Never wait for the proper mood to start a thing, nor until the spirit moves you. Make your own mood. Make your own spirit. How? ACT. Do something – anything. Inspiration seldom generates action. Action always creates inspiration.
– Author unknown –
Mt Monduli. Photo courtesy of the African Travel Bureau
Ashley Holmer didn’t wait. In fact she jumped in with both feet. Picture this… Back in 2004, newly graduated from Willamette University in Oregon, working, but just working, she was feeling the need to do something larger, to ‘give back.’ This combined with her desire to explore the world a bit, she and her twin sister decided to find something tangible that two 20 somethings could do. So they checked out idealist.org to see what volunteer opportunities were out there.
Ashley in the Lashaine Village
A few months later, after selling all of their belongings, they found themselves in a remote village in northern Tanzania, high up on Mount Monduli, surrounded by friendly Maasai villagers.
Tanzania, Africa. Map courtesy of Usambara Expeditions
For one year they taught bubbly, excited young Tanzanians English, science and soccer at one of the Primary schools in the village of Monduli.
They immersed themselves in village life, lived without running water, sweltered in droughts with dust and monsoons with mud. Life wasn’t easy. But they were teaching these curious and happy kids and every day making a difference.
Over the course of the year Ashley observed a myriad of inadequacies at the school. One glaring problem was the lack of teachers. Classrooms were literally stuffed with children, sometimes up to 100 in a class. This is primarily due to the Tanzanian government’s 2002 decree that all Primary education be free and it strongly encourages all children to attend. Since 2002 attendance has risen from 58% to 98% (2006 stats) but unfortunately the number of teachers has not risen in conjunction.
Over crowed Primary School. Photo courtesy of the Dobbyn Foundation
Despite the high student-to-teacher ratio, having a primary education is an excellent start. But unfortunately, for most, the end of Primary school (around the age of 12) is the end of their education as Secondary school is very expensive.
For a people that have an annual average income of US$400, a US$500 Secondary school fee is prohibitive. And for those that can afford it, the boy always goes to school before the girl, as she is more valuable for her dowry potential.
Maasai Girls. Photo courtesy of the Maasai Association
For girls that do not go to Secondary school, their fate is sealed as this will inevitably mean an early marriage, babies (before 15 yrs of age), lack of choices, cyclical poverty and hunger.
Going to Secondary school changes lives. Ashley Holmer observed this and during her final months teaching she and a fellow volunteer, Peter Luis, spoke with the village elders and asked what they could do.
The elders said they would grant them 25 acres of land near the Lashaine village, 7km away and home to 10,000 people with half under the age of 18, if they would build and run a Secondary school.
Huge. But their response:
“We felt we had the ability to make a difference.”
So they jumped in.
After returning to the US, they raised $25,000 from friends and family which enabled them to get back to Tanzania and to build what was to be the first phase of the new school’s infrastructure; a 60,000 liter water tank.
Water Tank Construction 2007
Being on the slope of Mount Monduli there isn’t a water table to bore into, so rain catch is the only way for people to get clean water.
And after living through one year’s drought, Ashley knew the affects it had on her students and their ability to be in school.
A few months later Ashley returned home to fundraise again and to create a legal US nonprofit: Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania. She raised another $50,000 and in October of 2007 they broke ground on the foundation for the first two school rooms. The entire community got involved: from clearing brush and leveling out the land to mixing concrete and eventually painting the finished building.
The Orkeeswa Secondary school officially opened in April of 2008 with 41 students. These students were chosen from over 400 that came to apply for this affordable (US$25/year) Secondary school.
Waiting in line to take entrance exam
The process for choosing the lucky 41 was rigorous: every child took an entrance exam, was personally interviewed by the school staff and village elders and then at least 2 home visits took place to ensure that the child had support at home so that homework and studying were high priority for the parents as well.
Solar panels waiting to be installed on the roof
Another key element to learning is being able to see your teacher – they needed light. But in this region of Tanzania electricity is nonexistent, so the solution was solar.
Ashley and her team connected with Chloride Exide Limited of Tanzania and installed solar panels on the roofs in 2009. Not enough to power computers, yet, but that is the goal for the next phase.
In January 2011 Orkeeswa Secondary School will open the doors to its third class of students.
School with five classrooms, staff offices, and science labs will be finished this month (October, 2010)
The school will now have just over 100 students and 10 full time teachers. The school offers the required courses of English, Swahili (the national language), mathematics, civics, government, science and history along with art, theatre and a variety of sports.
Ashley sees this as just the beginning. Her goal is to create a network of quality, affordable Secondary schools throughout the region. Did she know her life would follow this path? No way. Just five years ago she decided to make a small difference, get out of her comfort zone, even if it was for just a short time. Little did she know that her ‘little difference making’ would grow into a highly impactful school. A school that allows both boys and girls to move out of poverty simply by having a higher education and in turn they themselves can now make a difference.
Ashley painting the Orkeeswa Secondary School
Want to help Ashley and the rural kids of northern Tanzania?
Current needs:
– Science or English Teacher Volunteers needed at Orkeeswa Secondary School for the 2011 school yr.
– Basic school supplies
– Donate money for a bicycle or computer
– Sponsor a student
– Spread the word ~ email, twitter, facebook etc.
A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle. ~ Kahlil Gibran
What resonated with you about Ashley’s story?
Ever been to Tanzania or Monduli?
Know of another do-gooder that needs more attention? Tell me. Help me shine a bright light on all those that do-good!
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Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania
1000 SW Forest Meadows Way
Lake Oswego, OR 97034 USA
+1-503-956-9390
info@ieftz.org
http://www.ieftz.org
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Related Articles and Links
- Free’s many fees: School unaffordable in Tanzania (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Midterm report: Tanzania’s educational revolution needs investment (guardian.co.uk)
- Free’s Many Fees: School Unaffordable in Tanzania (abcnews.go.com)
- Africa Direct (http://www.africadirecto.org/)
Global Endeavors 