Seeds of Impact: Jawaria's Story in her own words

My name is Jawaria Khan, and I am an 8th grade student. Our family consists of four sisters, one brother and our father, who used to be a prosperous farmer in our village. The importance of education was instilled in all of us by our father who unfortunately suffered a severe leg injury a few years ago. This injury not only hindered his ability to walk but also brought unexpected financial challenges to our once-thriving household.

With all five siblings attending school, the struggle intensified as our village only had a primary school. Beyond primary education, we had to commute to another village for further studies. In the face of financial strain, our mother took up sewing to make ends meet and my sisters and I joined her in this endeavor.

One day, I noticed the Bedari team in Uncle Riaz's living room near our house. Upon inquiry, I learned that Bedari supports travel expenses for girls' education. Despite my mother's initial reluctance, I insisted that she approach Uncle Riaz for help. However, she believed that people wouldn't assist us because of our modest circumstances.

Determined to continue my education, I confided in my school teacher, Miss Aitrat, about Bedari's program. When the Bedari team visited the school, Miss Aitrat advocated for me and I became a beneficiary of Bedari's support. The team even visited our home, reassuring my mother and emphasizing my academic achievements.

Being part of Bedari not only eased our financial burden but also boosted my self-esteem. I aspire to pursue a cooking course after matriculation and launch an online cooking business in our village. Cooking has always been my passion and I am also keen on learning computer skills.

I believe that every girl should have the opportunity to dream and strive for a better future. If I hadn't shared my situation with Miss Aitrat, I wouldn't be part of the Bedari program today. I am immensely grateful to Bedari for understanding my plight, engaging with my mother and welcoming me into their initiative. With a steadfast commitment to learning, I look forward to a future filled with academic achievements and culinary pursuits.

Studying Law for Her Community: Meet Mariselina

At Girls Education International, we empower young women in Tanzania to achieve their educational goals. We are thrilled to share Mariselina's story with you. Mariselina studies at Mwange Catholic University in the Kilimanjaro region of northern Tanzania. Her story is an example of the power of investing in girls' education.

“In five years, I will be a lawyer,” Mariselina proudly explains. She is currently studying to obtain a Bachelor of Law degree. In the Spring, she completed courses in torts, land law, administrative law, evidence, public international law, refugee law, and moot court. These courses are preparing her to reach her goal of supporting her community as a lawyer through legal aid. 

“To study at University is the best gift I have been given,” she says. Mariselina speaks most passionately about her favorite course, Moot Court. “This is my favorite subject. We are learning court procedure and practices, and how, as a lawyer, you can convince the court.” Through Moot Court, not only is Mariselina gaining practical experience in the legal field, she is experiencing personal growth as well. “This subject helps me in building self-confidence by practicing in front of people.” 

Over and over, we see that the young women that we invest in are making plans to pay that investment forward, into their communities. One of Mariselina’s passions has been learning the law regarding land ownership in Tanzania. “In our society, there are various disputes over land, so I am learning about how to solve disputes in our community.”  Mariselina’s interests in land disputes are critical in Tanzania. Research from the London School of Economics shows that in Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam, 70 percent of the 5 million inhabitants live in informal settlements, which often results in land disputes. In addition, women are at even greater risk of losing their land, because the highest form of property right is the title deed, and only 20 percent of land registered in Tanzania is registered to women.

“This opportunity to study at University has impacted my family and even my community, as I have knowledge now concerning the law, and I can help people and direct them on how they can obtain their rights through the court of law.”  

It is because of your continued support of Girls Education International that Mariselina is preparing to re-invest her education to help her community. If you would like to stay in touch, please sign up for our newsletter. We hope that hearing Mariselina’s story has inspired you, and as always, we remain grateful for your support. 

*Interview and translation provided by our partners at Project Wezesha.

Warmest regards,

Paula Kenworthy, Tanzania Project Manager

Ripples of Change

By Kate Schelbe - Executive Director

There’s a lake near my house that I often hike to with my dog. As she chews on sticks near the water’s edge, I toss small rocks into the middle of the clear mountain water and watch ripples radiate out. So it is with girls’ education. Research shows that investing in girls’ education causes a ripple effect that transforms the individual, as well as her family and her community (UNICEF). We generally focus on the epicenter, the positive impact education has on the individual young woman, but it is easy to imagine the ripple effect of each of our students. 

When Mareslina was a young girl, a wealthy individual took land away from her friend who was an orphan. This has fueled her drive to become a lawyer. Marselina now studies law at Mwenge Catholic University. She wants to advocate for human rights. Not only will her education increase her lifetime earnings, but her chosen career path will benefit others. Imagine that ripple effect! 

Sania is pursuing a bachelors in Social Work at Mwenge Catholic University. As part of her practicum she works in a healthcare office where women and children receive free care. Can you feel the impact of the waves she is making? 

Sarafina’s field placement is at Buronge Secondary School in the Kigoma region where she teaches Form I, II, and III biology. The field placement is part of her coursework for a Bachelor's of Education at the University of Dodoma. In her field placement alone, Sarafina has over 100 students. That’s over 100 lives she has already touched, over 100 drops in the bucket of education! 

