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September 2023 Little by Little campaign!
until September 22, 2023, at 23:59:59 EDT
Dear Project Wezesha Supporters,
Summer is winding down, and in the U.S., students are heading back to school! In Tanzania, our students will also be returning to their university programs in the coming months. With this return to school, Project Wezesha faces a new batch of tuition bills. We’d love your continued support - a contribution toward the continuing education of the young men in our program: 2nd year university students: Lameck, Yohanna and Elias; 3rd year university students: Hamisi & Mayani; and, 4th year university student: Simoni. The average cost for one year of university for these young men is $1680 each.
We would love to find sponsors for these young men to ensure their costs are covered completely. One idea we’d like to present is “funding families” - small groups of friends, family, neighbors, or colleagues who collectively commit to raising $1600 to cover the costs of one student. If you’d like to create a “funding family” and sponsor one student, email us and we’ll help you get the information you need to share with your community and raise the money. We can provide images, stories, reports, and more about the young man you’ll be supporting.
Email us today to get started: projectwezeshatz@gmail.com
We can assure you that there will be a profound impact from your investment. We have only seen positive outcomes since we began our scholarship program in 2009. Here are some inspirational updates we received this month from some current and former students: Lameck, Sospeter, and Dibeit.
Lameck
Lameck is beginning his second year at the University of Dar es Salaam. He is pursuing a degree in Education with a focus on Math and Physics. He recently completed a teaching practicum experience where he taught Form One (first year) students in a Basic Math class at Mwananchi Secondary School. The focus of his 80-minute lesson was determining the area of a circle and discussing applications of this math concept in the real world. Lameck recounts in his What’s App message to us that the students were attentively listening and taking notes, bravely offering responses to questions, and collectively solving problems he presented to them. We’re delighted to see Lameck assuming this teaching role eagerly and with confidence! (See picture of Lameck at the board in the classroom.)
Sospeter
Sospeter finished his schooling this year, earning a degree in clinical medicine from Sumbawanga Clinical Officers Training Center in Dodoma. He recently shared pictures and a report on visits he conducted with another care provider, Dr. Ramadhan, to Bangwe village. During the visits, they provided educational sessions to the community related to infant and child healthcare and wellbeing. They also provided information to ensure women have healthy pregnancies. These sessions included raising awareness about various aspects of the local environment that contribute to healthy outcomes (e.g., water, nutrition, minimizing smoke when cooking, etc.). Sospeter is learning from professionals in the field who are serving as his mentors and trainers. As he gains more experience, he’ll be able to conduct such sessions on his own. (See picture of Sospeter holding a baby on one of his family visits.)
Dibeit
One of our very first university graduates was Dibeit, who pursued a medical degree. Dibeit has been employed by a number of private hospitals in the years since his graduation. Most recently, he has been working for a private hospital in Mpanda - a town in the Kigoma Region of Western Tanzania. Below, Dibeit recounts his plan to open a health clinic in a rural community he knows, where access to healthcare is very limited.
“The best way to practice medicine is either to employ yourself or work part time for a small salary. I lived in a [rural community] on Lake Tanganyika for about 1 year and I found that this place has more than 300 settlements, but no medical or health care services. I witnessed one child lose his life due to diarrhea and malaria. Some community members reach the hospital already in a coma due lack of primary care before the journey. It takes about 3 to 5 hours by boat to reach a hospital, so I have decided to open a small pharmacy and laboratory to ensure availability of health services and help patients arrive at the hospital in a comfortable condition, with some preventative care before beginning the long journey. For now, this is an opportunity for me to employ myself while I make plans to open a larger clinic.”
In the picture included in this report, you’ll see Dibeit working on the construction of his laboratory - carrying materials one stone at a time and working diligently to make a difference. This has always been Dibeit’s nature - to make the world a better place through a focus on access to healthcare and education. This young man’s love for community and commitment to positive change has always guided him, and inspired us!
Reflecting on Dibeit’s plan and service, Lucas said, “This is an excellent plan. And indeed it signifies that what we have invested in Dibeit is worthy since he will manage to open a laboratory where patients will receive a diagnosis of health issues as well as care. This is fantastic and we are really proud of such wonderful efforts.”
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We know there are many causes that you could invest in, both locally and globally. There are wildfires, droughts, individuals suffering from accidents and illness, animals enduring abuse, and much more. Donating today to support the work of Project Wezesha isn’t equivalent to responding to disaster or tragedy. On the other hand, you are contributing to the building of foundational knowledge, skills, and dispositions that will shape the character and fuel the ambition of young Tanzanians who will make a difference in their local communities - with ripple effects that will span their country, and perhaps beyond!
