Catherine Njau, who has initiated pathbreaking work connecting English-language teaching with creating a brighter future for young women, students, and teachers, in Tanzania, is seeking funds to support her participation in the TESOL 2024 conference in Tampa, Florida (March 21-23, 2024).

This is the largest international conference for educators, researchers, administrators, policy makers, publishers, language, and social activists involved in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

As the TESOL seeks to involve more African teachers in its projects, Catherine' participation will increase her potential to play a role that would go far beyond the assisting of the Kilimanjaro-Area village where she teaches.

Catherine is a strong force for change in her community. Beyond teaching English, she has formed clubs and an organization which teach boys, girls and their communities about women’s family health, gardening, as well as distributing reusable menstrual pads to thousands of girls who cannot afford them.

Catherine has tackled tough, often taboo issues within her community and is looking to spread her message to fellow educators. As a Fulbright Alumni in 2023, she managed to be bring knowledge of different concepts to students and teachers via the workshops she has organized.

At the TESOL 2024 conference, with Jane Petring (who was an English Fellow in Tanzania since 2018), Catherine will present the concept of inquiry based learning, in which students learn English and Sience outside of the classroom as they tend gardens (and thus grow products which improve health). Her participation will help her learn from other participants, and share this knowledge across Africa and around the world.

CATHERINE’S WORK

Catherine teaches English at Mboni Secondary School, a government-run school on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. She has been an inspirational force for her students and their families. Using dynamic teaching methods that require students to be actively engaged, she has created programs that confront critical social issues such as menstrual hygiene, STD’s and early marriage and pregnancy—topics which had traditionally been considered taboo. She established gardens in ten government schools. She renovated three secondary schools’ washroom and helped girls to have special restroom during their period.

In 2011 Catherine created the Kuleana, an organization that educates girls and boys about life skills and provides girls with reusable menstrual pads. So far, over 10000 students have benefited from this program. Catherine’s group uses drama and songs to address gender and family issues, by giving students a chance to share what they know with their community. Currently, girls in Tanzania who become pregnant are forced to leave school and can even be arrested, causing them to abandon their future dreams. Catherine’s program is making a big difference in many young people’s lives and this opportunity will allow Catherine to increase her capacity to serve her community, even with her limited resources.

For more information about Catherine’s work see: My Classroom: Tanzania (Article by Riah Werner)

https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/english-teaching-forum-56-number-4

FUNDING HER TRIP

Catherine’s monthly teaching salary is approximately $200 per month. She uses this income to support her family of five, and meet extended family obligations. Colleagues have offered to share their lodging with her free of charge. Her local friends and family have chipped in funds to cover her domestic transportation fees, the TESOL payment fees, ground transportation to and from airports and meals during the conference. The only missing expense is the airfare which will be approximately $3500.

Catherine’s attendance at the 2024 convention will have a great impact on her ability to teach, and on the teachers who attend her presentation as well as her community, but without your help, she will not be able to attend the conference. Any amount that you can contribute will be most appreciated!