Ignite Salt Lake is part of a worldwide speaker series entitled Ignite. The slogan for Ignite is "Englighten us, but make it quick!" The idea is that regular folks from around the world have a chance to speak about something they are passionate about ... in five minutes!
After submitting a proposal and being accepted to present, each speaker prepares a powerpoint presentation on their topic with the following guidelines: You must have 20 slides which will turn automatically every 15 seconds for a total presentation time of 5 minutes exactly. The range of possible topics is unlimited, so the audience is sure to be engaged and entertained as the ideas fly at them all night. The speakers this year presented on topics ranging from communicating directly with astronauts in space to hunting underwater. You can see a list of the speakers and their topics here.
In 2011, Ignite hosted its seventh event in Salt Lake City, Utah. Other Ignite events took place around the world in cities such as Dublin, Mumbai, Bucharest, Amsterdam and up to 100 more! I found out about Ignite through another friend's Facebook wall. She was attending this Ignite event in Salt Lake City and I was intrigued. After finding out there was a call for proposals, I decided to give it a whirl and my topic would be "What happens when you say "Yes" to the request of a village Chief?" The presentation was fun to plan and exciting to deliver - and at the risk of sounding overly confident, I think I nailed it! I even recieved some donations in the days that followed from people who were there and were impressed by the work we're doing in Tanzania! Thank you very much to those fabulous supporters and all of you who have contributed along the way!
So, without further ado - here is my presentation, which tells the story of Project Wezesha.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Gifts of Education for the Holidays
This holiday season, you're likely being pulled in many directions for your holiday shopping. I get several emails a day about how I should shop this year - all worthy causes, such as Seva.org, Kiva.org, Heiffer.org, Amnesty International, and many others. So why would you even consider Project Wezesha as your option this year? Well ....
For better or worse, we're a very small organization with one important project on the table and over a dozen wonderful children in our scholarship program. Because we are so small, all of your donations go to one of three possible places - the building of Amahoro Secondary School, the school fees of our 12 rock star students and the salary of our co-founder, Lucas Lameck - which is small by our standards but life-changing for this amazing young man. Lucas is currently using half of his salary to attain his own high school diploma with the hopes of one day going to university, which will only enhance his capacity to work on improving access to education for children in this region.
Here's another amazing reason. Yesterday, while I was sitting in a NonProfit Academy workshop on High Impact Philanthropy, I received a text from Tanzania. It's the first text I've ever received from anyone there (Lucas and I usually email or skype). Here's what the email read (word for word/letter for letter):
My name is Dibeith. How are You and your fine that we have very happy because we can pass an exams. me and saidi. can help me to get the communicate you for now Thank You.
Backstory - That was Dibeit and Saidi (see pictures), writing from their village to tell me they passed their primary school exit exams! Primary school is taught in Swahili, with limited English instruction. Then, the medium of language for most classes in secondary school is English. You can imagine how challenging this makes learning in secondary school - and hopefully you can better appreciate the English in the above text. With the passing of these exams, Dibeit and Saidi will be joining our scholarship program, as I told them they could if they passed.
Dibeit and Saidi are two of the first children I came to know in 2008, along with Hindu and a handful of others in Kiganza village. Of course, when I got this text I cried in public and shared the news with the others in the workshop. I am so happy for these boys!! Click here to read a blog post with more about the Kiganza kids.
1) You can make a charitable contribution in the name of a friend or family member. You choose how much you donate (no less than $5 per person) and we will send you Gift of Education postcards with pictures and information about Project Wezesha and the impact of this gift. You can enlose these postcards in the holiday cards you send out - Hannukah, Kwanza, New Year's, Boxing Day or just because it's that time of year.
2) You can purchase a desk or wall calendar for 2011. The calendars have pictures of the students, the community and the building project. Desk calendars are $13 each ($10 goes to PW) and wall calendars are $20 each ($13 goes to PW).
Please consider helping us move towards our 2011 fundraising goal of $20,000 by August! With these funds, we will be able to complete over half of the 16 classrooms for the school, invite three more students to our program and ensure that exit exam fees for our first group of students are paid in November.
Please click here to donate. Then contact Rai Farrelly at railiz@yahoo.com with a mailing address for the Gift of Education postcards and/or calendars.
Asante Sana and Happy Holidays!
