The Diocese of Kondoa in Tanzania, is one of three overseas Anglican dioceses with which the Diocese of Rochester enjoys a flourishing companionship link. Alongside these, we share an ecumenical friendship the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia.
Sue Chalkley, Chair of the Kondoa Companionship Group, writes below about the recent visit in January, of Conjesta Chibiriti, Head Teacher of the Kondoa Diocese Pre and Primary School, and the richness such connections bring.
Find more about how to get involved with our Overseas Companion links
Once in a while, we meet someone who is truly remarkable, we wonder at their talent and how they achieve all they do.
Conjesta is one of these very special people.
One of our Diocese’s four companionship links is with Kondoa Diocese in Tanzania. In January we were privileged to be able to welcome Conjesta, the Head Teacher of the Kondoa Diocese Pre and Primary School, for two weeks in our Diocese.
This visit was long in the planning with two rejected visa applications and consequent flight changes. But she made it! Conjesta had never flown before, so to embark on a long haul flight, on her own, was a huge undertaking.
Our companionship links are about building long term friendships, visiting each other and sharing news and prayer requests. Just like with any friendship, we keep in touch. Usually, it is us who visit Kondoa, so it was especially good to be able to welcome Conjesta here this time.
Conjesta set up St Peter and St Paul’s Pre and Primary School (ages 4 to 14 years) in 2019. The school is named after St Peter and St Paul, Tonbridge Parish Church, which largely funded the school’s construction.
Last year the school achieved 4th place in the National Examinations.
Conjesta has a deep personal faith and this shows through in the loving and respectful culture at her school – between teachers and students alike.
Approximately 55 per cent of the children at her school are Muslim and she works to encourage the children to build long term relationships across faiths – for example, older Christian students are each allocated a young Muslim child to care for, and vice versa.
Apart from being an inspirational Head Teacher, Conjesta has a wonderful singing voice and leads the Cathedral choir and she designs and makes clothes for herself and for the school children.
She is also an ardent football fan, having played when she was younger. Her itinerary was full but, on her one day off, she chose a tour of Wembley Stadium as her treat.
Conjesta is married to Yusufu with two children, Meleth who is 4 years old and Jonathan who is 18 months old.
While here, Conjesta visited six churches and ten schools, a mixture of Diocesan, government and private – primary, prep and secondary.
She has returned home brimming with ideas, and she has similarly left many of the teachers that she met here with new insights and thoughts about new initiatives.
Her visits often included Q&A sessions with the students.
The enthusiasm to know more about her the culture in Tanzania was wonderful to observe, and many of the questions were really thoughtful, although it was hard not to giggle when she was asked if dinosaurs lived in Africa.
Find more about how to get involved with our Overseas Companion links