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TOMORROW'S-SCHOLAR LEADER SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

InsightsInsightsWE MET DATIVA IN 2010Although Dativa struggled academically at the Kilimahewa Center for Education (officially KIWOCE), the Center we fund for marginalized teens, she showed unequaled determination and discipline. Therefore, in 2012 EdPowerment awarded her a sponsorship to a boarding school where she could study without the domestic demands of her family and her obstructive father.

DECEMBER 2012Dativa wrote this as part of a personal history:

“My name is Dativa Mathew Mushi and I am living with my parents, my sister, and my four brothers. My parents are peasants. When I was in primary school, I went to live with my grandmother. Then one day I was sent home from school because I hadn’t paid school fees. I asked my grandmother to give me some money for the school fees. She told me to go and ask my parents for it. I went home and told my father about it and my father told me to go to my grandmother because she is the one I am living with, so I went back.

One day my grandmother gave me a lot of house chores that I couldn’t do them all, I told my grandmother that the chores were so many I couldn’t finish the. She told me “do you think the food you eating here is for free?” Then I asked her if for eating the food, I had to pay by doing a lot of house chores. I couldn’t finish them so my grandmother beat me up, and so I decided to go back home. By that time, I was nearly to complete standard seven (the final year of primary school).

One day I asked my father for the tuition money (for secondary school). He told me that he will never send a girl tuition to go to school because girls are useless and he will gain nothing from me. I was internally hurt then I told my mother about it. My mother really wanted us to go to school so she did all she could to get the money for us. (cont.)

DativaMushiDativaMushi

C O R E A CA D E M I C S • P E R S O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T • E M P L OYA B I L I T Y S K I L L S– D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 –

TODAY: [10 years later]Dativa is EdPowerment’s first Master’s Degree candidate. Her strong university performance met stringent Tanzanian requirements to proceed from her Degree in Education with Science to a Masters in Educational Planning and Administration. Dativa is now 26 – her age reflects her interrupted education and attests to her doggedness, maturity and willingness to study, study, study, in order to overcome environmental, educational and personal obstacles to excel above all expectations.

(cont.)

In 2010 she managed to take me to Kilimahewa to start Form one (the first year of secondary school).

I really liked school and I used all my efforts to study hard in order to pass my exams. I stayed at Kilimahewa for two years… the teachers were good and they always insisted and encouraged us to study hard. I did the QT qualifying test exam (a test all Tanzanian students take at the end of Form 2) but the results were not good for me to continue…

but I didn’t lose hope.

I repeated Form 2… and I got a sponsorship from Edpowerment who sent me to another (boarding) school where I had to resit for the national form two exams…

There was preparation at 5 o’clock morning and evening at 6 o’clock… I would like to thank those who put a hand in my sponsorship for me to continue with my studies. Maybe without them I would have now been in the streets doing nothing which would be a great risk to my life.

…May God bless you all...

DATIVA WITH HER MOM & BOARD MEMBER, STACEY

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ElizabethMassaweElizabethMassawe

WE MET ELIZABETH IN 2011Elizabeth’s parents died during her childhood, leaving her with one older sister in Standard 7, the final year of primary school. Her sister stopped school in order to earn some monies for basics and pay Elizabeth’s school fees, but in 2008 she married, leaving Elizabeth to stay with her grandmother not far from the Kilimahewa Center. Although Eliza attended a local government secondary school, it lacked basic resources, so she would come to Kilimahewa for extra “tuition” or tutoring. Here she came to the attention of two volunteers from Singapore on gap years! When asked if anyone stood out at the Center, they pointed out Elizabeth. Soon after, we enrolled her at a private boarding school that was willing to take a risk on our students in the hills of Rombo, Kilimanjaro.

Two years later, Elizabeth graduated the top of her class, Form 4. EdPowerment chose the highly regarded Bendel School for her high school (A level), Forms 5 & 6. You can’t imagine the joy two years later when Elizabeth learned that her Form 6 National Exam scores had secured her a spot in Medical School (in Tanzania, a 5-year Doctor of Medicine degree followed by a residency).

TODAY: [9 years later]On October 21 – as two of EdPowerment’s Board Members were visiting KIWOCE, Elizabeth ran in to announce that she had just received her final grades and was now DR. ELIZABETH MASSAWE. This month she began her residency at the well regarded Selian Lutheran Hospital in Arusha.

THIS PHOTO, TAKEN JUST THIS OCTOBER, SAYS IT ALL – ELIZABETH, DATIVA AND MARY – THREE ACCOMPLISHED YOUNG WOMEN, WHO WILL IMPACT THOUSANDS IN THEIR LIFETIME.

Mary John MunishiMARY JOHN MUNISHI NOW MANAGES EDPOWERMENT’S SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.

AS A 4TH GRADER, MARY WAS SPONSORED BY ANOTHER U.S. NON-PROFIT OPERATING IN NEARBY RAU. WHEN NOT IN CLASS, MARY WOULD HELP HER MOTHER, WHO COOKED FOOD AT A LOCAL MARKET,

TO MAKE A LIVING.