For better or worse, we're a very small organization with one important project on the table and over a dozen wonderful children in our scholarship program. Because we are so small, all of your donations go to one of three possible places - the building of Amahoro Secondary School, the school fees of our 12 rock star students and the salary of our co-founder, Lucas Lameck - which is small by our standards but life-changing for this amazing young man. Lucas is currently using half of his salary to attain his own high school diploma with the hopes of one day going to university, which will only enhance his capacity to work on improving access to education for children in this region.
Here's another amazing reason. Yesterday, while I was sitting in a NonProfit Academy workshop on High Impact Philanthropy, I received a text from Tanzania. It's the first text I've ever received from anyone there (Lucas and I usually email or skype). Here's what the email read (word for word/letter for letter):
My name is Dibeith. How are You and your fine that we have very happy because we can pass an exams. me and saidi. can help me to get the communicate you for now Thank You.
 |
| Dibeit and Saidi - Two of the brightest! |
Backstory - That was Dibeit and Saidi (see pictures), writing from their village to tell me they passed their primary school exit exams! Primary school is taught in Swahili, with limited English instruction. Then, the medium of language for most classes in secondary school is English. You can imagine how challenging this makes learning in secondary school - and hopefully you can better appreciate the English in the above text. With the passing of these exams, Dibeit and Saidi will be joining our scholarship program, as I told them they could if they passed.
Dibeit and Saidi are two of the first children I came to know in 2008, along with Hindu and a handful of others in Kiganza village. Of course, when I got this text I cried in public and shared the news with the others in the workshop. I am so happy for these boys!! Click here to read a blog post with more about the Kiganza kids.
 |
| Dibeit and Saidi - Posing Pensive |
2) You can purchase a desk or wall calendar for 2011. The calendars have pictures of the students, the community and the building project. Desk calendars are $13 each ($10 goes to PW) and wall calendars are $20 each ($13 goes to PW).
Please consider helping us move towards our 2011 fundraising goal of $20,000 by August! With these funds, we will be able to complete over half of the 16 classrooms for the school, invite three more students to our program and ensure that exit exam fees for our first group of students are paid in November.
Please click here to donate. Then contact Rai Farrelly at railiz@yahoo.com with a mailing address for the Gift of Education postcards and/or calendars.
Asante Sana and Happy Holidays!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
PW Students Visit Amahoro Secondary School
Last week, Lucas passed through Kiganza village en route to Mgaraganza village to collect more pictures of the school. On his way, he picked up some of the Project Wezesha students who were making the long journey home from school in Mwandiga. For those that live in Kiganza village, such as Hindu, Edina, Ismael and Diana, that trek is about an hour long on foot. For those that live in Mgaraganza, there is another 30 minutes through the forest to get home - that impacts Zainabu, Silvasia and Khadija.
On this sunny day, Lucas invited all of them to go the extra distance through Mgaraganza village to the school building site to see the progress. They wandered through the lush forest (rainy season just passed) and up to the school where they were so excited to see the progress. Along the way, they also picked up Matamshi and Judith, two of our students who go to secondary school in Kagongo village. In this picture, they are crossing the river that divides Kiganza village and Mgaraganza village.
Lucas told me on the phone this morning that they were all so happy about the school, even though most of them will be finishing secondary school in Mwandiga. It makes them happy to know this school will be here for new students. They laughed, joked, talked about studying and even chipped in by carrying some bricks for the new classrooms that they've begun building.
Lucas and I talked about how several of them will be graduating at the end of the upcoming year from secondary school. Their academic year starts in January, not September, so they'll start Form 4 at the start of 2011 and take exit exams in November of 2011. Lucas gave them a mini-lecture or 'pep' talk in the shade of the trees about the importance of this year. The students told Lucas that they needed some books if they were possibly going to pass those important exams. Since they have the next 1.5 months off between school years, they want to have books and begin studying now. So, Project Wezesha is buying them books to study the core subjects - Math, Swahili, English, Geography and Science. Lucas also told them to stay focused on doing well this year and not only passing their exit exams, but doing very well on the exit exams so they can go to High School.
Secondary school is really only the beginning. If students are fortunate enough to have support for secondary school, then they learn English - as the medium of all instruction is English at the secondary school level. Primary school goes from Standard 1 thorugh 7; secondary school goes from Form 1 to Form 4; high school is Form 5 and 6. After high school, they can apply for college or university. Interestingly, a student who completes secondary school can be hired to teach at a primary school. Someone interested in teaching at the secondary level must complete high school with a focus on a particular core teaching subject and pedagogy. Teaching at high school and many other careers require specialized university or college training. So - while secondary school education is a key stepping stone for a bright future, the road ahead will be paved with greater opportunities for each year of additional education.
