Hujambo, Team Tumaini!
It hardly seems possible that we are preparing for our seventh annual Board trip to Tanzania. I am happy to share a few of the highlights I anticipate for our visit later this week:
1. New Tumaini Scholars
We will add a new class of Form One students to our program this year. In addition to welcoming a new group of students at Sakila Secondary School, we are planning to build on our young partnership with Nkoanekoli Secondary School, a new school in a town adjacent to Sakila, where our local partner, Mwalimu Mbmwabo, was recently named headmaster. One of my favorite parts of each trip is visiting the homes of these new students, often walking one or two hours to reach each home (the distance many of these students walk to reach school each day). A committee of teachers and administrators from the primary and secondary schools has selected these students based on academic merit and financial need.
2. Current Tumaini Scholars
We will meet with the families of the students we are currently supporting to review the students' academic progress, encourage the student-mentor program, and reevaluate our mutual financial commitments. Each family makes a contribution to its student's education, and every scholarship is individually tailored to meet each family's need.
3. Workshop
We will host a large workshop with all our students on Saturday. Our oldest students will lead the program, which will consist of fun games, team building, and discussions of how commitment to service and concern for community can inform our studies and vocations. A medical student from one of Tanzania's top medical schools will serve as this year's guest speaker to provide unique encouragement. And, as we do every year, we will enjoy a big feast with the students!
4. Strategic Planning with Local Partners
This year's visit will emphasize strategic planning with our local partners (particularly the headmasters, teachers, and bank officials who work with us) to ensure the long-term sustainability of our post-secondary school program. We are delighted to supportTumaini scholars at several universities across Tanzania (studying education, engineering, and medicine), at Teachers' Colleges (training to become primary school teachers), at vocational schools, and at advanced level ("A-level") boarding schools. Many of these young men and women helped start Tumaini Tanzania when they were fourteen-year-old students; now they are twenty-two-year-old leaders in their community, and we couldn't be prouder. While this expansion of our program certainly increases our costs and logistical hurdles, we are confident that the investment is worthwhile.
As always, the individual Board members who are going on this visit are personally funding the costs of this trip--you can be sure that 100% of your donations are always applied directly to the communities with whom we partner in Tanzania.
We plan on gathering lots of photos, videos, and stories during our time in Sakila to provide a glimpse of the lives you are touching. We look forward to sharing these on our website (www.tumainitanzania.org) when we return. Thank you for keeping us and the Tumaini community in your thoughts and prayers over the next two weeks.
Mungu akubariki (God bless),
Lide
