Tanzania 2009

Click to see photos from the programme

Click to see a slideshow of the programme

Click to see photos from the visit to the boma

Click to see a slideshow from the visit to the boma

Click to see photos from the safari trips

Click to see a slideshow from the safari trips

Click to see a slideshow of our visit to the Heifer project

On June 16th, a group of 16 people, comprised of 4 staff (Sue Worsnup, Mia Malm, Jan Kimura and Margaret van Berkel) and 12 students (Poppy Swann, Teagan Fardell, Alyce Adams, Morven Piers, Yoo-Jin Oh, Hayley Adams, Noy Lavine, Monica de Pinto Ribeiro Hancke, Katsura Muraoka, Raea Rasmussen, Marie Nazaki and Shannon Smith.) left ISA to go and run a19-day programme with the Form 1 students from the MaaSae Girls Lutheran Secondary School (MGLSS) in Monduli, Tanzania. The school opened in 1995, its’ target population are the daughters of Maasai pastoralists, who have no means or desire to have their daughters educated. The parents and in particular the father, often do not recognise the value of education for their daughters or the resulting benefits for their community. Traditionally, Maasai girls receive at the most a very basic elementary education. They are usually married by the age of 15 and are expected to build a home, care for children, milk cows and fetch firewood and water. The girls often have only the remotest chance to better themselves. The MaaSae Girls Lutheran Secondary School has given some girls the opportunity to obtain a secondary education. ISA has been involved in this project since 1995 and has run summer school programmes for the Form 1 students as well as helping to support the school with some of its financial needs.

The school has developed greatly over the last 14 years. Initially there were only 45 students and 3 buildings, now there are 278 full time boarders and a variety of buildings including dormitories, classrooms, a library, a dining room, an administration block and teachers houses. Currently a Home Economics classroom is being built. Its design follows that of a traditional Maasai settlement or manyatta but with the chapel in the centre. Evidence of the impact of this education opportunity is now to be seen. Some of the students go back to their villages taking with them their new skills and knowledge. It is a proven fact that children of educated mothers fare better, the infant mortality rate goes down, and the family and village all benefit from the mother’s education. Others have chosen to go onto 6th form and further education. Ex-students are now found in teaching (including 65 primary teachers and several secondary school teachers including two being employed at MGLSS and two others at another local Secondary school in Monduli), social work/community development areas, the medical profession, with 3 students currently studying in full medical school and others in nursing or working as clinical officers, accounting, law, journalism, public and business administration. Some students are working in the business sector in a variety of different kinds of jobs.

Following nine months of preparation, the ISA group arrived at the MGLSS in Monduli, full of anticipation and ready to meet the challenges that such a trip brings. We were warmly welcomed and the next day began teaching the 65 Form 1 girls, who were very enthusiastic and keen to learn. Day breaks around 6.30am and we got up very shortly afterwards. Each day began with uji (maize porridge) for breakfast. The daily routine followed a fairly strict schedule with lessons from 8.30 – 10.30, 11.00 - 13.00 and 13.30 – 15.30. We taught English, Library, Geography, Maths, Science, Arts and Crafts, First Aid and Sports. The ISA students did a fantastic job working with the MGLSS students, assisting in lessons and leading group activities. We also ran an evening programme from 19.15 – 20.45 that included games, dance, campfires, Arts and Craft activities. The Form 1 students presented a Maasai Cultural evening where they dramatized aspects of Maasai life. One sketch showed us many of the difficulties that Maasai girls encounter in order to get an education which certainly gave us more of an understanding of the struggles that they have to overcome when the family, usually the father, does not wish his daughter to become educated. This year, a major shortage of water was a considerable problem. During our entire stay, water only came through the through the water pipes for a total of 4 - 5 hours! MGLSS hauled all of the water in a tank on wheels pulled by their tractor. On several occasions, the MGLSS students also fetched water from the water point approximately 1 kilometer away. The ISA group really had to be very economical with the use of water and MGLSS did everything to ensure that we always had water in our buckets. We also experienced several power cuts. On these occasions MGLSS switched on the generator, although it is quite costly for them to run it. The priority for its’ use is generally reserved to periods around and during examination times. We did appreciate it though and apart from one evening, our programme was able to run as planned. This is something that would certainly not have been possible without using the generator.

During the trip we went with the MGLSS students to the Taranguire National Park. The park is renowned for elephants and baobab trees. The MGLSS students were very excited about going on the trip and we had a fantastic day and saw much wildlife, including six lions. We also went to visit a Maasai boma or family settlement, the home of one of the girls in Form One, where her father lives with his two wives. This year, the water shortage has had quite drastic effects and we experienced an extremely dry and dusty boma. Usually cattle and goats graze fairly nearby, however this year the Maasai have had to move them many miles away in search of grass. We therefore did not have to contend with the many flies that are one normally encounters at a boma. The lack of rain has also meant that many crops have failed and as a result food prices have soared. In previous boma visits, we gave gifts of clothes. This year, however we took bags of maize, beans, cooking oil as well as large containers of water. In spite of the hardships they are facing, a warm welcome greeted us. They showed us around their homes and we enjoyed the ceremonial singing and dancing. It was extremely interesting to have a brief glimpse of a patriarchal society. We hope that you are able to see our photo display from our trip in the school foyer. The project provides the opportunity for a truly meaningful cultural exchange for all those involved from which we all learn a great deal. We all have many wonderful memories that we truly treasure.

Throughout the year, the Share Committee group worked hard and raised a considerable amount of money for various charities that the ISA supports. Once again, the Share Committee donated money for the Tanzania Project that enabled us to buy the required supplies and run the programme. The funds also paid for a trip to the Taranguire National Park for all the Form 1 students, which they enjoyed immensely. In addition to this, a financial donation was given to the school to further support their current needs. Mary Kipuyo, the Head of School, whom some of you met when she visited ISA in May 2008, expressed on many occasions thanks and gratitude for the continued support, help and kindness which ISA has been able give to the Maasae Girls’ School. We once again visited the Heifer Project that ISA has over the years supported. This is a great addition to the project and enables group members to see clearly another and very different aspect of life in Tanzania. This organization supports people in need in developing countries by giving them livestock to help alleviate hunger and poverty. Besides the gift of an animal the person receiving it must take part in a training programme provided by the Heifer project to learn how to look after the animal correctly and its’ subsequent offspring. They must also agree to pass on the first offspring to another family and so the gift is then passed to another family. We visited the regions headquarters in Arusha, and were taken to visit two families and an orphanage that have received a goat through this project. Currently the Heifer project in Tanzania is focusing on families / organizations who have been affected by HIV virus. It is very encouraging to see the difference a goat makes to these lives of those concerned – the milk helping to provide a nutritious food source, with any excess being sold thus providing an income of its own, helping to pay school, housing and clothing costs.

On behalf of the ISA Tanzanian group, MGLSS and the Heifer Organisation in Arusha, I would like to thank the Share Committee for your continued hard work, effort and time with fundraising activities. Also thanks go to all of you who have given so generously to the fundraising both during the last school year and previously. Your efforts and generosity are greatly appreciated.

Thank you to all or as they say in Swahili,

Asante Sana

Sue Worsnup (Tanzania coordinator 2009)

Without a scholarship 96% of the students would not be able to attend any school. Scholarships for MGLSS are administrated by OBA (Operation Bootstrap Africa). The cost of a full yearly scholarship is $800.00 per student. Many students have two sponsors, each providing half of the scholarship amount. If you are interested at all in helping to provide scholarships (designated to MGLSS) then please contact OPERATION BOOTSTRAP AFRICA at bootstrapd@aol.com for more information.