From Summer Camps to Fall Fundraising

Greetings and Gratitude! We at Girls Ed hope that you had a fabulous summer and are ready for the transition into Fall. For many of us, this means 'back to school' -- but in Tanzania, this means the end of the school year is approaching. It also means that national exams are on the horizon for many of our students.

We'd like to share a few updates from this past summer! First - let me make a big shout out to Lucas and Madaga, our dedicated in-country program managers for all of their hard work throughout the year! We could do nothing without them! Asanta sana, ndugu zangu!

Study Camp - June 2017

Our study camp was excellent this year! We had a record number of students - girls from Form 1, 2, 3, and 4. We joined fellow students from Project Wezesha - boys and girls in Forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Our Form 6 students - Dibeit, Tumsifu and Saidi - were helping us out as teachers. They taught Biology, Chemistry, and Math respectively. It's so wonderful to have them in the classroom in this capacity - paying it forward.

We had many teachers from Kichangachui Secondary School - teaching their core subjects to our girls. We also had a teacher from Amahoro Secondary School, Monica who came in from Mwandiga every day to teach Biology. The girls really enjoyed having two women teachers this year - Monica and Fedha, who taught Kiswahili. We're very grateful to the teachers who gave their time and really motivated our students to give their all during this 4-week intensive camp. We were able to offer them salaries for their work thanks to your support!

My colleague from St. Michael's College, Katie and I taught English classes to Form 1, 2, and 3 students. We had the opportunity to get creative with class time. We introduced the students to many communicative activities that are quite unlike the traditional, teacher-centered approaches they are used to. They enjoyed the variety and impressed us with how much they had to say in English on a range of topics. Here is a snapshot of two activities we did with them. Make sure to click the links and check out the videos of them in action.

Activity - Running Dictation

In our last report, we shared about the fun time our students had on our field trip to Gombe. This video shows them back in the classroom doing a running dictation activity based on a text about Gombe National Park. In teams of four, students choose a person to be the 'runner', a person to be the 'scribe', a person to be the 'reader',  and a person to assist with reporting and editing. The runner runs across the classroom where a reader reads from a short text. The runner remembers as much as she can and then reports to her team. The scribe writes what she hears and the assistant helps correct spelling and check for missing words. When teams are finished, we read the text aloud and they check their work. Activities following this one build on the text -- we worked with new vocabulary, comprehension, and did some additional communicative tasks to let students talk about their trip to Gombe. As you can see in the video, they loved it!

Activity - Concentric Circles Interview

Another activity the girls really enjoyed was a mix and mingle activity to let them practice speaking in English without a focus on accuracy (rather fluency). Students form two circles with the inner circle facing the outer circle. They shake hands to make sure each has a partner, then we give them questions to discuss. They each take a turn responding, then the inner circle moves over one space to face a new partner. They continue in this way - discussing questions with new partners until they have talked to everyone in the circle. You can see in this video that they were using a lot of English, giggling, and enjoying class time! What more can you ask for?

Fall is for Fundraising! Launch your own Fall Fundraiser: GlobalGiving has a great tool that allows anyone to start an online fundraiser to benefit an organization of their choice. Simply visit our project page. To the right, you'll see the donation options, followed by payment options, and below that - a blue button that says "Start a Fundraiser". You can raise money in honor of someone or for an event (wedding, birthday, sporting event, etc.). Launch it and encourage friends and family to donate -- then watch your impact grow with each contribution.

Interview with our student, Tania - Pakistan

Introducing the bright and insightful, Tania!

Q: What’s your name and how old are you?

My name is Tania Farooq and I was born on 12th October, 2000. I am 16 years old. I belong to Dhok Nato Wala from Hattar village.

Q: What does education mean to you?

Education changes the personality of a person. An educated person can secure better job and respectable place in the society. Education teaches the ways to respect elders.

Q: How does the opportunity of education change women’s life?

Education holds significant importance in the life of a woman. An educated woman knows how to raise her voice and fight for her rights. People are scared to commit violence on an educated woman because they know she will not bear it. An educated woman has awareness unlike an uneducated woman.

Q: What is your favorite subject and why?

Mathematics, Pakistan studies and Urdu are my favorite subjects. I love to do the calculations involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. I also like the counting. I enjoy the poetry in Urdu. In Pakistan studies, I am really keen to know about the history of my country. It feels good to know about the boundary of Pakistan.

Q: Tell us something about you that you want us to know. What do you like to do in your free time? What are your dreams?

I love to read magazines, buy the beauty parlor’s stuff and do the cooking. I want to become the captain in the army when I grow up. I want to serve my parents and my country. I want to have a huge hospital and school in my village. I want every girl of my village to be educated.

“People are scared to commit violence on an educated woman because they know she will not bear it. An educated woman has awareness unlike an uneducated woman. ”

Academic Study Camp in Tanzania - June 2017

Our June 2017 Academic Study Camp in Tanzania was a great success! We're happy to share these notes from the field!

Visiting Gombe National Park

The Sunday prior to camp, we took our students to Gombe National Park, which is located 10 miles north of Kigoma on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. Our students had the opportunity to sit for an hour and observe the G Family, a group of chimpanzees who are most accustomed to people. They are the family that Jane Goodall did much of her early research with. If you ever read about the chimps in Gombe, you've likely read about Gremlin, Gaia, Gimli, and the other famous G-family chimps.The two 'toddlers' in the family provided boundless entertainment for us.

