The sight of more than 900 primary school children arrayed beneath the lilac laburnum trees is both impressive and unsettling. Their uniforms are mismatched. Many of their royal blue skirts or shorts extend to their ankles, held up with white string or oversized belts. They are long because they have to last for all their time at school.

Camfed, the British charity that supports girls’ education in rural Africa, has helped more than 12,000 pupils in Tanzania stay at primary school through its safety net fund. It does so by offering the most basic aid, helping children – especially those who have lost both parents – by giving them pens, exercise books or uniforms. Even these can be unaffordable to many families.