Haven of Peace Academy originated in prayer. In 1992, five missionary families from Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, who were members of five missionary societies serving in Dar es Salaam, came together to pray. One critical need that emerged week after week was related to the educational needs of their children.
There were few options available at the time. As they continued to pray for this important need, the Lord gave them a common vision:
“…to see a Christian school set up in Dar. The school, covering kindergarten through sixth grade, will use English, serve primarily and not exclusively the children of missionaries, maintain educational standards on par with our countries of origin and have an evangelical Christian institution. It will enable Syllabus Students from expatriate parents can successfully return and enter the school systems in their home countries. The school will rely on self-certified faculty who have sent themselves as missionaries, so fees may be much lower than the institutions many of us send our children to.”
In September 1994, after two years of prayer and hard work, the vision became a reality. On a rented plot of land in a renovated home in Oyster Bay, Haven of Peace Academy opened its doors and welcomed its first 47 students. Three missionary teachers from Canada, the United States, and Australia and a school principal from the United Kingdom taught kindergarten through sixth grade. To help start the school, a container full of resources was donated by Christians in Northern Ireland.
From the start, the Steering Committee wanted to share the blessing with Tanzanians and other expatriates who valued Christian education and the spirit of Haven of Peace Academy. The school grew quickly and steadily, from 47 students to 144 students in the first four years. This growth required the construction of two new semesters during the first three years. Seventh grade was added in 1997, eighth grade in 1999, ninth grade in 2000 and tenth grade in 2001.
The original campus was expanded to the fullest extent; A larger sanctuary was needed. With money saved from close supervision, the current property of over 10 acres was purchased and construction began in late 2000. In August 2001, the Vice President of Tanzania, Dr. Ali Muhammad Shin, opened the new campus. In September 2001, Haven of Peace Academy welcomed over 200 students to its new campus in Kunduchi.
What would a school be without its teachers? As the number of students increased, God was devoted to providing Hibak with competent, faithful, and devoted teachers, year after year in response to prayer. Some teachers have come for a year or two, others for several years, but all have sought to love, serve, and educate their students as a service to the Lord Jesus Christ. Almost all of these teachers came as missionaries, sent and supported financially by generous giving to churches and individuals in their home countries.
HOPAC’s first official was Chief Instructor, David Champion, who served for 7 years. When HOPAC moved to the new campus, and the elementary and secondary divisions officially became separate schools, Haven of Peace Academy and Haven of Peace Seminary were appointed, HOPAC’s first principal, Ron McGraw, to oversee the principals of each school.
The high school was registered as a Cambridge International Examination Center in 2004. In May 2005, 10th graders sat their first Hopak IGCSE exams with very strong overall results. (Four students were in their first class of Kindergarten in 1994.) Grade 11 was added in 2006, after the Cambridge A-level programme, and HOPAC proudly graduated its first 7 students in June of 2008.
Under the leadership of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, chaired by Director Steve O’Neill, and consisting of Board members, staff, and parent representatives, a vision statement was drafted in 2005, and from that, the HOPAC “Vision 2010” strategic plan was developed and completed in 2006 with Five main focus areas: Campus Development, Governance, Curriculum and Programs, Student Development and Staff Recruitment and Retention.
Enjoyed significant room for growth, and as a result of Vision 2010, HOPAC developed a campus master plan in 2006. Construction of a 25-meter pool was completed in 2007, additional land was purchased in 2008, a new office building was completed in 2009, and The secondary building expansion was completed in 2012. Under the direction of Board of Directors and Director Len Mittelstaedt, a new strategic plan was developed in 2012 to enhance and direct the school’s program as defined in Vision 2010.
By 2014, it became clear that a new strategic plan would be necessary to move the school to its next big step. In consultation with the community, Board and Principal Ben Snyder developed a new school vision statement that will become the heart of “HOPAC 20,” a strategic plan targeting student growth, facility development, and program improvements by 2020. HOPAC is now in the midst of an exciting phase, completing the new Learning Resource Center, and building Performing arts, and classroom blocks to facilitate the growth of our high school further. We aim to have approximately 450 students by 2020, strengthening our ability to continue to support the work of missionaries by providing an excellent education for their children, while also expanding our role in the development of the nation of Tanzania by raising a generation of pious world leaders.
1. We follow Christ
We are an international Christian school staffed by Christians who have been called by God to serve in the school and who support our statement of faith.
2. We partner with missions to enable missions
We enable the work of evangelical Christian missionary organizations by partnering with them to provide affordable, high-quality international education, taught with a biblical worldview to the children of their members.
3. We offer high quality and value
This opportunity to receive a high-quality education extends to other children in Tanzania, for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
4. We look to the future
We prepare students to be leaders on biblical grounds and to play a major role in the development of Tanzania and other countries around the world.
5. We show leadership and supervision through service
We exercise responsible biblical leadership, service, and oversight over all that God has given us, and seek to inculcate appropriate respect for these practices in the hearts of our students.
6. We live outside our biblical state
We maintain an environment for students, teachers, staff, and parents that recognizes that God created and values all people, encourage them to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and challenge them to look beyond themselves to serve others.
Haven of Peace is located in the suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania just off the Bagamoyo Road in Kunduchi
We would love to hear from you! For general questions about HOPAC or enrollment, please contact us.
Telephone:+255 786 845 135