give you information about health topics, highlighting women’s health struggles in different Indigenous societies that most of the time are either ignored or misinterpreted by our medias. Our aim is to share women’s empowerment around the world. 

This time the magazine is focused on the Hadzabe tribe. You can read the magazine by using this link. Hope you enjoy and learn something new from this community.

Last Wednesday at Upendo felt different. Not only because it was our farewell to this school cycle, where our service work comes to an end but also goodbye as several of us won’t be here next year. But even more because of the deep emotional connection we have built with those children over time. They remember us; they know that Wednesdays are the day we come to visit them, and seeing their excitement every time we arrive is something truly special.

Simon, Jon, Timo, Vincent, Doreen, Baraka—all and each one of them make that place so magical. It’s a place where you get to meet such pure, joyful, and mischievous souls. Each one of them has a different personality that makes them unforgettable, and it’s impossible not to grow attached when you have a pair of bright eyes looking at you, asking you to play, laugh, or simply spend time with them. Even the smallest moments with them somehow become memories you carry with you long after leaving.

This last time we visited, we wanted to make it extra special. To begin with, we stayed longer than we usually can, which already meant so much to them and to us. We brought cake for all of them to enjoy, along with all kinds of donations and toys that we knew they would love. They had an amazing time, running around full of excitement and happiness, constantly coming back for another piece of cake and even trying to sneak around to grab some themselves. Their laughter filled the entire place, and for that time, nothing else seemed to matter except enjoying those moments together. No EE, no math summative, no university deadlines; just those kids who genuinely enjoyed having us there, those kids who remembered who we are and hugged us with so much love and appreciation.

But this is no longer just service work or something we are required to do for school. This is now a place we go to voluntarily, because we know that the children there are our children too, in a way. They became little people who won over our hearts with their mischievous laughter, their hugs, and the joy they bring so effortlessly. Upendo became more than just a place we visit every Wednesday—it became a place that reminds us how much you can change someone’s life just by being there and caring enough to show up, even if it’s only for a Wednesday afternoon.
– Daniela (D1)

As we approach the end of our Community Service year, we celebrate our graduating D2’s and we thank each and every one of you for all the time, energy and talents you gave towards some truly groundbreaking projects. Your efforts have contributed great value to our community and partners, Thank you. We wish the D1’s well, as they start exams, and we look forward to having you back in August. We also say thank you to the M5’s as they graduate next week, as for the rest of us, staff supervisors and student M1- M4 we will keep on serving and finalize projects till school closes. Below in the table, I would like to acknowledge our staff service supervisors for supporting the students in the chosen services.

Mr Baden Dowie – Service coordinator

As the D2s graduate this week, it is a wonderful reminder of the incredible experiences students have during their time at UWC. Outdoor Pursuits (OP) remains a core part of student life, and every student crossing the stage will have spent at least one night camping under the stars.

One student who has fully embraced the OP programme is Theo. Over his two years, Theo completed nine OP trips, climbing some of Tanzania’s highest peaks and earning his Advanced PADI certification. He also became an OP student leader, bringing enthusiasm and energy to the team throughout his time in the programme.

Two weeks ago, Theo completed his final OP trip (his first and only rides trip) a fitting way to round off an unforgettable OP journey. Please read Theo’s reflection below:

Hello, it’s me again, Theodor, and a few weeks ago I took part in what was probably the most unusual OP trip I’ve done so far: my first mountain biking trip… and, at the same time, my very last OP trip at UWC East Africa. Looking back now, it somehow feels fitting that it ended this way: muddy, exhausting, chaotic, hilarious, and unforgettable all at once.

We left Moshi campus early in the morning in an overwhelmingly joyful mood. Riding through town already felt adventurous, with everyone trying to overtake each other while staff desperately convinced us that riding in a single line was, in fact, a good idea. Soon enough, we reached the dirt roads towards TPC. The weather was perfect at first, the scenery beautiful, and conversations flowed easily between students and teachers alike.

Then the rain came. Suddenly, every puddle became an obstacle and every downhill slope an opportunity to either show flawless biking skills or land spectacularly in the mud. While some raced for imaginary victories, the rest of us were simply trying to survive increasingly uncomfortable saddles and rocks.

After lunch, we pushed on towards Namalok Nature Reserve, eventually arriving at camp hungry, muddy, and exhausted, where we were welcomed by a surprisingly luxurious dinner. Honestly, the entire trip would already have been worth it for that meal alone. That evening, after pitching tents beneath the great acacia tree, we spent hours laughing, playing chaotic rounds of cards, and making absolutely sure Mr Kato in the neighbouring tent enjoyed no silence whatsoever.

The next day’s “short” 16 km ride to Chemka somehow turned into 40 km. Students and teachers alike were dropping like flies, and the support bus slowly filled with tired cyclists and muddy bikes. A few of us stubbornly continued all the way and, to our great surprise, reached Chemka before the bus. Clearly, hard work always pays off. (Disclaimer: the author may be slightly biased.)

Exhausted, sore, and extremely muddy, we threw ourselves into the springs and enjoyed a well-deserved afternoon of swimming and relaxing. Saying goodbye to the Arusha students and teachers afterwards felt strangely emotional, especially for us D2s who knew this was our final OP adventure together.

Even writing this feels like a goodbye, so thank you to the OP team, Mr Andy, Mr Isaac, Mr Salimu, all my friends in particular Neko, you were there for every single trip!

Take care, much love, and farewell!

Theo (D2)

Sustainability Committee 2025

First of all, we would like to extend our gratitude to each and every one of our committee members for the year 2025, who have made such an impact on our community throughout. A huge thank you goes to Mr. Will and Mr. Matt, who have been nothing but heroes to fuel our passion for sustainability. But, as we pass it on to the next generation, we cannot help but look at some wonderful initiatives we have taken on.

We are incredibly proud to start committing to zero-waste systems in place for each and every new event on campus. From banning napkins to banana leaves, it has been totally worth it now looking back down the road. We are incredibly grateful to all of the staff members, gardeners, kitchen staff, and everyone who welcomed our initiatives very kindly. We are very proud of our work towards the Tanzanian Youth Climate Summit 2025, which saw youths around Tanzania and Africa come together for discussions regarding climate issues, justice, and what youth involvement looks like. We are also happy to have engaged with the Tanzanian Students’ Coalition for Climate (TaSCC) to provide any support to projects in Arusha and other schools. Thank you to Faith, the head of TaSCC, who has supported so many sustainability projects throughout her community.

Although there is a lot more to be done in and around campus, we strongly believe that this committee and future ones are going to continue this pathway towards improving systems in place that help lessen our impact on the environment. We are so incredibly thankful for all the help we received, and as we say goodbye, we cannot help but feel proud of where we have come.

Marta, Andressa, and Alvis
Sustainability Committee 2025 Co-heads – UWC East Africa Class of 2026

Sustainability Committee 2026
Swap Shop and World Bee Day

It was a wonderful and busy week, with a serious buzz. World Bee Day was honored Wednesday, 20th May by Sustainability Committee member Jan (D1), who upcycled our first beehives to go out on campus for some time. M1-3 Environmental Service, we all appreciate your efforts in hosting this wonderful event!
The swap shop was well attended and we look forward to the next one in June. You can still drop off items to room 6 for donation! Thank you D2s! Enjoy your next chapter, you will be missed!

William Taylor (Teacher and Sustainability Coordinator)