Given that Project Wezesha is only three years old and our first group of students will graduate next year, we have yet to see what will happen next in terms of their desire and ability to go on to high school. Our hopes are high and the students are motivated toward this goal. If their teachers and families support them in this final, critical push, then we'll be celebrating high school graduations before we know it!
In the meantime, Lucas is their mentor and Project Wezesha is ensuring that they even have this opportunity in the first place. We'll keep the updates coming and let you know how they're doing along the Form 4 journey.
On this sunny day, Lucas invited all of them to go the extra distance through Mgaraganza village to the school building site to see the progress. They wandered through the lush forest (rainy season just passed) and up to the school where they were so excited to see the progress. Along the way, they also picked up Matamshi and Judith, two of our students who go to secondary school in Kagongo village. In this picture, they are crossing the river that divides Kiganza village and Mgaraganza village.
 |
| Crossing the River that borders Kiganza and Mgaraganza Villages |
 |
| The Kiganza crew heading up from the river |
Lucas told me on the phone this morning that they were all so happy about the school, even though most of them will be finishing secondary school in Mwandiga. It makes them happy to know this school will be here for new students. They laughed, joked, talked about studying and even chipped in by carrying some bricks for the new classrooms that they've begun building.
 |
| Happy to see the new school underway |
Lucas and I talked about how several of them will be graduating at the end of the upcoming year from secondary school. Their academic year starts in January, not September, so they'll start Form 4 at the start of 2011 and take exit exams in November of 2011. Lucas gave them a mini-lecture or 'pep' talk in the shade of the trees about the importance of this year. The students told Lucas that they needed some books if they were possibly going to pass those important exams. Since they have the next 1.5 months off between school years, they want to have books and begin studying now. So, Project Wezesha is buying them books to study the core subjects - Math, Swahili, English, Geography and Science. Lucas also told them to stay focused on doing well this year and not only passing their exit exams, but doing very well on the exit exams so they can go to High School.
 |
| The whole crew by the river in Mgaraganza - judging by the laughs, they were being shy and Lucas was insisting on a picture! Thanks, Lucas! |
Secondary school is really only the beginning. If students are fortunate enough to have support for secondary school, then they learn English - as the medium of all instruction is English at the secondary school level. Primary school goes from Standard 1 thorugh 7; secondary school goes from Form 1 to Form 4; high school is Form 5 and 6. After high school, they can apply for college or university. Interestingly, a student who completes secondary school can be hired to teach at a primary school. Someone interested in teaching at the secondary level must complete high school with a focus on a particular core teaching subject and pedagogy. Teaching at high school and many other careers require specialized university or college training. So - while secondary school education is a key stepping stone for a bright future, the road ahead will be paved with greater opportunities for each year of additional education.
Given that Project Wezesha is only three years old and our first group of students will graduate next year, we have yet to see what will happen next in terms of their desire and ability to go on to high school. Our hopes are high and the students are motivated toward this goal. If their teachers and families support them in this final, critical push, then we'll be celebrating high school graduations before we know it!
In the meantime, Lucas is their mentor and Project Wezesha is ensuring that they even have this opportunity in the first place. We'll keep the updates coming and let you know how they're doing along the Form 4 journey.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Giving Thanks-Asante-Urakoze!!
On this lovely Thanksgiving Day, I would like to give thanks to everyone who has made Project Wezesha a great success over the past year. Lucas and I had a simple plan when we sat at the Sun City Cafe in Kigoma in July 2009. We just wanted to give out scholarships to a handful of children who wanted to go to secondary school, but couldn't afford it.
Now, only a year later, we are happy to be supporting 12 children in secondary schools in Mwandiga, Bitale and Kiganza villages. We also have three young students awaiting test results who hope to join the program in January! In addition, we are so happy to be building Amahoro Secondary School with the village of Mgaraganza. So much went into making this all possible - and I give thanks for all of it!
