San Francisco, July 2008
Why Tanzania?
- Culture-Tanzania is made up of 126 different tribes, each tribe has a unique way of living.
- Geography-Tanzania is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, The Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Zanzibar.
- Chance to help children- 50 percent of children attend primary school however only 4 percent attend secondary school. This is because many families are too poor to spend the money for education. Also, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has claimed many children's mothers and fathers, leaving many children in foster care or government run orphanages.
Where in Tanzania did you go?
I lived in the small town of Moshi, in the Kilimanjaro region. The city population is around 200,000, with a large farming community. The two main tribes in the region are the Chaaga and the Maasi.
What did you do?
I volunteered at a school named Kilimahewa, it is a community based organization that was founded in September 2006. Kilimahewa is owned by the Kilimahewa community members. It is an informal school, which provided educational activities for teenagers between the ages of 15-19. I taught English, Geography and Mathematics from June 15-July 11th 2008.
Kilimahewa was initially known as a local brew drinking center. It is now a learning center for the Kilimahewa community specifically focused on providing poor women's children, orphans and youth vulnerable to street violence a place to learn.
What we were able to accomplish!!!
Finished second room for vocational and advanced classes.
- Tested each student to determine where they stood on core subjects.
- Learned about Kilimahewa culture, life, and goals.
- Shared my life with the students and felt I was able to spark their interests and dreams.
- Smiled and laughed a lot with one another.
- It was very powerful to see how much they loved learning and how eager they were to be engaged and tested.
What other volunteer activities did you participate in?
- Tuleeni Orphanage- ages 2-14
- Upenda Orphanage- ages 2-6
- Moshi Primary School- ages 8-10
- First ever Moshi AIDS awareness walk
- Jipa Moya women's group
- Kilimahewa Community Leadership meetings and planning
