Kilimanjaro (Moshi) Project Updates and Achievements from Q1 2018 - African Impact

Girl Impact After School Clubs 5% Nursery School English 17% Maasai Literacy & Tuition 16% Womens Support Groups 12%

LANGUAGE LESSON:

Kiswahili: ‘Hongera!’’

Means ‘Congratulations!’

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NAFGEM & Maasai Mama Empowerment 2% Community English Class 27%

Langoni Old Folks Home 18% School of the Deaf 3%

WHAT’S NEW ON THE GROUND? We were so happy to kick-start our ‘Build a Business’ African Impact Foundation training program for our rural women’s group, Wakipa, so they can build their own sustainable catering business.

We solidified our Maasai Literacy Program in Moshi town, purchasing a tent, classroom resources and having an average daily attendance of 18 students!

Two incredible interns joined us – Bianca Dutra and Seppe Veulemans, both who have concentrated their efforts on The Girl Impact and Maasai Empowerment projects.

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In January, the Maasai Town tent went up at our partner hotel, The Secret Garden to cater for our literacy students in town.

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In March, we managed to start a much-requested English language program for Kiswahili graduates! Welcome to class!

• • We’ve partnered witha 4-week (NAFGEM Network against Female Genital Volunteers delivered empowerment program at a local secondary school women during the school holidays, Mutilation) to reach Maasai working in Moshi Town. One of where students increased their knowledge of chef gendertheir older girls (Leah) and our volunteer house (Tumaini) have based violence by 19%! been spending their afternoons with volunteers building relationships with Mamas, understanding their businesses’ and lives in town and • starting We’re very proud of the Women’s Group we support asthis space. to build a program that can support them.

Watch they continue to expand their business, having partnered

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New year, new students! In January, we welcomed 12 new nursery students into the ‘babies’ class and 13 students graduated up into ‘juniors’. Our brand new students have never been to nursery so we’ve been teaching them how to hold a pencil, how to sit in class and how to color and write – they’ve already come so far.

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We have had 5 new Wazee members joining the Langoni Old Folks Home from all over Tanzania and volunteers have spent some quality time getting to know them and their stories – including Bibi Martina who has been explaining her Makonde Tribal facial tattoos from Mtwara in Southern Tanzania.

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Many of our newly graduated Maasai literacy students have been attending Friday morning tuition classes to improve their English grammar and writing skills. We spend 2 hours supporting students with homework and grammar points that they’ve found difficult throughout the week – all over a freshly brewed Kilimanjaro coffee!

“I have always said that all I want to be is whoever people need me to be. This may sound crazy, but a voice in my head told me to go to Africa. So, I searched through all of the countries until I found the perfect one: Tanzania. Before my arrival, I had zero expectations. Why? Because expectations lead to disappointments. Throughout my time here, I have learned more than I could have ever imagined, I have met some of the most incredible people, and I have done an immense amount of self-reflection. Coming to Moshi has opened my eyes wider than they have ever before, thus changing my life for the better. I cannot thank African Impact enough for everything they've done for me and there are no words to be able to stress enough how much I recommend an experience like this to every individual.”

Brittany Campbell, Girl Impact Volunteer March 2018

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From January to March, we saw the start and the end of our 12-week Primary School Child Rights workshops. Mrs Fatuma, our support teacher, commented on how important the sessions had been, especially the team-building sports’ element.

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Many of our community students have little or no steady income, so we have developed a women’s and girls’ group using recycled items to create new, functional products to sell in the local community.

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One of our Girl Impact volunteers and intern held a feedback session with the Kiboroloni Tailors, revamped their curriculum and set long term goals for the group.

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We welcomed our second girl to the Kiswahili Literacy programme – Viela (a member of the tailors group), who joined Sarah (from our local community). Both girls are learning quickly and we’re really proud of all the Girl Impact volunteers who’ve been working one-on-one with them.

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Our project highlight from January- March has been launching our Women’s Support Group (Wakipa) Business Training Program. We have worked with Wakipa since 2013 and their commitment to learning and developing themselves and their community is unstoppable!

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We are partnering with The African Impact Foundation to raise enough funds to send them through a professional 14-week Events Management Training Course and provide resources to help kick-start their business.

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With the success of these events the women will have enough regular income to make ends meet, send their dependents to school, develop their living environments and ultimately – their lives. Good luck Wakipa, on the adventure of a lifetime.

In February, we had a group of Maasai students come to the volunteer house and show us their traditional jumping ceremonial dances. Our students are always keen to show volunteers their jumping skills, and with a big group of volunteers and big group of Maasai men – it was the perfect platform for a brilliant cultural evening!

One of our volunteers even invited her husband in (who was staying in Moshi Town) to watch the performance. Later, we enjoyed tea and coffee with the Maasai, and asked questions about their culture.

It was an evening to remember!

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