Off we go!

Our bags are packed, our passports are in hand, and our hearts our full: we're flying out later this week for our eighth annual Board visit to Tanzania! We make this long trip every year for a few reasons: to maintain our relationships with our students, to ensure transparency in our operations, to provide accountability on both sides of the Atlantic, and to listen to and learn from our local partners who drive this organization. We're excited about several goals for our week in East Africa:

Catching up with our thriving students. We will meet with all our scholars who are in Forms 1-4 and hope to visit a few who are in Forms 5-6 and university.
Visiting with our families. These mamas (moms), babas (dads), bibis (grandmothers), and babus (grandfathers) have welcomed us into their homes and watched us grow over the past decade. Many of them have become family to us. And they all care deeply about their students' education.
Investing in our schools. We continue to be so grateful for our solid relationships with Sakila Secondary School and Nkoanekoli Secondary School, and we look forward to visiting with the teachers and administrators there. We are excited about how the schools continue to innovate and expand, and we are glad to participate in that locally run effort.
Celebrating our graduates. We hope to visit a few of our graduates--like Barakaely, featured below--who are now teaching in schools across Tanzania.
Welcoming our newest students. One of our greatest joys is extending scholarships to new students who are brilliant but who could not receive an education beyond primary school without our help. We will walk several hours to visit the homes and meet the families of these new Form One students. We tailor each scholarship to each student, with his/her family contributing as much as possible.
Building our community. It has become a fun tradition that our oldest scholars lead a workshop to bring together our teams from both Sakila and Nkoanekoli. Our students and local partners will enjoy a large feast, hear from a guest speaker, and discuss how they can support each other in using their education to strengthen their community.
Planning for our future. We are meeting with several local partners--including consultants from Nairobi, local school administrators, local bankers, and government officials--to continue to evolve as an organization. In particular, this year we will be exploring funding models for our students pursuing higher education to make sure we are unlocking their full potential and also using our money wisely.

Check our website (www.tumainitanzania.org) after our trip for photos, videos, and updates! As always, the Board members and Tumaini supporters who are going on this year's trip are funding their own travel expenses. You can be confident that 100% of your donations directly benefit the communities we partner with in Tanzania. We are very grateful for your continued support!