Please share these stories and see if you can find friends and family who would like to be part of an education movement!
Thank you for your continued support and helping us strive toward our mission of increasing access to education for young global citizens living in remote regions of Tanzania.
Asante sana,
Project Wezesha Team
Rai Farrelly, Lucas Lameck & Madaga Fadhili
Links:
Dear Friends of Project Wezesha,
We've just wrapped up a holy month with people celebrating Ramadan, Passover, Easter and Nowruz around the world. We hope that you and your loved ones have been able to enjoy the comfort of one another, peace between moments of hustle, and lots of joy!
We are also celebrating the birthday (Apr. 21) of our co-founder, Lucas! Lucas has dedicated the last 14 years of his life to ensuring that many young people in the Kigoma region have the opportunity to excel in school. Thanks to Lucas and our Education Director, Madaga, we are able to celebrate the academic achievements of scores of young people, including successful secondary, high, and vocational school completions, diploma and certifcate awards, and college and university graduates! Now we see many of these young people proudly supporting their families through jobs they could only get with their educations.
At this moment, we are still seeking funding to support the young men who continue their university studies around the country. Those of us in the U.S. know that university tuition in the States is through the roof. At my university alone, the average cost of one year of university studies is $34k before financial aid, and $24k after financial aid.
In Tanzania, a year of university costs between $1400 - $2500 USD, depending on the university, the program of study, and whether the student qualifies for government support. In camparison, then, we can definitely say that a little goes a long way. But, for our friends and families in Tanzania, $1400-2500 is not little. The students we support come from families who make a living through subsistence farming, fishing, and running small businesses. So, we really need your help.
Will you consider making a contribution today to support these students?
Here's how far your donation can go.
One of our students, Hamisi, is studying to become a surgeon. He's on a path to save many lives with his education. He'll do so not only in the operating room, but by sharing the knowledge and experience he's gained in medical school. In the photo with this report, Hamisi stands in his white coat, speaking to an assembly of girls at a local school. He was informing them about cervical cancer - about the causes, the preventative screenings, and the treatment.
Education about women's health is particularly important in rural areas where there can still be a lack of awareness about illnesses that affect women's reproductive health, as well as resistance to the exams that detect such illnesses due to the sensitive, private nature of them. I recall a story of a doctor trying to help pregnant women in a village by offering exams throughout their pregnancy. Some men of the village ran the doctor off when they learned how the exams were conducted. The doctor was dismayed by the lack of education among the villagers about women's health; he was overwhelmed by the hostility; and, he refused to return.
This is why education matters - Knowlege is power, Knowledge is freedom, Knowledge is health. As more of the youth in these villages access higher education, that knowledge reaches the next generation. The very young begin to look up to their siblings and cousins who were able to travel to larger towns and cities to attend high school and university. They hear about life beyond the villages and learn what is possible in the world when education is applied to promote change for good!
So, a little (one villager with a university education) goes a long way (the ripple effect of influence and inspiration).
Please donate today and let's see how far a little really can go!
(Make it a birthday gift for Lucas!)
Asante sana - Thank you very much.
With gratitude,
Rai, Lucas, and Madaga
Dear Project Wezesha Supporters,
Happy Holidays from Team Project Wezesha: Lucas, Rai (me), Madaga, and all the students!
Time for Reflection
Each New Year brings a special time for reflection. Reflecting on my years working with Project Wezesha and Girls Education International brings a rush of memories – of miles walked between villages with Lucas, of schools we’ve visited, of students we’ve supported, of meetings with various leaders, of classrooms built, and challenges faced.
I’m reminded of our responsibility to the youth in our programs who inspire me with all they’ve achieved with a little support from you and me!
I’m hopeful about the future as we continue to offer academic study camps with the incredible support of our donor, Shelly Braun, our Education Director, Madaga, and the amazing teachers who provide their time and knowledge each December and June to ensure more students from villages can attend high school and university.
Partners for Life
The year 2023 marks 15 years since I met Lucas, co-founder of Project Wezesha, advocate for all young people, family man, and dear friend. We call each other “kaka” and “dada” respectively, which means “brother” and “sister” – and it truly feels like we are family. We are the adopted “baba” and “mama” (father and mother) of two orphans in Kigoma that we’ve been supporting for many years. And we are affectionately known by many local villagers who have seen us work tirelessly in service to the mission of Project Wezesha as “baba kazi” and “mama kazi” – roughly: “father work” and “mother work.” I’ve seen Lucas marry and have two daughters. I’ve eaten with his family more times than I can count – singing, dancing, laughing, and chatting with his mama, baba, wife, children, siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins. It is my most cherished blessing this holiday season to have these memories and my forever-connection to Lucas.