I met Hekima in 2017, her love for education was evident. As one of three females in her class, she demonstrated confidence and leadership skills. In 2020, she passed the national exams and enrolled in high school to study history, geography, and English. Now in 2022, Hekima is balancing the demands of being a student while completing her practicum as a student teacher. As Dr. Jeff Goldstein, an internationally recognized science educator and planetary scientist, states, “A teacher today creates ripples in time that extend to generations yet unborn. Not just impact in the here & now but in the here & forever.” I can’t wait to see the reach of Hekima’s ripples. 

As a donor, your ripple effect is extensive. You directly impact these young women’s lives. In turn, they impact the lives of their families, as well as their students and clients. Thank you for making this high-yield investment. 

Mareslina reviews her notes in class.

Sania transcribes patients' records at a clinic.

Choose Your Own Adventure

As a young girl, I loved reading choose your own adventure books. The children’s books are written in second-person and allow the reader to assume the role of the protagonist. Thus the reader makes choices that determine the outcome of the story. I relished the freedom to make decisions and see their impact. It made me feel empowered. 

 The young women of Girls Education International have autonomy over their choices, as a result they pursue a variety of academic and professional paths. We’re excited to highlight the progress of the young women in Tanzania on the adventures they’ve chosen. 

Rebeka and Mwamini are finishing their VETA program this year. Both will earn a certificate in Secretarial and Computer Application. This positions them to apply for well respected and prosperous jobs. 

Hawa earned As and Bs in the most recent marking period at Tanzania Public Service College in Tabora, where she studies record management. Here are some examples of her coursework:  Introduction to Statistics, Records Management Policies, Legislation and Standards, and Conservation and Preservation of Records Archives.  When asked about her plans upon graduating, Hawa stated, “I believe I will get a job. If I get a job with a salary, I will help my parents,  I will donate to Girls Education International so they can help the others, the remaining I will use for myself.”  

Bertha completed a two year program in Electric Installation at Nyamidaho VETA. She now works in Mwandiga where she installs wiring in houses. Bertha is both literally and figuratively bringing light to her community. Featured is Bertha wiring a house!

Saidati recently completed a Field Study in Tanga, in the north east part of Tanzania. She studies environmental conservation and climate as it pertains to building design and planning. During the Field Study, she collected information about soil type, regional climatic conditions, topography, existing infrastructures, and local economic activities. With this information, she and her cohort created maps to analyze the potential building sites.  

One of the pictures below shows two young girls in front of their house in Mgarganza Village in the Kigoma Region.  With the help of the maps that Saidati created, community members will be able to have housing that is safer and more stable.  

Each of these young women, along with the rest of our participants, has had the opportunity to choose their own adventure because of you. In addition to the impact your donation has made on these individuals, we also know there are countless benefits of investing in girls’ education, including strengthening economies, creating healthier communities, and combating climate change.  

To learn more about the barriers girls face when pursuing education and the outcomes that occur when they receive education, check out our podcast and curriculum. 

Stay tuned to hear more about the adventures these young women choose.

 Warmly,

 Kate Schelbe

Executive Director

Girls Education International

The campus in Tabora.

“Education is the way to progress.”

Zehra is from the Chakwal district of Pakistan. She has one sister and a mother. Her father divorced her mother when she was in fourth grade because he wanted sons and not the responsibilities of daughters. Eventually, they were driven out of their home to live with one of their aunts.

To support the household, her mother works as a cleaner at a school in the village and washes dishes in various houses. It pays for their house. Because inflation is so high, her mother struggles to meet her family's needs. 

In the face of these challenges, it seemed impossible for Zehra to continue her education. She often wondered how she could support her family. Zehra said, “She is working day and night for us, but there are expenses. Not enough.”

Then, Zehra had an idea. 

“Education is the way to progress.” 

Zehra received her education up to 5th grade from a government school in the village. But after that, she had to go to Bhagwal Government High School for further education. Zehra’s mother said, “I am teaching you my dream, and I want to you see progress.”

With a little faith, they enrolled Zehra in a government school in Bhagwal, knowing it would be a financial sacrifice. Eventually, it became difficult to arrange for her school transportation. Her mother was often compelled to borrow money to pay her rent and her uncle begged the school driver to allow them to delay their payments. Zehra’s situation felt grim. 

Serendipitously, Zehra learned about a monthly scholarship program sponsored by Bedari, our local partner. Zehra advocated for herself and told her story to Bedari during a meeting in the village. Without hesitation, the Bedari team coordinated her scholarship and encouraged her to hold on a little bit longer. After a few days, her scholarship came, and she is now able to continue her education and achieve a life of dignity and freedom. We know the future is bright for Zehra as long as she has the support that she needs to pursue her education.

These stories and more are possible because of community-responsive NGOs like Bedari and because of donors like you who invest in girls’ dreams. 

From Zehra and from all of us at Girls Ed, thank you.