By Rai Farrelly | Co-Founder, Project Wezesha
Dear Project Wezesha Supporters,
The time has finally come for our first scholarship students to really spread their wings and take flight into higher education! We are so proud of Tumsifu, Dibeit and Saidi for completing Form 6 and doing well enough on their exit examinations to join universities in Tanzania.
Dibeit and Tumsifu are both interested in studying medicine. Their long-term goals are to become surgeons. In particular, they both shared their unique interests in maternal health care. It's not surprising since they both come from small villages in Western Tanzania where the incidence of maternal and/or infant mortality are high. It has historically been difficult for women to get to the hospital to deliver their babies and when certain complications arise, even the best midwife loses patients. Fortunately, development is spreading in Tanzania, so transportation options are increasing from villages into town hospitals.
In 2015, a dear friend in Mgaraganza village--one of the most respected midwives in the area--was delivering the twin babies of her own daughter. Unfortunately, after many hours in labor in the village, the babies were not coming. They made their way to the hospital, which took a long time given the late hour and lack of transportation. At the hospital, the mother and both babies died. This was my friend's first loss ever after having delivered hundreds of babies ... and it was her own daughter and grandchildren.
It's stories like this one that have moved Dibeit and Tumsifu to explore medicine. They both have dreams of using their medical expertise to help their families and their communities. In the attached video, Dibeit introduces himself, explains the motivations behind his passion for medicine, and expresses his gratitude to those who support him.
Saidi is equally passionate about a much different field--Economics. Saidi's mother and father live at their farm, hours away from Saidi's home. They work year-round to feed their children and meet basic needs (clothing, education, healthcare). Saidi’s grandparents are the primary caregivers so that his parents can cultivate in another region. Saidi's father made this sacrifice because he has always been an advocate for his children when it comes to education. In some of our early years when we were unable to cover the entire cost of Saidi's private school fees, Saidi's father paid half, even though he didn't have much money.
Saidi is motivated to study Economics because he wants to be able to provide support and education to individuals who are developing financial literacy and seeking to rise out of poverty. He wants to help people learn to invest and save their money to strengthen the wider society. In the attached video, Saidi offers an example of why he has chosen this educational path.
Another one of our recent Form 4 graduates, Mahamudu is opting to attend the Royal Training Institute in Dar Es Salaam. He will take part in a one-year certificate program in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Mahamudu is focused on his career and knows this is the path he wishes to pursue. Pharmacists, like bankers, have great prospects of finding work in cities and towns across the country. We're happy to support Mahamudu in this fast track to a great career.
The fees associated with sending these young men to university are the highest we have incurred in our work thus far, but because we know these young men so well and believe in the impact they will make on their society, we are committed to supporting them. And we need your help!
University fees include the cost of accommodation, books, insurance, field research, library services, examination fees, uniforms, and much more. Tuition at any university incorporates a range of services received on campus - including health clinics, wifi, teacher salaries, building maintenance, etc. The programs our students wish to attend have reasonable fees, averaging $2,500 per student per year. If you would like to directly sponsor Dibeit, Tumsifu, Saidi or Mahamudu -- please let us know! If you can make a contribution today that we will divide among them, that's great too!
Please keep up with our work on our website and on Facebook. Consider sharing this report through your social media outlets via the sharing buttons below. And let us know if there are ways you'd like to be involved as a volunteer, as a fundraiser, as a sponsor!
Asante sana from the students and all of us at Project Wezesha!
With gratitude,
Rai Farrelly
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