In 2019, I spent 3 months volunteering in Tanzania. During my time there, I learnt a lot about the culture, the people, and their needs. Although Tanzania is a beautiful country, painted with rich colours and embracive smiles, there was an underlying torrent of poverty that swept through the community. I was lucky enough to meet some wonderful students and learn about their passions, interests and dreams.
 
The school I worked with (now named StepByStep) had an aim to teach and support local underprivileged families. The students were provided with education, support, and meals – daily.
 
3 students (that I met) are in need of sponsors.
The role of a sponsor is to provide finances to support their education in a boarding school.
It costs $1565.0 /year to sponsor a single child. To support all three children will cost a total of $4695.0 /year ($3600 USD /year).
 
The money will finance: school fees, electricity, uniforms, shoes, medical needs, stationary, transport, clean water, washing, beds, mosquito nets, shower supplies (soap and Vaseline), library fees, and government testing fees.
 
These supplies are all tremendously important for the students’ academic rigour and schooling longevity.
 
 
Here are the 3 students:
 
                                                                           Ombeni
In 2013, Ombeni and some of his peers couldn’t lift their heads from their desks at 9:30am whilst at school. He couldn’t even get out to recess. They were hungry. They had not eaten since lunch the day before. It was difficult to concentrate, study, or learn when in a constant state of malnourishment.
From there, ‘The breakfast program’ was created!
 
There was a sudden, noticeable improvement with Ombeni and the other kids after the breakfast program was introduced to the school.
 
Later, ‘The Lunch Program’ was built. Then, it dawned on the school that the kids weren't eating on the weekends and so they also started ‘The Weekend Program’.
 
All this was conceptualised because of Ombeni.
 
Ombeni had a troubled home life. His mother would give him alcohol to drink at nightfall so that he would fall to a stupor before crying from hunger. Ombeni struggles with the disorganisation at home. There are lots of men, lots of drunkenness, and lots of precariousness. He was a truant student because of his family struggles.  
 
Boarding school might just be a game changer for him! Consistent food, clean spaces, structure, extra tutoring, consistency, compassion – everything a student deserves.

 
                                                                       Linah and Agness
Linah is a tremendously bright student. She is the top of her class and works incredibly hard to get there. She is a reserved, quiet, funny, and diligent young woman.
 
Agness is an exuberant, energetic, strong, and confident woman. She works hard and receives grades that reflect that. However, Agness has had a challenging family life which has rendered it difficult for her to achieve her academic and social potential.
 
Both Linah and Agness are going into first year elementary school.
 
In Tanzania, a law states that once a girl/woman is impregnated and bears a child, they cannot go back to school. Additionally, a leading factor for female school drop-out in Tanzania is from teen pregnancy and the lack of menstrual supplies. So, is 2019, both Agness and Linah attended a training provided by Nancy Bushek and Days-for-Girls. They learned about saying no, how pregnancy works, and general menstrual hygiene. Days-for-Girls provided them with reusuable menstrual kits and taught them how to use it.
 
Boarding school would be life changing for both Linah and Angess, and their pursuits of graduating high school.


Any donation would be incredibly appreciated and would contribute to helping provide a safe and reliable education for these three amazing individuals. 
Thank you for helping a cause that sits close to my heart.