Houston Scholarship Fund for 2024

The Houston Scholarship Fund, founded 16 years ago, aims to provide support to young girls attending secondary schools. These girls face significant life hardships and lack family or relative assistance. Most of them come from low-income families engaged in small-scale agriculture. Unfortunately, they lack of skills or any income-generating businesses. The farm produce they obtain is primarily for consumption, and at times, it falls short of sustaining their families until the next season. This educational support spans 4 to 6 years of secondary education. Specifically, it comprises 4 years for lower secondary and 2 years for upper secondary. Students who excel in lower secondary proceed to upper secondary, while those who do not qualify for upper secondary have the option to either retake the national exam or pursue certificate courses. The Jifundishe organization ensures that students receive comprehensive support for their educational journey. This includes fulfilling various needs such as stationery, full school uniforms, meals, accommodation for those in boarding schools, tuition fees, and other school-related expenses.

Moreover, we maintain close monitoring by visiting the students at their schools, engaging with teachers, and assessing their performance. Each term, we request that they bring their academic results to Jifundishe. This allows us to evaluate their progress and determine if additional support is necessary to enhance their grade.

We are delighted to witness the unwavering commitment of each student to their studies. In the past year, we had a cohort of 12 Form II students. In the Tanzanian curriculum, Form II students undergo a national exam, with a pass mark determined by the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology. These exams assess the students and allow them to continue with the next class.  The good news is that all 12 students successfully passed the Form Two national exam, and they have now enrolled in Form III.

In the year 2023, three girls completed Form IV. In January 2024, the results of the Form IV national exams were released. Here’s how they performed:

• Two of the girls achieved a Division II score, which qualifies them to proceed to the advanced level (upper secondary).
• The remaining girl obtained a Division IV score, allowing her to pursue a certificate course. She is currently enrolled in VETA (Vocational Education Training Authority), where she is studying Information Technology for a duration of two years.

In 2024, we welcomed three exceptional girls who had completed Standard 7 with outstanding results in the national examinations. Despite their academic achievements, they faced significant challenges and were in great need of support.

Jifundishe made thoughtful decisions based on their individual circumstances:

• One girl was placed in a boarding school, considering her family environment.
• The remaining girls were enrolled in day schools.

Over time, Jifundishe has provided support to 147 students at the secondary level. Some of our beneficiaries have gone on to complete their university education and are now employed. Others continue their studies at the university and college level.

Currently, we have 28 continuing students, each at different stages of their secondary education journey.

 This fund has tremendously benefited these girls, opening doors to a brighter future in multiple ways. We extend heartfelt gratitude to all the donors of this fund. Your donation holds immense significance for us.