Students recently entertained two special visitors from Africa in Bishop Barrington’s Fairtrade bistro.

Profits from the bistro, run by students, are helping to build a dining hall for Makaa Primary School, in Tanzania, where pupils get soaked eating their lunch outdoors during the rainy season.

On Wednesday (September 24) the headteacher, Augustine Mtui, and teacher, Veronica Mkonyi, visited Bishop Barrington whilst guests of their partner school in Crook, St Cuthbert’s RC Primary School.

They were delighted to meet students and staff, including Sarah Armstrong, head of design and technology, who supervises and help students set up the bistro. Mr Mtui thanked them for all their fund raising efforts.

Mrs Armstrong said: “It was really nice to meet them. They were so grateful. It was lovely for the students to also get the chance to meet them, especially those who have been involved from the very beginning.”

The Tanzanian teachers were accompanied on their visit to Bishop Barrington by Dawn Joyce, a parent governor at St Cuthbert’s, and Jana Blahova, (correct) a teacher from Slovakia, who is working at St Cuthbert’s.

They dined in the bistro, which serves healthy hot and cold dishes, and, where possible, uses Fairtrade produce such as bananas. The bistro, which shared the honours, with Wolsingham School, in the Wolves Lair competition to find the district’s young entrepreneurs, opened specially on Wednesday to enable the visitors to savour the venture for themselves.

The bistro will resume on two lunchtimes a week after October half term when Mrs Armstrong returns from maternity leave. To date, the bistro has raised almost £1,000 for the dining hall. Earlier in the year Bishop Barrington donated £775 and on Wednesday handed over a further £200. The school previously raised £545, with a non uniform day, to buy much needed textbooks and PE equipment for Makaa school.

The walls of the dining hall are now in place and the roof is the next phase. The school, which has stunning views of Mount Kilimanjaro, is without water and electricity.

The Tanzanian teachers, who returned home on Friday, September 26, brought with them jewellery, baskets, and other craft items, made by children and parents of Makaa School, to be sold in school. Items will be on sale at Bishop Barrington School Open Night on Tuesday, October 7, from 6-9pm.

During their six day stay, they also visited Houghall agricultural college, which along with St Cuthbert’s school, has also raised funds for the dining hall. They also visited places of interest including Durham City, Durham County Cricket Club and High Force.

Barbara Simpson, head of St Cuthbert’s, said: “They found it all rather overwhelming. Mr Mtui had never been over here before. He found the visit to Bishop Barrington School very interesting. They really enjoyed their stay here.”

The visit was funded by the British Council, as a curriculum grant project which runs until 2010.

Pictured, front from left to right: Dawn Joyce, St Cuthbert’s RC Primary School parent governor, Augustine Mtui, headmaster of Makaa Primary School, Veronica Mkonyi of Makaa Primary School, and Jana Blahova, a Slovakian teacher, who is spening a half term working at St Cuthbert’s. They are pictured with Bishop Barrington Year 8 and Year 9 students.