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Tanzanian teacher to give lessons on hope and charity in UEL public lecture

Monday 27 November 2006

The Head teacher of a Tanzanian secondary school will visit the University of East London (UEL) Docklands Campus on Tuesday 5 December to raise awareness of how poverty and HIV are undermining efforts to improve education in his country.

Ferdinand Gothard is Head-teacher at Mawella Secondary School in the Kilimanjaro region of northern Tanzania. His UEL public lecture will focus on the challenges faced by young people in his country, and how a UEL-based charity is helping to break the relentless cycle of poverty and ignorance.

Global Development Links (GDL) is a student-run registered charity based at the UEL Docklands Campus. Working alongside regional NGOs and secondary school staff, GDL aims to improve rural education in developing nations.

Charles Milton, Director of GDL and a final-year student on UEL’s BA (Hons) degree in Third World Development, said: “Global Development Links was founded at UEL in 2004 and all of our work is planned, researched and implemented by students on a voluntary basis.

"We have recently linked with Newcastle-based charity Coco to set up our new TRY-IT programme, aimed at offering vulnerable Tanzanian youth the opportunity to access crucial IT and vocational training. By the end of 2007, GDL will have provided IT access to approximately 4000 students and training to approximately 135 teachers, enabling enterprise and skills to flourish in deprived rural communities."

On 4 December, GDL will hold a reception at the House of Commons to mark the launch of its new TRY-IT programme. Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham and Chief Secretary to the Treasury, will speak at the event, which will also be attended by H.E. Mrs Mwanaidi Sinare Maajar, Tanzanian High Commissioner to the UK, and Gareth Thomas MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Department for International Development.

Dan Quille, who graduated from UEL’s BA (Hons) degree in Third World Studies in 2005, now works as Fundraising Manager at international children's charity and GDL partner organisation Coco.

Dan said: “Coco is very happy to be working with GDL to launch the TRY-IT scheme and welcome Mr Gothard to England. His visit will provide a clear insight into the problems that he and the children of Tanzania face on a daily basis; problems that we are now trying to combat through TRY-IT.”

Ferdinand Gothard’s public lecture will take place at 1pm on Tuesday 5 December at the UEL Docklands Campus. All are welcome. For further details, contact Charles Milton on 020 8223 7066 or gdlmail@gmail.com.

For further information about Global development Links, visit www.gdl.org.uk

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For details and pictures contact Patrick Wilson: 020 8223 2061 or 07951 797 975

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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