I give thanks for Lucas, my partner and co-founder - a key player in making all of this possible. Lucas has worked so hard with the village government to make sure everything is accepted and approved by the village and feasible for Project Wezesha. He tirelessly interprets for me when I am in Tanzania, negotiating with the Ministry of Education, the Land Management office, our builders and the villagers. He is also actively involved in the lives of the students we support, ensuring that they have what they need from month to month - materials, uniforms, school fees and of course - good attendance.
I give thanks to all of my friends and family, friends of friends and everyone else who has supported Project Wezesha through charitable donations, volunteer hours, participation in our race event last year, spreading the word and providing encouragement along the way!
The whole experience has been amazing and I'm so excited to share, on this day for giving Thanks, the following series of pictures sent this week by Lucas. They have finished all but the roofs on the four classrooms and the headmaster's office. So fabulous!!
Lucas, Isaya (our builder) and I have recently decided to roll our current funds into the completion of two additional classrooms and the teachers' offices. When that is finished, we'll move on to the roofs. It's so exciting to see this project unfold faster than anticipated. We're well on our way to having the first ever secondary school for Mgaraganza, Kagongo, Kigalie, Mtanga and Bubango villages!
Now, only a year later, we are happy to be supporting 12 children in secondary schools in Mwandiga, Bitale and Kiganza villages. We also have three young students awaiting test results who hope to join the program in January! In addition, we are so happy to be building Amahoro Secondary School with the village of Mgaraganza. So much went into making this all possible - and I give thanks for all of it!
I give thanks for Lucas, my partner and co-founder - a key player in making all of this possible. Lucas has worked so hard with the village government to make sure everything is accepted and approved by the village and feasible for Project Wezesha. He tirelessly interprets for me when I am in Tanzania, negotiating with the Ministry of Education, the Land Management office, our builders and the villagers. He is also actively involved in the lives of the students we support, ensuring that they have what they need from month to month - materials, uniforms, school fees and of course - good attendance.
I give thanks to all of my friends and family, friends of friends and everyone else who has supported Project Wezesha through charitable donations, volunteer hours, participation in our race event last year, spreading the word and providing encouragement along the way!
The whole experience has been amazing and I'm so excited to share, on this day for giving Thanks, the following series of pictures sent this week by Lucas. They have finished all but the roofs on the four classrooms and the headmaster's office. So fabulous!!
Lucas, Isaya (our builder) and I have recently decided to roll our current funds into the completion of two additional classrooms and the teachers' offices. When that is finished, we'll move on to the roofs. It's so exciting to see this project unfold faster than anticipated. We're well on our way to having the first ever secondary school for Mgaraganza, Kagongo, Kigalie, Mtanga and Bubango villages!
Thank you very much! Urakoze cane! Asante sana!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
September Update on Amahoro Secondary School
Welcome back for another quick update! For those of you who are new to Project Wezesha, make sure to browse through the July blog entries as I spent three weeks in July 2010 working in Mgaraganza village and Kigoma town - making this happen - with my in-country director, Lucas Lameck.
I spoke with Lucas twice over the past couple of months. We have a plan to chat with each other every other Sunday. Thank goodness for Skype Mobile on my Droid! Now staying in touch is easy! (That sounded like a commercial, but I swear no one is paying me ... or this school would be finished by now.)
Recent news from Lucas includes the following:
We recently hired a 'ranger' or guard to watch over the equipment and materials throughout the weeks and nights when no one is on-site working. As the funds slow down, so does the progress. The goal right now is to use the last of existing funds and buy the bricks needed to finish what we've started before the rainy season sets in. Lucas also plans to see to it that the roof goes onto the classrooms before long.
We're also completing a small 'road' up to the building site to save money (and manpower) previously spent on the labor to carry heavy materials up a steep rocky path to the school site. The cost of the road completion is minimal compared to the final projected savings once they're able to drive right up to the school with bricks, bags of cement, etc.
In other news from Lucas's end, there was skepticism from someone in a neighboring village about my commitment to the project ... but not surprisingly, this doubt has all but melted away as Project Wezesha has almost completely finished 4 classrooms and an office for Amahoro Secondary School in a record 3 month period. Given the power and influence of this individual's voice, it's good that he can see I'm for real! There is no room to wonder if the 'mzungu' will come through! She did, with the help of many wonderful donors and supporters - and of course, a number one right hand man - LUCAS!
