In northern Tanzania, the new school year starts in January but adolescent girls in Longido District live in a precarious balance between marriage and education.
Many live in poverty and are at great risk of early pregnancy as soon as they finish primary school. Without education and employable skills these young women face a grueling future of hardship and poverty.
Imagine the difference you could make in a girl’s life by giving her the gift of education.
A $30 gift can provide HER with toiletries for a year including soap, pads, a toothbrush and toothpaste and a bucket for washing.
A $135 gift can provide HER with a new school uniform including two skirts, white shirts, sweaters, a tie and a pair of shoes and socks.
A $60 gift can provide HER with textbooks and school supplies for the year.
A $410 gift can provide HER with all that she needs to start secondary school including toiletries, books, a new school uniform, bedding and a new trunk.
Fourteen year old Siana from Kimoukowa dreams of becoming a teacher. “A teacher taught me how to read and now I can read books, I want to teach others how to read,” she says.
But Siana needs your help to realize her dream.
She lives in a remote village where her family struggles to find enough water and food to survive. No one in her family ever went to school but Siana’s mother, Nalari has always wanted something better for her daughter. She fought for her daughter’s right to be educated. “Before women were hiding their children but now I tell women to be strong and send their daughters to school,” she says.
At Kimokouwa Primary School, Siana was a serious, attentive student who loved learning, “I love to read and write”, she says enthusiastically. “I had to walk long distances to get to school and sometimes I couldn’t get there because I couldn’t cross the river but I was determined to get an education.”
This fall, Siana attended TEMBO’s PASS program which helps prepare at-risk girls for secondary school. “When I learned that I would go to PASS, I laughed and jumped with happiness.” And she loved the experience. “At PASS I learned English and how to be confident.”
She is eager to start secondary school in January but she needs funding to make that happen.
With your generous donation, you can give Siana a chance for a better life.
Both Nalari and Siana share the dream of a brighter future for Siana, one in which she returns to her community to help others become educated. Siana’s dream started with her mother’s love and support. And Siana’s dream can continue with your financial support.
Shortly after Siana was born, her mother, Nalari attended TEMBO’s first literacy class for women in Kimokouwa, a small remote Maasai village just outside of Longido.
Nalari and other women gathered weekly under an acacia tree, many with their babies snuggled under their kangas. Sitting on the ground, sharing stories and laughter, the women met with TEMBO educators to learn Swahili and to hear about the importance of education and their rights.
None of the women had ever attended school but they were learning about the rights of their daughters to be educated.
When Siana was school age, Nalari was ready to send her to school. “If I am not strong, Siana would not go to school. My husband knows I am strong and does not challenge this.”
“Now I teach other women to be strong,” Nalari says.
Are you looking for a special gift for someone you care about this holiday season? Making a donation on behalf of your friend, family member or colleague supports a girl’s dream to go to school. The recipient will receive an e-card that lets them know that this gift is making a difference in a girl’s life.
Select “I would like to dedicate this gift” at checkout.