Our students sitting with the G Family at Gombe National Park - learning through observation.

Our students observed, took notes, asked questions of the guides and marveled in the lush habitat that the Jane Goodall Institute has striven to protect for decades. These students live in the villages surrounding Gombe, yet they had never visited. We hope that among the 43 students on the trip, many were inspired to become educators, researchers, and stewards of wildlife and wild places!

Life at Study Camp

The students arrived in Kigoma town from their respective villages on Saturday, June 3rd. Their parents escorted them, dropped them off, and wished them well as they settled in for 30 days at the Kichangachui Secondary School. One of the classrooms was converted into a dorm room for the girls, where they sleep together with Mama Amina, who is also our head chef.

On the first day of camp, the enormous water tanks were empty (dry season) so the girls had to collect buckets of water from a neighboring villager. But in the meantime, Lucas hired a truck to pump water from the lake. This water filled the tanks and will be used for washing and cooking. We also purchased drinking water from town. During rainy season, water is not an issue - but we learn to roll with the punches in Tanzania!

From 7:30-3pm, the girls study subjects in alternating blocks from day to day: Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, English, Math and Swahili. After lunch and a rest, they resume at 4:30 with peer instruction aimed to review the concepts they encountered during the day. During these small group sessions, a more advanced peer leads the others as they do homework, solve problems, clarify confusing concepts, etc. It was remarkable to see them in action and on task.

Peer Support

Students teach one another Chemistry

After dinner, they have some free time, followed by one final push for homework before bed.

Professional Campers

For all the students in our program, this is their second time at study camp. Since they had the experience in December, they are all pro-campers now! Madaga, our Education Specialist noted how this time around, there was far less management required by the teachers when it came time for students to group up and engage in discussions. They knew where to be and what to do. They stayed on task for the duration of the peer-instruction session and demonstrated their desire and willingness to apply what they had learned.

History with Madaga

Students listen to a dynamic lecture about the role of colonists in the formation of modern day Africa.

Form Four Girls - Onward and Upward

Our cohort of Form 4 girls has the added pressure of National Examinations in October. The results on these examinations determine whether or not they can continue through to A-level studies (Form 5 and 6; required for participation in University). I said to them: "Maybe one of you will be our first girl to go to Form 5." They all responded together, "All!" Well, I'll take that. If we can see all of them go on to Form 5, that would be truly amazing--a feat for any Tanzanian, but a truly remarkable accomplishment for students from village government schools. We know this study camp is essential in helping them realize this goal.

How Can You Help?

Each study camp costs around $3700. We know now that this camp is a catalyst for change, a key to success for our students. The cost of the camp covers two cooks (who prepare three meals per day for 46 students), our teachers (who are paid by the number of periods they teach per week), water, the watchmen (who keeps our girls safe all day and night), Mama Amina (who stays with the girls in the night and attends to any issues that arise with their health and emotional well-being), and any unforeseen situations (e.g., medications, first aid, trips to hospital, feminine hygiene products, etc.).

Girls Education International ensures that 70% of the funds we raise go directly to our programming (e.g., study camp, required textbooks, fees for those who the government issued to boarding school, etc.). A small additional percentage covers Lucas' salary as our in-country manager. And of course, our steady and essential partner, GlobalGiving earns their commission for helping us stay in touch with you, streamlining the process for reporting on our progress, sharing photos, and letting you know how you've made a difference. We spend a fraction on 'overhead' (e.g., board insurance, our PO Box in Colorado, and maintaining our 501(c)3 registration). We really can't be more transparent about it - we are a volunteer run organization and we appreciate your continued support.

Please do consider signing up to make a monthly contribution - of any amount. Sustained giving goes a long way to help us continue the work we're doing. You can share this blog entry with friends and let them know why Girls Education International matters to you. Make sure you follow us on Facebook for the most up to date reports, photos and other related news. Also, you can visit our website and learn more about how you can help by visiting our Support Tool Kit.

Interview with our student, Esha - Pakistan Program

We are delighted to have the opportunity to share some thoughts directly from the girls we support in Pakistan. In this entry, we introduce you to Esha.

Q: What’s your name and how old are you

My name is Esha and I am 14 years old. As I never celebrated my birthday so I don’t know my exact age. I am from village Sayyidan.

Q: What does education mean to you?

To me, education is very much important in our lives. Educated people can help and support others in an effective way. Any society can succeed on the basis of education.

Q: How does the opportunity of education change women’s life?

If a woman is not educated, she may face many different problems. An educated woman can earn good and so can provide her children with good health and quality education. A literate woman can easily travel to other cities or places. If she becomes a widow she doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. She can take better care of rights of her husband and children. An educated woman has strong decision making power and can speak up in decisions regarding her life.

Q: What is your favorite subject and why?

I like Islamiat [Islamic Religious Studies] and Urdu. Islamiat provides me the knowledge about our religion. I love the stories in Urdu, especially the love stories of girls and boys.

Q: Tell us something about you that you want us to know. What do you like to do in your free time? What are your dreams?

I now know why Bedari is interested in girl’s education. I spend my leisure time while reading stories, doing household chores and working in fields. I have only one best friend. I want to become a pilot in future. I am very fond of higher education. I have a dream that may my house be the best in the entire world. I want a high school for girls in the village.