“Within My Heart There is a Tear Which Flows…”

IMG_0094
Photo: Sponsored second year students from the Tukuyu School of Nursing.

Happy New Year everyone! The members of our board and all our students want to thank you for your generous support this past year. We currently sponsor 29 students between the KCMC and Tukuyu Schools of Nursing. Seventeen students graduated in 2013, bringing the total number of graduates to 34.

Last month Tony told you  the story of one young woman we were able to add to our program thanks to your generosity. Below is the story of a second young woman we recently added. Unfortunately, these two stories are not uncommon, but it always breaks my heart to read about the hardships they endure. Especially when she descrobes her life situation and says:

“Within my heart there is a tear which flows…… “

“My heart is already tired due to the to and fro of finding the helper of my education.”

Below is her story (minor editing to make it more readable)– with a happy ending! I have added a few explanatory notes below her biography.

I was born April 15 1992. I am the first in my family, second is my brother who is called Mhina. We are two in our family. We live with our mother and our father died since we are child. we live in poor difficulty family because she is a house mother with no profession but she done a small job by using her hands.The job of mother is cooking cassava and selling it also have a small shop which we are used to sell onions ,chills ,tomatoes, and other thing like oranges. She does this in order to help us to survive by getting same food.

About my education status. I was start at Umoja primary school in 1999, and finished at 2005. After that I was passed at Kisarawe secondary school which was far from home, so I was supposed to travel some kilometers in order to reduce the amount of money which are used to the bus, because it takes 4 buses to arrive at school (see Comment 1 below). But other time I was supposed to sleep on the chairs of the school in order to save the money of the next day come to school. But when I reach form II (see Comment 2 below)my aunt (sister of mother) transfer me to another school which is Old Tanga . She done that in order to help my mother due to the cost which was used. I thanks my God help me and I was passed to advanced level (See Comment 3 below) at Ifunda girls high school in 2010. Throughout the life of two years when I live in that area due to the cost sharing and school fees and other needs was the source to make me in different thoughts about the life and my education

level that’s leading to make me in a poor performance.From that point for me to continue with my studies because the amount of money needed by the university was being higher than the money with my mother gets .so due that I was traveling different family and relative with their small amount in order to make the starting point of my education level at the college .And it’s in November 2012 I was get the post to join with Tukuyu nursing school of nursing.

For my first semester was done well in my studies and pass well. But in second semester is not good because I did not pay school fees and to be forced away from the class hours and practice (Comment 4). I do not have a place to go but I ask to my friend go her family and respond .After 2 weeks I return to school with small amount of school fees and allow me to continue with my studies.

Now I am in the second year I come with no contribution. And my aunt have a big family. With other relative and also my uncle is the one who help me in pay the school fees. Those are helping my grandmother who is sick and she is in Muhimbili referral hospital with diabetic mellitus and hypertension, so all contribution which needed by school are used in the hospital and mother have no means of getting money any else.From now my education is on dilema, because the one who paid the school fee have in different problem and he failed to pay the money for me. But when I return to principal and explain it to her, she said go and do as the same to other relative. When I return to other relative also failed to get the money of the school fees and contribution.

My heart is already tired due to the to and fro of finding the helper of my education. I decide to leave school due to no paid of school fee and other contribution from the last semester and now in second year coming and go to home to my mother. Within my heart there is a tear which flow because I real like and want to be a nurse who want to help others with different condition.

I was again return to principle and tell the situation and my decision of going back at home because didn’t any money for payment and my principle make me calming and advice me to continue staying at school and said she will try to help me by any means in order to ensure that I have complete my studies. Until now I have no direction where can get the money and where is my direction of my education tukuyu school of nursing.

Comment 1: She mentions taking 4 different busses. In Tanzania the local transportation consists of small, privately owned mini-busses. You pay a fare on each bus, so the sum of four bus fares adds up.

Comment 2: Form II is the second year of secondary education, referred to as Ordinary (or O-level). Read more about the Tanzania educational system here.

Comment 3: Advanced level (or A-Level) is the final two years of secondary education and admission requires high scores on national exams.

Comment 4: If the fees are not paid, the student is sent home to obtain money. From the school’s perspective, school fees are needed to pay expenses, including meals.

She has worked very hard to get this far. Less than 0.5% of young women with a rural background and low economic status finish A-level education. As you can see, it is a difficult task to attain money for school fees, involving support from family members who have their own needs.

When Gail, Wendy and I first travelled to Tanzania in 2007 tuition was less than $270 per year (including pocket money) to support our first two students. That fee schedule continued until August of 2012 when the government abruptly raised school fees by over 100% bringing our costs to over $500 per student (we reduced the amount of pocket money). Fees will increase again this fall by 44%. We know this upcoming increase will affect the number of students we can sponsor. We intend to do the best we can and feel privileged to be able (with your help) to sponsor as many young women as our budget allows.

In the future, this young woman (and other TNSP sponsored students) will not have to experience the desperation of scrapping money together for fees or the disappointment of having to drop out of school. On finishing their studies, they will find jobs easily and make approximately $260/month– a terrific income in comparison to a cash income for rural families of $300/YEAR.

We will be sending our next newsletter from Tanzania, where we will be for approximately five weeks. We look forward to sharing our trip with you!

Sincerely,

Linda van Werkhooven, President

 

Photo: The main market in Moshi with many small vendors of fruits and vegetables. Note the meat hanging in the open.
Photo: The main market in Moshi with many small vendors of fruits and vegetables. Note the meat hanging in the open.

Photo: Much of the agricultural work on small farms is done by women. There is much subsistence farming and the small amount of surplus is sold for cash income. Women walk many miles to market with produce that is typically balanced on their head. When Tony asked to take this picture, she requested payment which he dutifully handed over.
Photo: Much of the agricultural work on small farms is done by women. There is much subsistence farming and the small amount of surplus is sold for cash income. Women walk many miles to market with produce that is typically balanced on their head. When Tony asked to take this picture, she requested payment which he dutifully handed over.