Lucas is doing great. When I call him, it's 9 hours later than my local time, so he's usually sitting in his home with his mom, dad and sibs. I can picture them all sitting around in the courtyard of their modest mud home - chatting in the dark, finishing up a simple dinner of beans and rice, under the stars with their ducks nestling close by. He's been investigating what he needs to do (exams, etc.) to finish his own high school education. Lucas finished secondary school, but has yet to finish the 2-3 years of high school that will open many doors for him in the future - including possibly affording him the opportunity to study in the US if he wishes.
Here are some pictures Lucas sent recently to show the progress on the school. This work was completed less than two months after I left - at which point, little had been built. So, Isaya and his crew have been working tirelessly!
Next step - more fundraising! I'm definitely planning to host the 2nd Annual Empower 5k Trail Run in the Spring. My friend Hadley also has a good friend who is also a world famous opera singer! We're hoping for a winter show with the talented Alfie Boe right here in Salt Lake City! Please contact me if you'd like to host your own fundraiser or help with those we plan for the upcoming year. www.railiz@yahoo.com
Sunday, August 29, 2010
August Update on Amahoro Secondary School
I left Tanzania exactly one month ago! In that time, so much has happened on the school front. When I returned to Salt Lake City, I sent Lucas another large sum of money from the Project Wezesha account. I couldn't leave the money in our shared Tanzanian account because I was pulling it out daily from the ATM - limits enforced. Now, I am happy to be able to wire large sums as they come into Project Wezesha, for the building progress to continue.
Lucas reported through email and with photographs on progress since I left. The foundation for the four classrooms and the headmaster's office is complete! Two truckloads containing 13,000 bricks have been delivered to the building site and the walls are going up as I type! I am so excited to see those images and hope that we will see a few completed rooms by the year's end. Here are some pictures of the work that took place after I left one month ago.
Here is an update from Lucas via email - in his own words. It is sweet and also a demonstration of the sometimes cryptic reporting of purchases - a reporting that I fully understand nonetheless! Sometimes it just requires a little background knowledge to navigate cross-cultural, cross-linguistic exchanges.
Hi Dada Rai, how are you? I hope you doing well with every things. Dada Rai this project it is for you and I and I'm here as a directer. So that, I say that No problem about you to sand more money for our Jobs I protect well and I am walking well I miss you so much Dada. say hello to your Dad and your mom
This is report per month:
Isaya bought 13,000 bricks each one it is 100 sh, bricks transport each one it is 80 sh, to put bricks in the car each one it is 20 sh, Isaya bought two tripe for small stone, each one tripe it is 50000 sh,transport for tripe one the car it was carry small stone and wood it was 75000sh, tripe two the car it was carry small stone and Iron it was 80000 sh, Isaya bought 50 wood each one is 3800 sh, he bought 40 Iron with 12mm each one is 12000 sh, he bought 10 iron with 6mm each one it is 4000 sh, he bought 5 kg of nails each one kg it is 3000 sh, he bought 10 iron were each one it is 2000 sh.
Also, here is an email I received today from a new young friend I met this summer. He is a teacher in a neighboring village and recently visited the site of Amahoro Secondary School. This is his letter - in his own words:
Hi , madam! How is the US? Are you fine? Yesterday I paid a visit to Mgaraganza village, I were amazed by information concerning Amahoro Sec School. Assurely, you did a wonderful work under your project-Asante sana and conglaturation! People are very happy of it. Madam,I've missed you! Let you've a nice Sunday.
Yours,
Beatus
The Project Wezesha funds are depleting rapidly. The local community is committed to doing all they can to contribute to the project, but the reality is that they do rely primarily on funding from Project Wezesha to see things forward. Please consider making a donation today so that I can continue to send funds to Mgaraganza and we can all see this school up and running sooner than later! You can also help by spreading the word - Share this blog with friends, pass on the website for Project Wezesha and make sure you and your friends join our facebook group.
Click here to donate on-line!
Asante Sana! Thank you very much!
Rai
Lucas reported through email and with photographs on progress since I left. The foundation for the four classrooms and the headmaster's office is complete! Two truckloads containing 13,000 bricks have been delivered to the building site and the walls are going up as I type! I am so excited to see those images and hope that we will see a few completed rooms by the year's end. Here are some pictures of the work that took place after I left one month ago.
Here is an update from Lucas via email - in his own words. It is sweet and also a demonstration of the sometimes cryptic reporting of purchases - a reporting that I fully understand nonetheless! Sometimes it just requires a little background knowledge to navigate cross-cultural, cross-linguistic exchanges.
