Arise School — New Beginnings

Africa's Children in Education (ACE) is a small UK-registered charity with a powerful mission: that every child, regardless of circumstances, has access to meaningful education as a pathway out of poverty.

Born from its founders' volunteer work in East Africa, ACE has focused on establishing and nurturing Arise Community School in Tanzania. What began as a single classroom has grown into a thriving primary school serving hundreds of children from the surrounding communities.

At the heart of ACE's work is a belief that quality education uplifts not just individual children but entire communities, guiding Arise toward becoming a self-sustaining centre of learning, care, and opportunity.

Any introduction to Arise would be incomplete without its setting. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, the school has adopted a learning approach in harmony with nature. It maintains gardens that supply fresh food for the student cafeteria and cares for animals that provide milk and other benefits. Students tend the gardens and animals themselves, learning responsibility and sustainability alongside their academics.

Frank Mrang'u serves as Executive Director, guiding daily operations and long-term growth. Ron Hayes and his wife Sue are co-founders of ACE, which grew out of their volunteer work with vulnerable children in Tanzania and Kenya beginning in 2008. Listening to Ron and Frank describe the early days — one room and one teacher — was deeply moving.

• August 2025: I first reached out to ACE to explore introducing chess classes.
• October 2025: Tanzania's national election led to unrest, and internet restrictions brought our communication to a halt.
• 18 November 2025: Our first official video conference with Frank, the teaching staff, and Ron and Sue.
• January 2026: Weekly chess lessons begin, on very early morning sessions on my end to accommodate the time difference.

The school, the people, and the plan. Select any photo to view it larger.

Most students would be completely new to chess. Unlike my usual environment, where familiarity with the game is a given, this meant igniting the spirit of chess from its very first spark — a real challenge and a real opportunity.

I built and shared a structured learning plan for the 2026 introduction, and these plans were featured in the ACE Foundation newsletter as part of the 2025 Christmas outreach to members and donors. I have also been invited to visit the school in person, which my parents think may become reality during my high school years. The thought of playing chess in the foothills of Kilimanjaro is both humbling and exhilarating.