BUY A BRICK AND LEAVE YOUR LEGACY IN TANZANIA Help Bridge The Gap Tanzania build latrines at Qangded Primary School and Kalago Primary School. Combine the power of education, helping less fortunate children, supporting the economy of a developing country and the opportunity to leave your philanthropic mark on this world and you get "Buy a brick - Leave your legacy in Tanzania!" For $100 Cdn. you can sponsor a brick used in the building of a classroom or latrine. Your donation includes having a name engraved on a plaque that will be affixed to the wall, creating your lasting legacy. 2019 - 5 latrines built 2022 - 2 latrines built 2023 - 4 latrines built 2023 Update May 2023 saw Carlos with four friends, Marlene, Kathleen, Brenda and John, spend a full day at each of Qangded Primary and Kalago Primary schools. COVID prevented the every two years visit so all the kids that were in grades 4,5,6 and 7 were now gone. It did not matter as the reception given at each of the 2 schools, with over 1,000 pupils at each, were so emotional and inspiring that many tears were shed. The 4 new latrines at Kalago plus the final required latrine at Qangded were inspected with the usual ribbon cutting ceremonies. The joy on the teachers faces was evident when the refurbished laptops (5 in all), donated by Fortis Alberta, were presented. That display of happiness was then surpassed, this time by the students, when the hockey bags full of soccer jerseys, soccer balls, pumps and nets were opened for all to see. A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored "bricks" for the construction of the latrines and a huge thank you to Ted & Doug Williams for the soccer stuff and, also to Fortis Alberta for the laptops. Thanks to Ted & Doug Williams for the soccer gear! Latrine built in 2023 at Qangded Primary 2022 Update Wonderful news! A new girls latrine is nearing construction completion at Kalago Primary school thanks to generous support to Bridge The Gap Tanzania. See photos below. Kalago Primary is desperately short of latrines for girls so every additional latrine improves the lives of the female students at this overcrowded school. The next big campaign and trip to the schools will be May of 2023. More details coming soon. 2019 Campaign Recap The 2019 campaign saw Bridge The Gap Tanzania switch focus from having desks built to having latrines built. With generous support from friends and family, 5 latrines were constructed, 2 at Qangded Primary and 3 at Kalago Primary. Both schools were so very happy to receive them. However,  there is a long way to go to meet their needs as they both have roughly 1000 students each and nowhere near the number of latrines to service them. In May, Carlos, with friends Lil, Linda, Chris, Beth & Brent, and Carlos's family from Mexico, cousin Susana and Armando, visited the schools. Qangded & Kalago schools welcomed them with celebrations, ribbon cutting, song and dance. Everyone was  deeply moved. Thanks to Ted Williams and his brother Doug, Val Anderson and Iam Rudkin, and Susana and Armando, lots of soccer uniforms and balls were distributed to the children. A big surprise awaited the teachers as Carlos presented them with laptops, 3 per school, with power converters and chargers. The laptops were donated by Fortis Alberta. Check out the recognition page to see photos of the plaques for latrine brick sponsors. It truly was an amazing trip! The 2021 campaign is next! March 2019 Update The latrine project is underway! 2019 Campaign Kickoff A very successful event was staged at the Safari Grill (East African restaurant) in Calgary, Canada. Family and friends came to enjoy a virtual safari along with a 4 course Tanzanian dinner. Carlos and his good friend, Peter-Mark, presented a slide show and videos from the 2017 schools trip. The event generated many brick sponsors, including from far away (Kansas City & Vancouver to name a few) even if those sponsors could not attend in person. Both Qangded Primary school and Kalago Primary school have reached out to Carlos expressing their most immediate need is for latrines. Let's see what we can do together to help them! 2017 update Apologies for the very tardy update to the website. This was the most successful campaign to date. So much so, both Qangded and Kalago have enough desks for their classrooms! The big problem is that they do not have enough classrooms. More about that in future updates. Thank you so much to all who sponsored 93 desks! The desk campaign goes on hold until new classrooms are ready for new desks. The desk campaign closes for now having built 348 desks for the 2 schools. Carlos with friends Peter-Mark, Ronni, Diane, Kim and Jason, were treated like royalty when they visited the schools in May, 2017. However, the highlight for all was the reaction of the children when sets of soccer uniforms were presented. It was a special moment at each school. 2015 campaign A major life change took place for the Pardo's just before the planned trip to the schools. The result is that Bridge The Gap Tanzania will now be championed by Carlos with lots of help from friends and family. The positive news is that 78 desks were built and delivered but the trip had to be cancelled. All the soccer gear donated for the 2015 trip will now be taken in 2017. Name plates for those who had requested them in 2015 will also be brought when Carlos and friends go in May. 2013 Tanzania trip The 2013 "Buy a desk and leave your legacy in Tanzania" campaign was a big success. For students in First World nations like Canada, USA or Great Britain, there is little excitement in seeing new school desks but for the children of Kalago Primary and Qangded Primary schools in Tanzania, new desks meant no longer sitting on dirt floors or overcrowding dilapidated desks. Bridge The Gap Tanzania, through the generous sponsorships from friends, family and philanthropic minded strangers, was able to deliver 47 desks to Kalago and 29 desks to Qangded. These desks were built in Arusha, Tanzania so not only did the schools benefit but Tanzanians employed at the wood working factory benefited, which in turn spread money into the local economy. In addition to the desks, the Pardos brought more of the standard school supplies they have been bringing to these two schools over the past 9 years. More soccer balls, air pumps, microscope sets, teaching aids and more. Upon arriving in Arusha, one day before the first of the school visits, there was still time for one last shopping adventure where they bought sets of the latest primary school level text books. Check out the recognition page that shows the names of desk sponsors from 2011,2013, 2015 & 2017 with links to photos of their desks (if they chose a name plate).

With your help, this is what we have been able to accomplish Letter from Kalago Letter from Qangded How we started helping In 2005, Carlos and Cindy Pardo went on a safari trip to Tanzania. It was to be their trip of a lifetime. They designed their safari itinerary to include visits to two rural primary schools. One was Kalago Primary School near Lake Victoria and the second, Qangded Primary School near Lake Eyasi. Both schools are badly under-funded yet serve over 700 pupils each. On that first trip, they brought a limited amount of school supplies. The Pardos were so touched by the hospitality and the gratitude shown them for what Cindy and Carlos felt were modest gifts, that when they were on the flight home to Canada, they vowed to do more for these two schools. The Pardos did return, in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013, bringing with them an ever increasing volume of school supplies. Read more in the About Us page. Now the goal for Bridge The Gap Tanzania is to meet the needs for new classrooms for Kalago and Qangdad schools. The classrooms are being built by a local construction company, providing jobs and stimulating the local economy. Hopefully you are visiting this website because you have an interest in helping to improve the lives of impoverished Tanzanian children. Improving their education is the foundation they require to give them a brighter future.