I am now 17 years old. I have lived in the boma with my father and my mother and my brothers and sisters.  I wanted so much to be able to go to school.  I know that my mother wanted that for me and my younger sister too. My father does not want me to have an education. He just wants me to be married so he can have more cows. My mother brought me and my sister to live with the teacher from the primary school and his family. When it was my first day of school, my mother brings everything for me.  She does not want me to come home.

 

 

 

My mother learned about TEMBO and how they help girls in my village to get an education. My mother knows that they have programs and a girls’ hostel in Longido where I can live. She brought me to TEMBO to be safe, to be able to attend school. My mother visits me there since I cannot come home for school breaks. She fears that my father may have arranged for my marriage while I am away. My mother knows that I will be safe here at TEMBO until I complete my studies.  I feel that is so true. I am not afraid.

 

 

My mother tries so hard to protect me.  When my father wants to see me, she brings me to our boma. I sleep with her in the same bed. I stay close to her. She makes sure that I will not be harmed. She will not let my older brothers send me to the forest to get firewood, since there are warriors out there. They want to marry young girls like me and have their children.  I do not want to be married. I want to go to school.

 

I am now in Form 5 (Advanced Studies) at school in Arusha. I love school and I want to do well.  I want to continue to go to college and then get a job and help in my village.  With TEMBO’s help, I know that my life has forever been changed.