Hi Dada Rai, how are you? I hope you doing well with every things. Dada Rai this project it is for you and I and I'm here as a directer. So that, I say that No problem about you to sand more money for our Jobs I protect well and I am walking well I miss you so much Dada. say hello to your Dad and your mom
This is report per month:
Isaya bought 13,000 bricks each one it is 100 sh, bricks transport each one it is 80 sh, to put bricks in the car each one it is 20 sh, Isaya bought two tripe for small stone, each one tripe it is 50000 sh,transport for tripe one the car it was carry small stone and wood it was 75000sh, tripe two the car it was carry small stone and Iron it was 80000 sh, Isaya bought 50 wood each one is 3800 sh, he bought 40 Iron with 12mm each one is 12000 sh, he bought 10 iron with 6mm each one it is 4000 sh, he bought 5 kg of nails each one kg it is 3000 sh, he bought 10 iron were each one it is 2000 sh.
Also, here is an email I received today from a new young friend I met this summer. He is a teacher in a neighboring village and recently visited the site of Amahoro Secondary School. This is his letter - in his own words:
Hi , madam! How is the US? Are you fine? Yesterday I paid a visit to Mgaraganza village, I were amazed by information concerning Amahoro Sec School. Assurely, you did a wonderful work under your project-Asante sana and conglaturation! People are very happy of it. Madam,I've missed you! Let you've a nice Sunday.
Yours,
Beatus
The Project Wezesha funds are depleting rapidly. The local community is committed to doing all they can to contribute to the project, but the reality is that they do rely primarily on funding from Project Wezesha to see things forward. Please consider making a donation today so that I can continue to send funds to Mgaraganza and we can all see this school up and running sooner than later! You can also help by spreading the word - Share this blog with friends, pass on the website for Project Wezesha and make sure you and your friends join our facebook group.
Click here to donate on-line!
Asante Sana! Thank you very much!
Rai
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
I Know This Much is True
These are my Summer 2010 final thoughts.
I know this much is true - (dedicated to Sara Bridge)
I’m writing on a netbook computer in Dar es Salaam and as I look around, I see only varying shades of brown skin and hear only the occasional word or phrase that I understand. I have a thin film of sweat all over my body and my shirt is damp under the arms and I stink. Coins are jingled deliberately in the hands of young boys walking the city, selling peanuts from baskets. Motorcycles and loud banging on metal are wracking my brain. Taxi drivers hover for the hopeful sighting of someone in need of a ride with big cash in his pocket. Some women walk by with kangas tied around their waists, but more are dressed for the city; most of the men are wearing the distinctive small Muslim hats and every handful of hours, the Mosque reminds all of us what some should be doing. The smiles - when they come to life – light up my day. I’ve never seen more perfect, straight, white teeth on more beautiful faces. Work is done inefficiently – with brooms made from small sticks, trash is thrown in the street so someone can pick it up every morning at 5am and coffee seems to take 30 minutes to brew. I am in the city and it’s loud and impersonal.
I long for the villages and smaller towns. I long to be recognized and called by name rather than dismissed as another tourist en route to Zanzibar. I crave wali na samaki at Sun City - my favorite café to sit and eat with Lucas, watching life happen slowly. I see in my mind the faces of those in need in Kigoma – those I saw daily, such as the tiny little woman whose body creates a right angle when she stands and who seems to consist of little more than a head when she sits under her scarf on the street in front of her small change dish day after day after day, year after year. I think back fondly on the arrival of all the unfortunate ones who seemed to come out of the woodworks when I would sit with my meal at Sun City – the 14 year old girl with no fingers, the man who walks on his hands while swinging his tiny bent legs forward, the young boy who spends his days leading his even younger blind sister (maybe age 6) from shop to shop to ask for money. Sometimes I would give change, sometimes only a smile and a gentle apology and in the case of Musa and his blind little sister, once I sat them down and bought them a fish dinner.
Life is hard in the towns and villages – such a contrast from the city where most have nice clothes, shoes, purses and even cars. The women and children living and begging in the streets here in Dar es Salaam have supposedly come primarily from the villages and Kigoma for a chance – an opportunity yet undiscovered. Life is hard and education is no guarantee of happiness and prosperity. I met so many young people who completed secondary school, only to wander the streets unemployed or create a living by making bricks or fishing, thinking back to the dreams they had of going to high school or college – dreams shattered when they passed their exams but couldn’t afford the next step. I know this because they tell me when I’m walking into town. I met so many young men who could speak at length in English about their situation – after which they would inevitably ask me for support.
