Tuwalinde Watoto · Stories from 2021

LAILATH OMARY, a 14-year-old girl, lives with her grandparents and two uncles in Kilimanjaro Hamlet, Matale Village. Her parents divorced when she was 2, and she later lived with her mother and stepfather from Class Two before moving to her grandparents’ home. She says: “My parents divorced when I was in Class One. Two years later, my stepfather began caring for me and my two younger brothers. My mother later asked me to live with my grandparents to help my grandmother with household tasks. My grandfather travels for farming and can be away for two to three weeks, so I support my grandmother.”

Lailath continues: “I wake at 5.00 am to wash dishes, clean our surroundings and prepare breakfast. I walk approximately 2 km to school and usually arrive at 7.00 am. As head girl, I supervise cleaning before lessons. I return home at 4.30 pm, fetch water and wash my uniform, then attend Madrasa classes until around 6.00 pm. Afterwards, I gather vegetables, prepare dinner and help at home. I finish household tasks at 8.30 pm, study for about one and a half hours and go to bed at 10.00 pm.”

Lailath is a member of school prefects as head girl of Matale primary school since class iv. Before the project implementation at Matale village she encountered many challenges,

Lailath says: “Our classrooms and toilets were in poor condition. Many children avoided the toilets and relieved themselves outside, creating serious hygiene and health risks, including diarrhoea, vomiting and urinary tract infections. Classrooms were crowded, with more than 6 children sharing 1 desk and others sitting on the floor. I often returned home with a dirty uniform, and my grandmother could not afford soap every day.”

“We also had only 5 books, few male teachers and no female teachers to support us with personal concerns. Staff shortages made it difficult to manage the school, record attendance and maintain discipline. Academic performance was poor: only 2 to 3 of the 45 students taking the Standard Seven national examinations were selected for secondary education.”

Mr Mulambo thanked SAWA and ChildFund Korea for providing a girls’ dormitory and water borehole at Doma Secondary School through the Tuwalinde Watoto Project.

“My name is Magdalena Mussa Lembasi. I am 15 and in Form Three at Doma Secondary School. I am the eldest of five children. My parents are Maasai pastoralists who have not attended school. We live in MKATA Village, Doma Ward, and mainly raise cattle. I used to walk 25 km to school, which made learning difficult.”

“After completing primary school in 2018, I was selected for Doma Secondary School. My father was initially reluctant to let me continue. He feared that pregnancy could affect the family’s prospects of receiving a bride price, estimated at 50 cows. I asked a relative who had attended higher education to explain the importance of girls’ education. After about a week of discussion, my father agreed.”

“I was 13 when I started at Doma Secondary School. Because I could not manage the 25 km journey each day, my father rented a room in Doma. It was unsafe because neither parents nor teachers supervised us. Cooking, washing clothes and dishes, fetching water and cleaning left little time for study, and I sometimes went without food. We also faced risks from interactions with motorcycle operators and truck drivers. Two of our friends became pregnant.”

“When the dormitory was completed in mid-2019, my father arranged for me to move in. That was when I learned about ChildFund Korea and SAWA WANAWAKE TANZANIA (SAWA), who had built it. The dormitory has helped me overcome the challenges I previously faced.”

“My academic performance has improved from 10th to 3rd out of 125 students. My father has become more engaged in meeting my needs, including soap and other essentials. Living and learning with teachers and peers has increased my confidence and helped me improve my English, as I mainly spoke Maasai at home.”

“Thank you to ChildFund Korea and SAWA WANAWAKE TANZANIA (SAWA) for the dormitory, beds, matron’s house, borehole and kitchen. These facilities make learning easier and motivate us to study. Previously, we fetched water almost 2 km from school and cleaned unhygienic toilets, leaving us tired before lessons. We are grateful for the Tuwalinde Watoto initiative.”

“I hope ChildFund Korea can support more girls and boys through dormitories and other educational facilities. Although our dormitory was designed for 64 girls, it currently accommodates more than 100, creating overcrowding, while others still need places.”

“I can share ChildFund Korea’s work through conversations with peers, songs, drama and leaflets, both in and outside school. Its work supports children through early childhood development, basic education and child protection.”