BECAUSE OF HER STRONG ACADEMIC ABILITY, MARY’S SPONSORSHIP WAS CONTINUED THROUGH SECONDARY SCHOOL, FORMS 1-4, AT ONE OF THE AREA’S BEST GIRLS

BOARDING SCHOOLS, AND THEN A GOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOL FOR HER A-LEVEL FORMS 5-6.

MARY WAS EXCEPTIONALLY SMART, CENTERED, DISCIPLINED AND MOTIVATED. HOWEVER, MARY’S SPONSORSHIP ENDED AT HIGH SCHOOL.

EDPOWERMENT STEPPED IN TO MAKE SURE THAT MARY COULD ATTEND A LEADING UNIVERSITY, THE TANZANIAN INSTITUTE OF ACCOUNTANCY, TO WHICH SHE HAD BEEN ACCEPTED.

NOW PURSUING HER CPA, MARY HANDLES THE FINANCES, COACHING AND OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES OF EDPOWERMENT’S CURRENT SPONSORSHIP “FAMILY.”

Joseph Felix

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MEASURETHE FULL

Joseph FelixWE MET JOSEPH IN 2014IT’S BECOME QUITE A STORYEach June, some of EdPowerment’s Directors and volunteers join the teaching staff at KIWOCE for a one week “enrichment” camp, attended by local teens on break between first and second semesters. We always pay attention to the “campers” to give awards to outstanding participants. In 2014, one teenager, Joseph Felix, stood out from all the rest. But Joseph had more in mind than just attending Camp.

HE NEEDED A SPONSORSHIP

Joseph was a top Form 2 student at a private boarding secondary/high school to which we were sponsoring his neighbor, Nemes. Joseph’s parents, menial laborers, had lost their jobs and could no longer pay his fees. Notice was served by the school that he could not return for the second semester without payment.

Joseph Felix

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FAST FORWARD TO TODAYJoseph is entering his third year of Medical School at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania’s top university for medical studies and hospital. He carries a GPA over 4.2. The best news, however, is Joseph’s unbridled enthusiasm to share his knowledge and growing skills with others.

HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED THIS SUMMER...

AUGUST TEMBA is one of EdPowerment’s younger sponsored students. Having scored highly on his Form 6 National Exam, he begins his university years at the highly competitive Ardhi

University this fall, hoping to major in civil engineering. August, however, has had ongoing severe medical issues. While EdPowerment uses the best medical providers in Moshi, full and accurate diagnoses is still nearly impossible. After many medications based on a diagnosis of ulcers (a somewhat common diagnosis) August continued to decline. We turned to JOSEPH. He took August to the main hospital in Moshi and guided him through specialist appointments and an endoscopy, making sure the doctors understood his history and he, in turn, understood what was happening. Finally, August had a correct diagnosis – no ulcers, rather structural issues with this esophagus and stomach.

JOSEPH WROTE:

“… they (his parents) consulted Director and he claimed the seminary (the term for his high school) cannot be driven without money. Moreover, they went to seek the advice from the parish priest and he claimed he has no help to me since the parish has bigger plans on its development.

Dear Madam, it has been a disaster as well as a big obstacle to my life…

When I heard about your Educational powerment from my friend, I was super-encouraged and now is my hope that your going to solve the problem.”

JOSEPH GUIDING AUGUST AT KCMC HOSPITAL

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– CHECK OUT THE PRIDE JOSEPH TOOK IN HELPING AUGUST:

“Hi Dada Mary, (this is to our sponsorship manager, Mary)

As with August, early in the morning, we attended to KCMC for his results on the endoscopy test that was done on Monday and for a medical prescription…

The biopsy taken confirmed that he has NO gastric ulcers – NO gastric tumor (associated with acid secretion – Zollinger type) – NO tumor to the esophagus (Barrett’s type).

So the tube had shown…

1) The sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus is open.

2) Some erosion to the esophagus.

3) Increased secretion of bile juice.

4) NO stomach ulcers.

Having said these, the Doctor prescribed two drugs. Here I included my own comments in brackets. The first medicine is Domperidone (a drug that causes food to move down the stomach. It prevents vomiting. It also causes drowsiness so it is usually taken at night). The other medicine is Pantoprazole (works by reducing amount of acid produced. Treats erosion to the esophagus)…

I am so delighted that August has known his problem. I see he has the right medicines to take than the ones prescribed for stomach ulcers...

Have a blessed weekend.

Sincerely, Joseph.”

With Joseph’s guidance and support, AUGUST is finally ready to join his University.

This is just the beginning of the thousands who will benefit from Joseph’s dedication when he completes medical school. For his part, August can now pursue his passion – engineering – and look forward to taking his place in Tanzania’s future.

AUGUST CELEBRATES HIS UNIVERSITY POSTING WITH HIS FAMILY

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