But, there is hope. Information is power! I have met some important people with big ideas – locals with the aim of opening all girls schools in which bright young women will flourish, locals who conduct satellite courses with the universities in Dar es Salaam so students can get a Bachelors degree and not have to brave the big city or come up with big city funds, locals who have initiated nongovernmental organizations to advocate for those in need – women, elderly, vulnerable children, mentally impaired and marginalized – like the Albinos who for decades have been hunted and maimed by other locals who were told by witch doctors to return with fingers, toes, arms or legs of an albino so a potion can be created to cure their illness or take away a curse (true story! I saw the facility created to house them – a sanctuary for albinos in Kabanga).
The key word above – critical for hope is ‘locals’. They have the power within the country to struggle up and out of the current situation – to fight poverty, violations of human rights, limited access to education, black magic, environmental degradation, unnecessary killing of wildlife, abuse of ‘domestic’ animals and corruption. I believe that permanent change will (and must) come from within – that wazungu like me won’t be the reason why a new school is built, why a more efficient stove is created, why water systems function and disease ceases to spread like wildfire. But, at the base of this growth – at the heart of this hope – is education. So, for now I’m happy to invest in the youngsters. I’m happy to contribute my little spark and see what light will shine in the future. And I hope that light will be the blaze of a torch that will be passed from generation to generation, growing every year.
Each time I come to Tanzania, I learn so much. I learn the language, I learn about the culture, I gain insights into development work and I meet critical players in the hope for change. This year, on the way out of Kigoma, I met a man; he was standing in front of me in the security line at the small airport. After a perfunctory ‘hello’ in English followed by basic information sharing we came to learn that we are integral to one another. I am building the schools and he is training the teachers. He works for the Open University of Tanzania. I thought I was dreaming when he started telling me that his program seeks bright young people from rural areas to become teachers for the schools in the villages. He told me about the on-line distance learning, the satellite office in Kigoma and the format of their program. Young people not only take the on-line courses, but begin teaching from the beginning! They are placed in schools and teach as they learn.
Most of you don’t know that I recently wrote a 50 page paper on the Theory-Practice Gap in teacher education, which ultimately celebrates this exact model of teacher education! How can a teacher really digest theoretical content about lesson planning, error correction, learning styles, and so much more without experiencing it? The common trend is a deluge of theory followed by a short practicum wherein student teachers realize – OMG, this is not what I expected … followed by the real world placement where they may come to believe that very little they learned matches the reality of their teaching situation. Long story short – this gentleman and I are in contact. Next week, he is on his way to the US to do a tour of universities and establish exchange programs with teacher education programs. Utah isn’t on the agenda, but that doesn’t mean he and I won’t be able to make something happen!
In the future, my hope is that Project Wezesha will not only target the children – supporting them with schools and school fees – but will additionally support the teachers, investing in their development, their goal setting, their growth, their promise as leaders of the young people - because, a school with absent, unqualified or disheartened teachers is just a building where dreams die.
Long live the dream!
I know this much is true - (dedicated to Sara Bridge)
I’m writing on a netbook computer in Dar es Salaam and as I look around, I see only varying shades of brown skin and hear only the occasional word or phrase that I understand. I have a thin film of sweat all over my body and my shirt is damp under the arms and I stink. Coins are jingled deliberately in the hands of young boys walking the city, selling peanuts from baskets. Motorcycles and loud banging on metal are wracking my brain. Taxi drivers hover for the hopeful sighting of someone in need of a ride with big cash in his pocket. Some women walk by with kangas tied around their waists, but more are dressed for the city; most of the men are wearing the distinctive small Muslim hats and every handful of hours, the Mosque reminds all of us what some should be doing. The smiles - when they come to life – light up my day. I’ve never seen more perfect, straight, white teeth on more beautiful faces. Work is done inefficiently – with brooms made from small sticks, trash is thrown in the street so someone can pick it up every morning at 5am and coffee seems to take 30 minutes to brew. I am in the city and it’s loud and impersonal.
