Amani's Children's Center
Donation protected
My name is MaryBeth Thomas 2016-2017 recipient of the UNC Global Gap Year Fellowship and recent graduate from Mitchell High School North Carolina. I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel and work around the world performing service and was led to Arusha, Tanzania. In my time here, I have worked with several different volunteer organizations and schools. Recently, I found one cause that continues to work on my heart: Amani's Children's Center. Amani and I met some several months ago and he has been a great friend to me. Amani works for several volunteer groups and recently introduced me to one of his very own projects.
Amani was born in the Olokii village of Arusha, of the Maasai who are known as "fierce warriors". Why? Because of the hardships of their livelihood and their strength and endurance through all trials. These individuals are nomads and rely on products from farming of crops and animals.
Unfortunately, in recent years, the rains have not returned to this portion of East Africa and crops have low yield. With the market for animals and crops on the low end, no money can be found and living is almost impossible.
Within Tanzania, there is little to no government funding for education, and the only school near Amani's village lies almost entirely out of reach. Not to mention, most students cannot afford their materials, or uniforms. Additionally, the education doesnt even provide english instruction to students, making the reality of ever attending high school or university impossible.
For women, in families that cannot afford to send mulitple children to school, they are asked to stay home and fetch water from the well or gather fire wood, and those women will never know the inside of a classroom... Yet, studies have shown that children of mother's that have spent five years in primary education are 40% more likely to live beyond the age of five. Even so, awareness of the issue cannot bring about a solution on its own. Because regardless, without money, without volunteers, there cannot be progress.
Fortunately, Amani, who rose up from these conditions, has a mission to provide for his community at all cost. For almost two and a half years, Amani has worked to build a school for children in his village and after two years of construction, the childdren are now three months into their first year of education!
Currently, Kipok (the organization undeer which the school is founded), is working to sponsor a nursery and continue sponsoring primary education for the children within the villlage. Now, reader, we are asking you, yes you, for your help.
Our mission is to see the center grow and expand, to have more classrooms and see imporvement within the center over time. We need volunteers to stay and work with the studies going on here and play and help our children as they grow and develop. But, more importantly, we need funding.
Currently, we have no sponsors and are asking for donations to allow us to hire more teachers. One teacher earns approximately 100.00 USD a month and currently, without any outside funding, hiring another teacher is not possible. A year of school costs about $437.00 for students. A uniform is $19.00 and a sports tracksuite costs $19.00 as well.
We are also asking for funds to allow us to construct a bathroom for the children, fund the addition of a new classroom to facilitate the development of a nursery, and most importantly, we are asking for sponsorships to allow us to continue running and provide porridge for the children so they may learn longer each day.
We need to continue to grow and expand. Amani states, "It isn't about me, it's about the impact for the children and the community as a whole. It's about the bigger picture. "
I have worked with the school and will tell you that each of these children deserves the world, and each possesses a great desire to learn. Therefore, I am reaching out to you for your help!
Amani was born in the Olokii village of Arusha, of the Maasai who are known as "fierce warriors". Why? Because of the hardships of their livelihood and their strength and endurance through all trials. These individuals are nomads and rely on products from farming of crops and animals.
Unfortunately, in recent years, the rains have not returned to this portion of East Africa and crops have low yield. With the market for animals and crops on the low end, no money can be found and living is almost impossible.
Within Tanzania, there is little to no government funding for education, and the only school near Amani's village lies almost entirely out of reach. Not to mention, most students cannot afford their materials, or uniforms. Additionally, the education doesnt even provide english instruction to students, making the reality of ever attending high school or university impossible.
For women, in families that cannot afford to send mulitple children to school, they are asked to stay home and fetch water from the well or gather fire wood, and those women will never know the inside of a classroom... Yet, studies have shown that children of mother's that have spent five years in primary education are 40% more likely to live beyond the age of five. Even so, awareness of the issue cannot bring about a solution on its own. Because regardless, without money, without volunteers, there cannot be progress.
Fortunately, Amani, who rose up from these conditions, has a mission to provide for his community at all cost. For almost two and a half years, Amani has worked to build a school for children in his village and after two years of construction, the childdren are now three months into their first year of education!
Currently, Kipok (the organization undeer which the school is founded), is working to sponsor a nursery and continue sponsoring primary education for the children within the villlage. Now, reader, we are asking you, yes you, for your help.
Our mission is to see the center grow and expand, to have more classrooms and see imporvement within the center over time. We need volunteers to stay and work with the studies going on here and play and help our children as they grow and develop. But, more importantly, we need funding.
Currently, we have no sponsors and are asking for donations to allow us to hire more teachers. One teacher earns approximately 100.00 USD a month and currently, without any outside funding, hiring another teacher is not possible. A year of school costs about $437.00 for students. A uniform is $19.00 and a sports tracksuite costs $19.00 as well.
We are also asking for funds to allow us to construct a bathroom for the children, fund the addition of a new classroom to facilitate the development of a nursery, and most importantly, we are asking for sponsorships to allow us to continue running and provide porridge for the children so they may learn longer each day.
We need to continue to grow and expand. Amani states, "It isn't about me, it's about the impact for the children and the community as a whole. It's about the bigger picture. "
I have worked with the school and will tell you that each of these children deserves the world, and each possesses a great desire to learn. Therefore, I am reaching out to you for your help!
Organizer and beneficiary
MaryBeth Thomas
Organizer
Bakersville, NC
Mary Thomas
Beneficiary
