Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Prof. Sifuni Ernest Mchome (at the request of Karoline Mthapula, Personal Assistant to H.E. President Kikwete) met with Country Director Albin Mathias, Board Member Ena Haines and Founding Executive Director Janice Lathen on January 31st, 2014. Mrs. Mthapula extended her hospitality by meeting our team at the Ministry to personally introduce us to Prof. Mchome.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry 
of Education and Vocational Training Prof. Sifuni Mchome
and Founding Executive Director Janice Lathen


Prof. Mchome is a known ICT advocate and invited Powering Potential to participate in Education Week in Tanzania in April. He also accepted our invitation to receive email updates on our progress. We thank him for his warm welcome and interest in our work.

Personal Assistant to H.E. President Kikwete meets with Powering Potential

Karoline Mthapula, Personal Assistant for Education to H.E. President Kikwete met with Board Member Ena Haines and Founding Director Janice Lathen on Friday, January 31st. Mrs. Mthapula called Janice to arrange a meeting after hearing about Powering Potential from Dr. Wilbard Lorri, Personal Assistant for Nutrition to H.E. President Kikwete.

Dr. Lorri is from Karatu and has visited a Powering Potential school and our Karatu office. Dr. Lorri and Janice also met in New York when he joined the Tanzanian delegation for the UN General Assembly in 2013.

Mrs. Mthapula met Ena and Janice at their hotel to hear about our Educating-Through-Technology program. She then arranged a meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Prof. Sifuni Ernest Mchome. She further extended her hospitality by meeting our team at the Ministry to make a personal introduction for Prof. Mchome.

Dr. Kebwe and the MOU

Below is a photo of Dr. Stephen Kebwe, Member of Parliament from the Serengeti, signing a Memorandum of Understanding on January 29th with Powering Potential to bring our Educating-Through-Technology program to his constituents at three secondary schools: Rigicha, Busawe, and Ikorongo.
left to right:
Dr. Kebwe, Founding Executive Director Janice Lathen,
and Board Member Ena Haines
Dr. Kebwe was recently appointed Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health and Social Services with a new office at the Ministry of Health in Dar es Salaam.
REA (Tanzania Rural Energy Agency) and TZ Postal  Bank have already contributed funds for this program in the Serengeti, Serena hotels has pledged additional funds, and the IEEE Foundation (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) has awarded Powering Potential a grant, part of which will be used for this implementation.

Country Director Albin Mathias
signing on behalf of Powering Potential


Dr. Kebwe agreed in this Memorandum of Understanding to transfer the pledged funds by February 15 so that we can begin project implementation soon. He has allocated TZS 10 million (US$6,000) for this project.

Meeting with Dr. Mshinda at COSTECH

Below is a photo of Board Member Ena Haines in front of the COSTECH building (Commission of Science and Technology) before Powering Potential’s meeting on Tuesday, January 28, 2014 with Dr. Hassan Mshinda, Director General of COSTECH.

This was a follow up to our initial meeting at the UN on Dec. 11. Dr. Mshinda has been interested in the offline RACHEL educational content we install on our computers. He has also offered to put us in touch with his staff member Faith, who is responsible for ICT for education.

Meeting with Habari Node, LTD

This is a photo of our meeting on Monday, January 27th with Habari Node Ltd. a division of AFAM. They have a non-profit arm that donates Internet equipment and monthly service fees to schools. They expressed an enthusiastic desire to work with Powering Potential. 

left to right: Sam (Habari Node Ltd.), Elibariki Magnus, Ena Haines,

Janice Lathen, Lawrence Rukundo (Habari Node Ltd.)
We started our relationship with Habari Node a few years ago and this meeting was a development of that relationship.

Baray Secondary School

On January 23, 2014, Powering Potential visited Baray Secondary School in Karatu, which is our most remote location. It is also the former school of Powering Potential staff member Eliabarki Magnus. We thank the staff and students for their generous welcome! It was wonderful seeing the results of our efforts first hand.

The Baray Secondary School Emblem 
From L to R: 
Academic master John Burra, Powering Potential Staff Elibariki Magnus, 
Founding Director Janice Lathen, Second Master Godfrey, Board Member V. Ena Haines, 
Headmaster Cleti Madangi and two students


V. Ena Haines speaking with the students


Janice Lathen addresses the students


Janice Lathen and V. Ena Haines
departing from the school after the presentation

The Karatu District Meeting

Powering Potential’s Founding Executive Director Janice Lathen, Advisory Board Member V. Ena Haines and TZ-Country Director Albin Mathias attended a meeting with the Karatu District Executive Director, the District Education Officer and the Heads of Departments on January 20, 2014.

 Left to Right:
Albin Mathias; 
Advisory Board Member V. Ena Haines;
Moses Mabula, Karatu District Executive Director;
Founding Executive Director Janice Lathen.

The Council is committing 20 million Tanzanian Shillings to install 20 computers for our Educating-Through-Technology program in their district. At the current exchange rate that is $12,500. We thank them sincerely for their support of our efforts on behalf of the students in Tanzania!

The Karatu District Meeting

Onward and Upward

Powering Potential Board Member V. Ena Haines met recently with the Tanzanian staff at one of our schools. We are both pleased and excited to add her expertise to our team!

Left to Right:
Daudi Mwakatobe, the computer teacher
Elibariki Magnus, Powering Potential staff
V. Ena Haines, Powering Potential Board Member
Justine Joseph, Headmaster


A Job Well Done

Powering Potential Board Member Ena Haines, Karatu Representative Elibariki Magnus, Founding Executive Director Janice Lathen, and Country Director Albin Mathias, take a stroll after the Karatu District meeting in Tanzania on January 20th. 


Bon Voyage Brunch

Powering Potential organized a Bon Voyage Brunch at Sante Fe Restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on January 12, 2014. This is a longstanding tradition that a brunch is held for our Patrons prior to Founding Executive Director Janice Lathen embarking on a Tanzanian trip.

In 2006, the first Bon Voyage Brunch was hosted by Ahna and Peter Bogyo in their home before Janice’s very first trip to Tanzania. This year, patrons had an opportunity to meet Powering Potential Board Member V. Ena Haines, who will be traveling to Tanzania with Janice on January 15, 2014. The first-time attendance of four members from the NY-TZ Community added a special sentiment to our event. It was a lovely opportunity to relax on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Powering Potential Patrons