May Higher Learning Fund

Marko, 26 years old

‘’Marko’s  Education Journey’’

Marko, the second-born in a family of four, grew up in Ngongongare village, located in Arumeru District, Arusha Region, Northern Tanzania. His childhood was marked by his parents' reliance on animal husbandry and crop cultivation, which provided just enough for household consumption but left no room for other income-generating activities.

In 2006, Marko began his primary education at Ngongongare Primary School. He completed seven years there and graduated in 2012 after passing the Standard 7 national examinations. Marko's educational journey took a challenging turn when he started secondary school in 2013. Unlike primary education, secondary schooling required fees and contributions that his family struggled to afford.

With his older brother in Form V at a distant boarding school and his younger siblings also needing support, Marko's parents decided to sell a portion of their land. They moved to Manyara, hoping the cheaper land would provide better opportunities. Marko and his younger brother were sent to boarding school, but financial difficulties continued. He had to repeat Form One in 2014 and eventually dropped out in Form III due to unpaid school fees in 2015 and 2016.

Despite these setbacks, his university-going brother, who encouraged him to continue his education, rekindled Marko’s hope. In 2017, Marko re-did the Form II national exam as a Qualifying Test candidate in Manyara and passed. However, financial challenges persisted, preventing him from registering as a Private Candidate in 2018. In 2019, his brother managed to help him register for the Form IV national exam, which Marko passed, qualifying him for advanced level studies.

Learning about Jifundishe programs, Marko's brother suggested the Independent Study Program. Marko joined in July 2019, studying History, Geography, and Economics (HGE). Supported by the Jifundishe May Higher Learning Scholarship Fund, he passed the Form Six national exam and is now a second-year university student at Saint Augustine University of Tanzania, pursuing a Bachelor of Education in Economics. With excellent academic results, Marko aims to continue to a master's degree and ultimately become an Economics lecturer. His journey, fraught with challenges, stands as a testament to perseverance and the relentless pursuit of education.

Christina, 24 years old.

‘’Breaking Barriers: Christina’s Path’’

Christina was born in the Shinyanga region, located in Northern Tanzania. She is the second of five children—four girls and one boy. Among her siblings, Christina stood out with her strong vision for education. The family lived with their mother, who worked as a hotel attendant and earned a daily wage. Unfortunately, their father passed away in 2006 when Christina was just six years old.

In 2006, her mother took her to her grandmother’s home in Tinde. There, she joined Ngokolo Primary School in Shinyanga. Life in her grandmother’s village was challenging; she had to assist with all the household chores and even collect leftover charcoal from the jungle to sell. This income helped buy school clothes and other necessities. Despite facing difficulties, she persevered. Although there were days when she could not attend school due to the long distance (lack of transportation), she managed to graduate from primary school in 2012.

In 2013, she was selected to join secondary education, but she faced challenges. With no one to support her, she had to find domestic work to earn money for her mother’s medical treatments. She worked as a housemaid until May 2013. Despite her efforts, she managed to attend school for only three days in May 2023 before falling ill and leaving.

Following her recovery, returning to the same class was no longer feasible due to the significant gap in her education. Undeterred, she persisted in working as a housemaid for two different families in Shinyanga. Later, she moved to Mara region and then Mwanza, continuing her work. Despite her efforts, finding a school proved elusive, and she did not succeed in enrolling.

In February 2016, Christina secured another job in Arusha as a housemaid. While working there, she continued her search for a school. One day, while listening to the radio, she heard about the Agape AIDS Control Programme—an NGO that aimed to provide free educational opportunities for girls affected by early marriage and pregnancies. Through this program, Christina received a second chance to return to school. She began in February 2018, taking the Qualifying Test (QT) for both Form One and Form Two. In November 2019, she successfully completed the Form Two national exam and qualified to continue as a Private Candidate (PC) for Form III and Form IV. Unfortunately, she could not afford the tuition fees required for the PC level, so she decided to return to Arusha, where she had been working.

In 2020, Christina heard about the Jifundishe Free Library and completed all the application processes. She joined the Independent Study program as a Private Candidate (PC) student, studying Form Three and Form Four for two years. Her hard work paid off, and she successfully passed the Form Four national exam in 2022.

In May 2022, Christina advanced to the next level at Jifundishe and focused on arts subjects—History, Geography, and Language—for one year. She took the national exam in May 2023 and successfully passed. As a result, she was selected to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Labor Relations and Public Management at the Institute of Social Work in Dar es Salaam, starting in October 2023.

Despite facing challenges, Christina could not secure a government loan, which is a common situation for university students in Tanzania. However, thanks to the Jifundishe May Higher Learning program, which supports university students, Christina now receives funding for her three years of university studies.

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