A Christmas Story

I have got challenge to two female students who were depending on their relative for school fees and everything but now they have passed away and they have reported to me that they don’t have any help again they want to stop studies due to economic problem and they are in 2nd year.

Oh! what I did is to help them the bus fees so that they can go for breather in order they can find the alternatives for other relative who can be responsible for them.

Can you help me by views/ideas how i can save this daughter to accomplish their studies, they are real in hard time.

Now I need to explain what is going on. If students don’t pay their school fees they are sent home to earn money, to obtain money from family (close relatives, distant relatives) and/or neighbors. Typically, students return with a small amount of money and they can then continue with their studies. In the meantime, they have been absent from class and fallen behind. 

At the time we received this we were concerned with our ability to fund current students and I responded to Nolasca that we would not be able to assist these students. In considering my response, you need to take into consideration that the need for financial support is open ended and it is important for us to focus and to recognize limitations. Over the next month (and after sending this response) we received some very generous donations and we were able to reconsider the decision. I wrote to Nolasca and requested further information on the two students, including their academic progress. I received the following response from Nolasca:

Thanks for your response on my challenges which I shared with you last two months ago.

Dear Tony, I don’t want to loose these students that why I took this effort to share with you for following reasons:

– they have good performance even though they study with difficulties as most of the time they are send home for school fees (see attachment for results)

– even though i gave them bus fees to go home to find the alternative for other relative to help them ,they were unable to return back for one week as they had no bus fees and they didn’t get even one shilling for school fees.So I advised them to come to continue with the study first so they are back while they don’t know their end of study. all the time they are crying and depressed.

Thanks for your response and concern about the student. 

She is very need student that is why I decided to seek help.

As you see, her result of first semester was better but second semester is bad because most of the time she was out of the class and she had no time to concentrate on study because she was send home for school fees for two weeks she was not able to come back with even one shilling and she didn’t go home because she had no money for bus which cost about Tsh 50,000/= and she decided to stay to the classmate parents for all time waiting for the relative contribution with no success. When she came back again at school she were punished for being and missing the class. Then I decided to call her to know her problems. Oh! she explained the real condition of the financial position which makes even me to be depressed and she said “it is the time for me to leave the study as I have no alternative.” I didn’t end there, I take an effort of communicating with her aunt to see the possibilities. Her aunt said that she can’t help so she will have to leave the study and go home. 

Actually the failure was due to economic problems and she if she gets support she will perform well not only that she was able to pass even her advanced level with economic problems.

With this final piece of information we made the decision to sponsor both students with conditions of satisfactory academic performance. We communicated this to Nolasca who in turn informed the two students. I requested that the two students tell us a about themselves and their family. We received an email from both students. Here is one student’s story. I have inserted a few hyperlinks and corrected a few typos to improve the readability:

I was born in 1991. Am living with my aunt (mothers sister). Am the first born in my familly of two children. My father was a tailor. He passed away in 2000 years when I was in standard three,My mother was a mother house. After death of my father we lived with our mother,really life was tough though I was young but we lived in a very difficult condition. In 2002 my mother runned away from home and leave us alone, and all this is due to difficultness of life. From there my aunt took me and my young sister, My aunt is a mother house with three children also her husband passed away long years ago. My aunt use to cook maandazi and cassava so as to help us in all situation but also it is not so helpful, Life I experience is very hash. Aunt has to care for us as well as her children. Really is a difficult life, some times a meal provided once a day. 

In 2004 I completed standard seven, then I stayed for the whole 2005 without going to school, because there was no money for school fees although I passed to join form one. In 2006 I started form one but sometimes chased out of the class due to lack of fees. In 2009 I completed my O-level education and luck I was selected to join form five.My aunt tried from this way to that way and I was able to go for study. Also still there was a problem in school fees as well as other contribution. At the end my form six result was not good to allow me to go for university. This may be because of so many stress about the life I have passed, so I stayed at home with no faith to go for school again because aunt was not able to pay for me to take a certain course, My father was born alone to his family so I don’t have uncles or aunt(fathers sister). To help me, also my mother was the second born in her family of two children and aunt whom we lives with is the first born. So there is no any other closely relative to help

God is good I have applied for Nursing and I was selected to join at TUKUYU NURSING CENTER, in my first year aunt was the one contributing for fees but also was not able to complete for other contribution.Now I am in second year,and I have not yet paid for any thing in school. I decided to go to the principle to inform that I have to leave the school because I don’t have any place to find. My aunt now is very sick, no any help from her, because she don’t have strength to cook maandazi or cassava. She always in bed. Aunt is suffering from TB. And I have tried to find for other help from other relatives but don’t have help and the answer I have given from other relatives really it was painfuly. Principle of the school tell me to find any means so that to pay school fees and other school contribution. I have tried to look for the help again but with no succes, so I have decided to leave the school because I saw I can not able to pay for this semister and even the remaining semistersmoney for school fees so it will be better if I will be back home considering my aunt is sick; I will not even able to study due to difficult situation am experiencing. But Principle encourage me to still staying at school, and said she will try to help me in order for me to complete my studies,

Real want to be a nurse, but it comes to the point I thought that if my father and mother were present maybe I wont pass in a very difficult situation like this. And till now I don’t know where is my mother whether she is alive or not.

Well l would like to thank you for this great gift to me. I have received it with my all heart and great happy. I have got your message from my Principle that you have discussed and reach to the last say of deciding to help me in this situation, really thanks a lot and God bless you.

It was very hard for me to reach even to this level, because previously I had a help at least from my aunt after death of my father as well as running away of my mother at home but for what I have experienced before your help it was a hard situation, as my aunt is sick no more contribution and no any other helpfrom my relatives to let me remaining to school.

Thanks for your challenge concern my studies as you have said that I have to continue getting pass in all my remaining second & third years semister.What I promice you is to ensure my performance is good and not drop back, till I become a professional nurse in ethics and all other concern.

I really want and enjoy to be a nurse simply because; I want to help other people who experience physical, social, spiritual and culture aspect which affect health potential of them. I believe by being a nurse I can manage to prevent and reduce rate of mortality in any place I work in, by using skill and theory what am getting from TUKUYU NTC. No more to add than still say thank you very much, also I have been given 25000TSH/= from principle real thank you. Now I see my future has became true through your great help from you.

So there you have it – a very long story with a very happy ending because of the generosity of many people… A real Christmas story!

Finally, Linda and I will be going to Tanzania mid-February and we look forward to meeting both of these young ladies. At this point, I again need to say that our travels and student entertainment are on our nickel. 

Please please feel to leave comments or questions below.

Tony

for my good little buddy of many years, Linda