Nationally, the results of the CSEE exam (O-level, GCSE level equivalent) were the worst ever in the history of Tanzania, coming after a steady fall since 2007. So what of the girls staying at the Ilongero Sec School hostel? Well check it here. It gives us comfort that providing a conducive environment is one of the major steps to improving results. The rest is up to the Government and there is much soul searching with the President apologizing on the radio for the "beggar's belief" drop. While many of the reasons are obvious, such as poor quality of teaching, lack of teachers … read more »
1st fundraiser in Tanzania – fantastic
October 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Abaya Luncheon Fashion Event taking place on 12th October in Dar es Salaam is the first fundraiser of Fatema Pardhan, a Tanzanian girl currently studying in Toronto. This "fashion for education" event will showcase unique Abaya collections by three very talented and humanitarian designers, An Nisa, Asia Idarous and Mustafa Hassanali. 50% of the profit will be passed onto us to help with our education projects. Thank you Fatema and all involved. Check out the facebook event page and if you are lucky enough to be in Dar, why not book a place (women only). … read more »
wish them good luck
September 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
12 of the girls staying at the hostel will start taking their final exams (GCSE's) between 8th and 19th October. We are all anxious to see if spending their last year of studies at the hostel and getting a few extra lessons these last few months has helped them. Wish them good luck. … read more »
Girls were asked to ‘piga kelele’ or to make a noise
July 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
At the end of June, Form 4 girls were offered a 3 day workshop in lifeskills. Our current volunteers, Nicole and Sarah did a great job in organising it and they have just sent the following detailed and entertaining report. The objective of the workshop was to give girls, only a few months away from leaving school, some skills and knowledge that would help them cope better with the demands and expectations they would now be faced with. Many of them will leave home and their familiar environment to look for work. Without confidence and the skills to stand up for themselves they would … read more »
Paul Bradford’s challenge
April 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment
On 15th April, Paul will be running the Bungay Blackdog Marathon and needs your support. He has today created a Just Giving page to help with his fundraising, so please help him along. Paul is a teacher at a primary school that is in the early stages of linking with a primary school in Ilongero. The kids could do with a few educational resources and may be playful ones too and all the funds Paul raises will go to the primary school. Here is what Felicity, our Trustee, teacher at the UK school and project co-ordinator said about this new project. "I am wanting to introduce the kanga project … read more »
Girls’ hostel opens, 1st February 2012
February 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
"For me and Gloria, the head of Rural Women Development Association, there could not have been a more wonderful end to Wednesday 1st February, while we were actually conversing on Skype. A rather long email from one of our volunteers Nicole arrived packed with news and ideas. Near the end of it, Nicole announced, rather casually, that “the girls have moved into the hostel this evening”. This seemingly ordinary event for Nicole was to Gloria and me the final chapter of a nearly 3 year long drawn out battle with the authorities. Of course, we knew we had won the battle when last November we … read more »
Yoga mat bags
January 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Early in June 2011, a few women asked if we could help them learn to sew using pedal powered machines and may be start businesses. We asked around to see who else would be interested and soon had 15 women, mostly young ones keen to give it a go. We asked Sister Michaela and her staff Lidia and Anna from the local Catholic Mission if they would provide for an intensive 3 months course for them as they had sewing machines lying idle most of the time. In return the Mission would benefit from an additional income to help them with running their school for disabled girls. Classes were attended 4 … read more »
Monday’s wonderful news
December 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Tetra Laval International SA have chosen the kanga project to be their beneficiary charity this Christmas. Expensive Christmas cards have been replaced by a donation to us and an electronic card bearing a message of support for our sponsorship programme. We can't thank them enough. So thank you, thank you, thank you. We are really chuffed to get this support (can you tell?) and are keeping our fingers crossed that some of the many people who will get to know about us will perhaps become interested in helping a girl get the education she needs to get herself and her community out of … read more »
Sponsoring in time for the new academic year
December 13, 2011 By 1 Comment
January is the start of a new year for students of classes I to IV at Secondary Schools in Tanzania. This new year we want to help more girls start and complete a secondary education and so we are adopting a new sponsorship system. Sponsorship monies will now be pooled rather than individually granted, giving us more flexibility in matching a gift to a need. You see, we have found that sometimes all a girl needs to carry on with her education is for her fees to be paid, while for another it is a uniform, or simply the comfort and energy of a meal during the day. Others, on the other hand may … read more »
Volunteers’ blog make up and updates
November 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Our volunteers have started updating the blog with their impressions and news of projects. We have plenty of both in the making so stay tuned in. But could not resist showing this picture today (not that one, although it's great, click on read more. Narrative to follow in a few days. … read more »
Our volunteers are settling in nicely
October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
It would seem that the guys in Tanzania have not been following our orders of not feeding the volunteers (see previous post). Here are their first impressions sent by email. Nicole:"I will start with the house in Ilongero – it is lovely! We were all pleasantly surprised I think. We have been enjoying sitting out the back in the afternoons and taking in our view. Not to mention our lovely neighbours. We had dinner in Dar es Salaam with Gloria and Bonne before heading off to Dodoma. Gloria was wonderful and very helpful in getting us on the right bus – the bus stations can be a bit … read more »
Don’t let our volunteers suffer
October 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Jess and Ben's 13 mile run around Oxford recently has raised just over £2000 for our projects (cheeeeers!). Projects that they are going to be helping with, when they arrive in Ilongero on 10th October along with Nicole, an intrepid traveller from Australia. We have set them goals that will stretch their skills, patience, stamina and health to the limit (not least due to the language barrier). So if they thought running 13 miles was hard........ they'll soon found out what they are really made of. Raising the money target to £3000 might make it a bit more comfortable for them; we'll feed … read more »
