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Melania and Flora Complete Vocational Field Study 

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Melania and Flora Complete Vocational Field Study 

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Melania and Flora completed their field study toward completion of a certificate in design sewing and clothing technology. They had the opportunity to be placed together at Sunflag, a textile and clothing company based in Arusha, Tanzania.  Read more on our blog (linked above).

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In this video, Lucas interviews Flora in Swahili about her recent field experience for her certificate in sewing design and clothing technology. Flora explains that she completed her field experience in Arusha. She refined her tailoring skills, learning how to make shirts, dresses, and suits from Kanga and Kitenge materials. She extends tremendous gratitude and blessings to everyone who has supported her and her peers so they could have this opportunity. She also says how happy she was to have the chance to see Arusha; to know a larger city. Finally, Lucas invites her to stand up and show off the lovely dress that she made.

Flora, once a very shy young woman has really come out of her shell. To see her speak so openly and with such confidence about this experience is such a testament to the value of investing in and believing in young women. Without the opportunities of study camp, secondary school, and now this vocational training experience, Flora might still be a reserved young woman, taking a step back, letting others speak for her, and walking the path chosen by others.

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From Interns to Entrepreneurs - Girls Education International

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This Spring, with your support, Girls Ed funded the field experiences (internships) of students attending the Nyamidaho Vocation Education and Training Authority (VETA). Among the cohort of those completing their internships were Melania and Flora. They are each pursuing a certificate in design sewi

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"An educated woman can earn good and so can provide her children with good health and quality education." - Esha

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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.

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Interview with our student, Esha - Pakistan Program - Girls Education International

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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.

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Hadija Completes Technician Certificate in Pharmaceutical Science -- and Gets a Job!

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Hadija Completes Technician Certificate in Pharmaceutical Science -- and Gets a Job!

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In Fall 2020, Hadija completed her certificate program and was hired at a pharmacy. She is thrilled with her new job, but also has a dream of continuing her education to pursue an advanced diploma in pharmaceutical studies.

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August 2019

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Rabia completed her studies at the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) in Kigoma. She was awarded a certificate of completion in Design Sewing and Clothing Technology. Now she has her sights set on opening her own tailoring business so that she, too, can support herself and her family.

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August 2019

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In 2020, Girls Ed celebrates Edasta -- the first girl from our Tanzania Program to start university!

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Lucas interviewed Edasta.
Here is her story.
I was born in Mgaraganza village, I was raised in the village - studying primary in a village, studying secondary in a village, studying high school in a village. I have always lived with my mother. My birth father passed away when I was 4 years old. My mother - because she was a young - got remarried and moved from Mgaraganza to Gungu where I live now. I still visit my grandMother often in Mgaranganza. When I come home from school, I help my mother to sell vegetables in Gungu Market. While sitting at my mother's table at the market, I saw many girls my age who are pregnant or already have a child. They seem to have so much trouble. I asked myself - At university, I want to study In school, I studied hard because I wanted to show the village parents who don't believe girls can achieve their dreams. Kaka Lucas encouraged me many times. Thank you very much, kaka! As a girl who was finishing all my studies in the village, I saw many challenges faced by the girls in many villages.

1. Bad vision from parents - they believe girls need to be marred only and not to study.

2. The girls do not understand the importance of education.

3. There is a lack of teachers.

Procurement

1. A group of girls from the village completed their studies in the village and succeeded can arrange a special day to visit the schools and encourage girls to believe it's possible to go to high school and university.

2. Hire more teachers for village schools.

3. Provide a seminar for the parents to dispel beliefs that girls can't excel. Some girls pass the examination but the parents do not pay fees and other costs. But if boys pass the examination they will borrow the money and pay.