What is the best way to help? Sponsor a student.
Of course, no matter how much “kazi” Lucas and I do, we can’t accomplish anything without you. We are so grateful for your support. As we enter 2023, we are still greatly in need of funds for several of the young men in our scholarship program. Some of them are beginning their first year at university, while others are moving into year two or three.
We are celebrating their successes on national exams. We are celebrating exceptional performance in university classes. We are celebrating their service to their communities. We are celebrating the future they represent as they become doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, environmental scientists, pharmacists and more.
Perhaps with a group of friends and family, you can pool funds to support one young man. You can commit for this year only or see him through his entire academic career! Below is the list of names and tuition costs. Their tuition fees vary depending on whether they were assigned (as is done by the Tanzanian government) to public or private universities, as well as whether they qualified for government loan support. They all applied for support, and most were successful.
When I think that students at CU Boulder, where I teach, pay up to $30,000 per year for university tuition – and $1500 wouldn’t even cover the cost of one full course – I think: This is doable! However, financial times are challenging right now. We know it’s asking a lot to support someone you don’t know and may never meet. But you can trust Lucas and me when we say, these young folks are truly remarkable, deserving, and grateful. We’ve known them for years and have watched them grow into fine young men with hearts set on making their communities safer and healthier. Will you invest in them today?
Student Names and Costs for One Year
Impact Testimonies
Hamisi, a second-year medical student pursuing a career in surgery, recently joined his classmates to commemorate World Aids Day (see picture) by giving blood and campaigning to raise awareness about AIDS, which still afflicts many in Tanzania. He said in his message to me that they were donating blood “to help in reducing [the] mortality rate to our lovely women during delivery as they lack blood to support their lives. Our blood will also go in helping patients who get [in] accidents and lack relatives to take care of them. I feel proud to be part of the group.” And we are proud of Hamisi!
Saidi, a graduate from our program who completed his university studies in Economics is now a financial advisor and business consultant to members of his community. He helps locals know how to invest their money and make wise business decisions. He was recently approached by a woman who was debating between selling her land and building a home to rent. Saidi advised her to keep the land and build sustainable income through the rental property. He consulted with a small group to explore how they could turn a small amount of capital into a thriving soap production business. They more than tripled their investment in a short amount of time. He has taught shop owners how to reinvest their earnings into the business instead of using their personal funds, which was a reason many shops were closing. Currently, Saidi is saving money so he can study to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Simoni, a third-year medical student, shared how proud his parents and his community are of him as he becomes a doctor. According to Simoni, “education has broadened my worldview and helped me to grow intellectually.” He is in a 6-year program. He has two more years of coursework and will spend his final year in his internship. His focus is gynecology. From an early age, Simoni has been troubled by the health challenges he’s seen women in his village face, including complications caused by sexually transmitted diseases which can cause infertility, at risk pregnancies, and in some cases – death. Simoni hopes to work with women in his society to raise awareness about various diseases, promote healthy behaviors, and encourage screenings. Having supported Simoni since Form 1 (year one in secondary school), we are so proud to see all he has accomplished over these past 9 years. He is constantly conveying his gratitude, but we are just honored to be part of his journey.
Simply, Thank You!
On behalf of the students, Lucas, and Madaga, I send our deepest gratitude for all you’ve done to support Project Wezesha in big ways and small. Please tell others about Project Wezesha, share this report, and ask others if they’ll join us today. Pamoja, tunaweza kufanya zaidi. [Together, we can do more!]
Happy New Year!
Asante sana. Thank you.
With love,
The Project Wezesha Team
Links:
Dear Project Wezesha Supporters,
Here we are about to start a new school year in many parts of the world. In Tanzania, however, secondary school students are wrapping up an academic year. And like every summer, they’re ending on a strong note thanks to the annual summer academic study camp that Project Wezesha offers.
In this 3-week intensive camp, 10 young women and 10 young men who study at Amahoro Secondary School came together to participate in our unique and rigorous study camp. They are divided into groups based on their year of study, and within those groups, they attend classes all morning. These small classes provide a boost to the learning that’s taken place throughout the year in all subjects, including Geography, Physics, Biology, History, and English. The teachers are motivated, invested, and professional! They make all the difference with the care and knowledge they provide.