I long for the villages and smaller towns. I long to be recognized and called by name rather than dismissed as another tourist en route to Zanzibar. I crave wali na samaki at Sun City - my favorite café to sit and eat with Lucas, watching life happen slowly. I see in my mind the faces of those in need in Kigoma – those I saw daily, such as the tiny little woman whose body creates a right angle when she stands and who seems to consist of little more than a head when she sits under her scarf on the street in front of her small change dish day after day after day, year after year. I think back fondly on the arrival of all the unfortunate ones who seemed to come out of the woodworks when I would sit with my meal at Sun City – the 14 year old girl with no fingers, the man who walks on his hands while swinging his tiny bent legs forward, the young boy who spends his days leading his even younger blind sister (maybe age 6) from shop to shop to ask for money. Sometimes I would give change, sometimes only a smile and a gentle apology and in the case of Musa and his blind little sister, once I sat them down and bought them a fish dinner.
Life is hard in the towns and villages – such a contrast from the city where most have nice clothes, shoes, purses and even cars. The women and children living and begging in the streets here in Dar es Salaam have supposedly come primarily from the villages and Kigoma for a chance – an opportunity yet undiscovered. Life is hard and education is no guarantee of happiness and prosperity. I met so many young people who completed secondary school, only to wander the streets unemployed or create a living by making bricks or fishing, thinking back to the dreams they had of going to high school or college – dreams shattered when they passed their exams but couldn’t afford the next step. I know this because they tell me when I’m walking into town. I met so many young men who could speak at length in English about their situation – after which they would inevitably ask me for support.
But, there is hope. Information is power! I have met some important people with big ideas – locals with the aim of opening all girls schools in which bright young women will flourish, locals who conduct satellite courses with the universities in Dar es Salaam so students can get a Bachelors degree and not have to brave the big city or come up with big city funds, locals who have initiated nongovernmental organizations to advocate for those in need – women, elderly, vulnerable children, mentally impaired and marginalized – like the Albinos who for decades have been hunted and maimed by other locals who were told by witch doctors to return with fingers, toes, arms or legs of an albino so a potion can be created to cure their illness or take away a curse (true story! I saw the facility created to house them – a sanctuary for albinos in Kabanga).
The key word above – critical for hope is ‘locals’. They have the power within the country to struggle up and out of the current situation – to fight poverty, violations of human rights, limited access to education, black magic, environmental degradation, unnecessary killing of wildlife, abuse of ‘domestic’ animals and corruption. I believe that permanent change will (and must) come from within – that wazungu like me won’t be the reason why a new school is built, why a more efficient stove is created, why water systems function and disease ceases to spread like wildfire. But, at the base of this growth – at the heart of this hope – is education. So, for now I’m happy to invest in the youngsters. I’m happy to contribute my little spark and see what light will shine in the future. And I hope that light will be the blaze of a torch that will be passed from generation to generation, growing every year.
Each time I come to Tanzania, I learn so much. I learn the language, I learn about the culture, I gain insights into development work and I meet critical players in the hope for change. This year, on the way out of Kigoma, I met a man; he was standing in front of me in the security line at the small airport. After a perfunctory ‘hello’ in English followed by basic information sharing we came to learn that we are integral to one another. I am building the schools and he is training the teachers. He works for the Open University of Tanzania. I thought I was dreaming when he started telling me that his program seeks bright young people from rural areas to become teachers for the schools in the villages. He told me about the on-line distance learning, the satellite office in Kigoma and the format of their program. Young people not only take the on-line courses, but begin teaching from the beginning! They are placed in schools and teach as they learn.
Most of you don’t know that I recently wrote a 50 page paper on the Theory-Practice Gap in teacher education, which ultimately celebrates this exact model of teacher education! How can a teacher really digest theoretical content about lesson planning, error correction, learning styles, and so much more without experiencing it? The common trend is a deluge of theory followed by a short practicum wherein student teachers realize – OMG, this is not what I expected … followed by the real world placement where they may come to believe that very little they learned matches the reality of their teaching situation. Long story short – this gentleman and I are in contact. Next week, he is on his way to the US to do a tour of universities and establish exchange programs with teacher education programs. Utah isn’t on the agenda, but that doesn’t mean he and I won’t be able to make something happen!
In the future, my hope is that Project Wezesha will not only target the children – supporting them with schools and school fees – but will additionally support the teachers, investing in their development, their goal setting, their growth, their promise as leaders of the young people - because, a school with absent, unqualified or disheartened teachers is just a building where dreams die.
Long live the dream!
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