4. Keep asking donors for support. Ask people who have enough money and are willing to support girls in the village. This will be very good. The number of girls who will join university like me will be increased.

it will be easy to find a job in a company, a dispensary, ata school, in the government, etc. I see the challenge of my country - now many people do not have jobs and they live with a bad life, like my stepdad. Thank you very much to Thank you very much Thank you very much brother Lucas for supporting me and for giving me good advice. I made it this far because of you.
aunt Rai and brother Lucas for supporting me via Project Wezesha from the beginning up to now. Girls Education International for supporting me from the beginning up to now. if I do not get this supporter from Project Wezesha and Girls Education International, will I be the same like those girls?
What people can do? I recommend:

Finally, I want to say:

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Edasta -- The First Girls Ed University Student! - Girls Education International

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One of our greatest highlights for 2020 is that we are celebrating the first university student from among our scholarship recipients! Edasta completed high school this year. She performed well on her national exams and applied to two university programs. She was accepted and reported to university

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"I want to have a huge hospital and school in my village. I want every girl of my village to be educated." - Tania

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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.

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Interview with our student, Tania - Pakistan - Girls Education International

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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.

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When parents asked the girls in Pakistan to join in the field for peanut picking the girls refused by saying that their studies suffer and they will not go to field. They asked to have the work equally distributed among the boys, the girls and the adults instead.

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Chalwalian Village is situated in the district Chakwal. Agriculture is the major profession of the people in this village. Crops are cultivated twice in a year. Wheat and peanuts are the main crops of this region. Usually all family members should be involved during the harvesting of these crops.

Peanut harvesting takes time of three months (October, November and December), during which girls education efforts suffer as they can't attend the classes. Due to girls "small" and "thin" fingers, it is preferred that the girls perform the task of searching for peanuts by digging the soil instead of boys and adults.

There are eight girls that Girls Education International supports with their studies in the village of Chalwali. These girls decided among themselves that they will not do the peanut work during October -December and will focus on their studies instead. Missing three months of school would mean that they cannot take the exams in December necessary to pass to the next grade.

So this season, when parents asked the girls to join in the field for peanut picking the girl refused by saying that their studies suffer and that they will not go to field. They asked to have the work equally distributed among the boys, the girls and the adults instead.

To our delight, the parents of the girls responded positively. They also advised the girls to pay attention to their studies.

The girls expressed thankfulness to Bedari and Girls Education International that they have enabled them to express their wishes and feelings with their parents. They said that they felt empowered to express their feelings due to the support and encouragement to contiue their studeis from the organization. They are also thankful to their parents that they gave them a chance of having the education.

It is those stories filled with courage and commitment to education and positive societal change that keep our spirits high and our dedicaton to our work strong. But it is only through your support that it is possible to give those young women access to education, sense of empowerment and goal of bettering thier lives and lives of other women in the community. We thank you for that, Girls Education International supporters.

With the permissions of the student that shared this report with us, we share her photo with you.

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Peanuts vs. Exams - Small Acts of Resistance - Girls Education International

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Peanut harvesting takes time of three months (October, November and December), during which girls education efforts suffer as they can't attend the classes. Due to girls "small" and "thin" fingers, it is preferred that the girls perform the task of searching for peanuts by diggin

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August 2019

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August 2019

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Sadia, a student in our Pakistan Program uses her voice and her willpower to break a barrier and show her family what she's capable of.

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During this time my brothers used to go to school on their bicycles because the biggest obstacle to continuing education was financial problems to cover my traveling expenses. Sometimes I thought that if I had a bicycle I could go to school. Keeping this in view, Bedari, provided the travelling support to me in terms of bearing travelling expenses, and enabled me to continue my education. I am currently enrolled in Grade 9.

To fulfill this wish, when my father and brothers were not at home, I used to ride their bicycles. In the beginning, I found it difficult and many times I fell off and got injured, but I continued this practice.

One day when my father and brothers went to a wedding in a neighboring village, a team from the health department vaccinated the children in our village. My mother was very ill that day. My 4-year old youngest brother had to be vaccinated. In this disturbing situation, I put my brother on a bicycle without any hesitation and took him with me for vaccination.

Many times now I use my brother's bicycle for household chores, such as bringing things from the market for the house or giving a ride to my younger brother to study in the mosque. But I perform all these tasks in the absence of my brothers. Because they wouldn't let me use their bicycle if they were at home.

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Breaking the Barriers on a Bicycle - Girls Education International

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During this time my brothers used to go to school on their bicycles because the biggest obstacle to continuing education was financial problems to cover my traveling expenses. Sometimes I thought that if I had a bicycle I could go to school.