Amahoro Secondary School is unique among village schools. Thanks to the generous support of many donors, the school has well-built and ample latrines, solar panels, copy machines, printers, electricity to charge laptops, and a state-of-the-art STEM lab. We're so thrilled to see the amazing science lab put to use at Amahoro Secondary School year round, and at camp (see picture of Madaga and Lucas in the lab).
We've been running these study camps for years now and the impact has been undeniable. Just consider who's entering their first year of university this coming fall - Study Camp veterans Lameck, Malicki, Elias and Yohana! We can recall years ago when they were Form 2 and Form 3 students, dreaming of completing secondary school. They attended study camps twice a year with enthusiasm and big dreams for their futures. Now they’ve successfully completed high school and performed well on their national exams. In November, they start university and join the ranks of the many young people Project Wezesha has supported through high school and university over the past decade!
Study Camp has been the winning ticket! Students who attended study camp demonstrated a higher capacity for success in secondary and high school. At camp, they establish a solid knowledge base for the core subjects, but they also learn to be self-motivated, autonomous learners. They learn about accountability, collaboration, study habits, peer instruction, and how to devise action plans that lead to attaining goals!
In the camps, students spend the afternoons in peer study groups where they take turns reviewing what they learned, problem solving, and completing homework (see pictures of peer groups in action). They find out that collaborative learning is a win-win, and this aligns with the community spirit that is deeply rooted in their culture. Of course, the culture has its fair share of competition - as most do - but these learners really lean in and leverage one another, seeing one another’s success as shared success.
And let's not forget food! At our camps, food is fuel for learning! The students eat well at breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are no hungry brains among them. We're so grateful to our camp cook, Mama Amina, who has been with us from the very beginning. The students love her; she loves the job; and everyone loves her food! (See pictures.)
Please help us continue the important work we do to elevate the impact of education in the communities we serve by making a generous donation today. All donations made now through December go directly toward covering the costs of university tuition for our line up of future doctors, surgeons, economists, urban planners, teachers, environmental scientists, and more! We literally cannot do this work without you.
Kindly share this report with the link to donate. Let your friends know why this matters to you and to these young people.
Thank you for your support thus far. Let’s keep going!
With gratitude,
Rai, Lucas, & Madaga
The Project Wezesha Team
Greetings, Project Wezesha Supporters!
This summer, Project Wezesha celebrates 13 years as a small nonprofit working to support youth in the Kigoma Region of Tanzania. When we got started, one of our longtime friends from Kiganza village, Saidi was only about 11 years old. (See picture of Saidi with Dibeit and Hindu in 2009.) He was still in primary school, but there was rarely a day that he didn't turn up at the guest house where Rai was staying and Lucas was working.
Fast-forward many years later and Saidi has completed secondary school, high school, and university! He earned a degree in Economics with a focus on Financial Management and capacity building with local communities. Saidi is the son of subsistence farmers. Most of his life, his parents were working far from home at a farm they own. He was largely raised by his grandparents and as he got older, he and his siblings took over care of his aging grandparents. Knowing how difficult life for subsistence farming families can be, he has always been committed to pursuing a degree that would empower him, to empower his community.
As soon as he had his degree, he found work consulting with communities - offering workshops and trainings on finance management, investing, banking, and more. Recently, Saidi offered a workshop to villagers in the Uvinza district in the south of the Kigoma Region. Topics of the sessions included methods for generating income, developing sustainable relationships through economic partnerships in the community, addressing climate change through enhanced farming practices, and establishing microfinance and marketing groups. The participating farmers had the opportunity to present ideas to one another to share and build upon existing local knowledge. Saidi was praised for the expertise he shared and the time he invested with this community. (The photos show Saidi and the villagers working together in the classroom and the field.)
Saidi is one of many students we have had the honor to support over the years. We are thrilled to see him mature into a young man giving back to his community with the new knowledge and skills he developed while earning his BA. We really couldn't be prouder!
In the coming months, we will have tuition bills for several students starting or returning to university in Fall 2022. Lameck, Malicki, Elias, and Yohanna will start their first year. Simoni, Hamisi, and Mayani are continuing into Year 2. Our budget for the 2022-2023 academic year will be $10-15k. If our first year students get government support, their annual tuition will be approximately $1500 each. (Without government support, tuition is $2500 each. We'll find out about government support in September.)
Would you like to sponsor one of these young men? Perhaps a group of your friends will join together to raise $1500?
Thank you for all you do to make the world a better place for many communities in Western Tanzania! The ripple effect of supporting one student keeps going and going! Let's keep exploring what we can do together.
Sincerely and with gratitude,
Lucas, Madaga, and Rai
Team Project Wezesha
(Girls Education International is the fiscal agent for Project Wezesha.)
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