TWO West Devon schools have taken part in an international partnership with primary schools in Tanzania, which hopes to provide children with a positive awareness of citizenship.

Rafiki (Swahili for ‘friends’) is a programme that attempts to build relationships between schools in Devon and Worcestershire, Maryland in the USA and Tanga in Tanzania.

Each partnership takes its Swahili name from an African animal. Twiga (Swahili for ‘giraffe’) comprises The Church of England Schools at Meavy (partnering Kisimatui School) and Lady Modiford’s, Walkhampton (partnering Yusuf Makamba School).

At the end of July, Gavin Hamilton, executive headteacher of the West Dartmoor Federation of Meavy and Lady Modiford’s Schools, Julia Boston, teaching assistant and the Rev Preb Nick Shutt, federation governor, visited Tanga in Tanzania to further the link.

During the week each school was visited a number of times, friendships were renewed, gifts exchanged and activities undertaken with the children in and out of their classrooms.

Mr Hamilton said: ‘This was my second visit to Tanga. It was good to see all the teachers and children again.

‘We are able to share good practice. We have a great deal to offer these schools but they also have a great deal to offer us.’

The children enthusiastically received Mrs Boston who, assisted by Mr Shutt, spent time painting number squares on the bare classroom walls.

She commented: ‘It was very humbling to see such happy children, given that they have so little in terms of material things.’

Headteachers of the schools in Tanga will make a return visit to Devon in October.