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August 2019

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August 2019

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Interview with Sania - The Value of Education

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Interview with Sania - The Value of Education

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In this brief interview, we discuss the importance of education with our student Sania. In 2018, Sania completed Form 4, took her national examinations, and now hopes to go on to pursue post-secondary education for work in accounting and finance. She hopes to one day be a banker.

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Why is Education Important to You? An Interview with Sania

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August 2019

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August 2019

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Sada and Asia both secured teaching contracts at local Islamic Primary Schools.

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Asia also works at Rauf Islamic Primary School. She teaches a gardening class, reading and math. The photo and show her working with young learners who are identifying and naming numbers in English. She is thrilled about her new job, as are her parents. Asia and Sada are also delighted to be working at the same school!

These young women are a testament to the impact of education on life and community in Tanzania. In Tanzania, young women like Sada and Asia - who both come from villages surrounding Kigoma town - would likely be married and perhaps with children by this age. Thanks to the support of Girls Education International, they completed secondary school, they attended multiple academic study camps, they performed well on national exams, and successfully completed certificate programs to become nursery school teachers! Now they are happily employed, inspired, and motivated to keep learning and see how they can grow in their teacher roles. When they are ready to marry and become mothers, they will do so with a solid educational foundation that will inform the decisions they make as teachers, wives, mothers, and members of their society!

International Women's Day - Girl Fund Campaign

Girls Education International is part of GlobalGiving's Please join us for a celebration of as we strive to raise $9,000 - our annual budget for the work we do with our partner, Bedari, in Pakistan. Similar to our work in Tanzania, the work we support in Pakistan is creating the future teachers, nurses, and educated mothers of the country. The campaign runs from midnight on Friday March 6th through midnight on March 13th. To celebrate International Women's Day, GlobalGiving is giving out $15,000 in bonus prizes during the first 24 hours of the campaign! Keep an eye on our for more information! You can .

Thank you for all you do to support Girls Ed so we can continue to support the young women of Pakistan and Tanzania!

With gratitude,

The Girls Ed Team
info@girlsed.org

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Sada and Asia Join the Ranks of Educators in Tanzania! - Girls Education International

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After completing secondary school and participating in several academic study camps, seven of the young women we support elected to pursue a certificate in Nursery School Education. In Fall 2019, they completed their studies. Between October and January, several of them have been hired as teachers i

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After earning a certificate from a nursery school teacher education program, Lois is hired as the newest teacher at a local daycare center for the youngest learners.

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Many of them are eager to continue their eduction, to pursue an additional diploma in education. We encouraged the newly certified nursery school teachers to get some professional experience for at least one year. Within weeks of being given this advice, Lois landed a job at Malaika Daycare Center.

Lois teaches a beautiful group of 1-3 year old children. She is responsible for teaching them letters, numbers, and songs in Swahili and English. She cares for them all day, which is no small feat when you have 10+ toddlers! She manages their behavior, feeds them, supervises them during play time, and helps to build their characters as they play and learn together.

She is now making 100,000 Tanzanian shillings per month! (*Note: This is about 43 USD, however the average village family in this region lives on subsistence farming or fishing, so Lois' salary is significant for her and her family.) Lois is planning to save her money. She dreams of continuing her education to pursue a degree in education.

We are so proud of Lois for being a role model to these young children. She would not have this opportunity without our campaign to support young women pursuing post-secondary education. Now Lois is able to share her passion for education with the next generation of Tanzanians! See her in action in this videofilmed by Lucas this week.

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In November 2019, another cohort of Form 4 students took the national examinations that determine their future educational opportunities. We're sure they will all perform well enough to pursue post-secondary education. There is so much potential for these young women to change their worlds in big and small ways. Will you help us support them?

Please share this report about Lois with your friends and family. Encourage them to make a contribution during this holiday season so that we can continue to leverage the power of education!
Global Giving #GivingTuesday Campaign Cyber Monday (or any day you shop online!):
Make sure you're following us on Facebook!

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Lois - One of Kigoma's Newest Nursery School Teachers - Girls Education International

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Many of them are eager to continue their eduction, to pursue an additional diploma in education. We encouraged the newly certified nursery school teachers to get some professional experience for at least one year. Within weeks of being given this advice, Lois landed a job at Malaika Daycare Center.