Tariro’s Work with Young Women Orphans
“If there was no one to help me to pay my school fees then I would have dropped out of school. How much do I want to thank those from Tariro girls program who are helping us to pay school fees.”
Located in the high-density, low-income neighborhood of Glen Norah, Tariro provides a comprehensive range of services for orphaned girls, enabling them to complete a secondary school education. We currently sponsor over 50 orphaned girls, paying each student’s school fees, purchasing uniforms and supplies, and making textbooks available through our textbook lending library. Tariro also offers extra-curricular activities including academic tutoring, workshops in music, poetry, and art, and “Building Girls, Building Dreams,” an annual conference focused around empowering young women to achieve their full potential. Please read on below to learn more about our program.
Sponsorship for orphaned students
Tariro currently sponsors over 50 orphaned girls in Zimbabwe, paying for their school fees and providing the uniforms, textbooks, and other supplies necessary for them to attend school. In Zimbabwe, primary school extends from Grade 1 through Grade 7. After completing Grade 7, students enroll in secondary school for a four year program which culminates in the Ordinary level exam. Students who pass the Ordinary level exam may then continue to attend two years of advanced high school courses in preparation for an Advanced level exam, which is required for acceptance to university.
The costs of attending secondary school are much higher than those of attending primary school, and girls who have been orphaned by AIDS are especially likely to drop out once they are facing with the higher costs of attending secondary school. Financial assistance during secondary school is therefore critical in order to keep young women orphans in school. For this reason, Tariro has chosen to concentrate on sponsoring orphaned girls at the secondary school level, and the majority of our students are enrolled in classes leading up to their Ordinary level exams. A small minority of Tariro students, however, are either enrolled in Advanced level classes, or are completing their final years of primary school.
Payment of “top up fees”
At the current time, the Zimbabwean economy is characterized by a high rate of inflation. Because of these economic conditions, schools regularly announce “top up fees” which are levied at various times throughout each school term, in order to compensate for rising educational costs. Sponsorship for orphaned students is now more critical then ever, as students are called upon to pay both regular and “top up fees” at increasing frequent intervals, resulting in a financial burden that is increasingly difficult to bear.
Extra-curricular tutoring program
Tariro is committed to providing extra-curricular activities designed to supplement what our students learn in the classroom, and to increase their chances of success in passing their exams. As part of our commitment to improving our students’ success in the classroom, Tariro regularly provides free tutoring services for our sponsored students during the school holidays. In the past, volunteer tutors have included students and alumni from the University of Zimbabwe, as well as Zimbabwean students and alumni from a variety of colleges and universities abroad.
Textbook library project
In 2007, Tariro began the process of establishing a textbook lending library available to all of our students. So far, we have acquired over 200 books available for use by our students. The books cover the most crucial subjects offered in classes leading up to the Ordinary level exams. The textbooks purchased are all oriented toward exam material, and are easy to use even without the supervision of teachers. After they are catalogued and grouped, they become part of a textbook library that works on a rotational lending system. This will ensure that every student has equal access to books in the library.
Our hope is that Tariro’s textbook library will expand into a lending library offering not only textbooks, but also a range of books that might interest our students, giving them an opportunity to practice reading in a variety of subjects. The textbook library is an ongoing project, and one which by its very nature will continue to develop and change over time as we strive to better meet the needs of our existing students, and to incorporate greater numbers of students into our program.
“Building Girls, Building Dreams,” an empowerment camp for girls
In August, 2007, Tariro held a five-day overnight camp open to all of our sponsored students. The camp gave Tariro students the chance to meet as a group and work toward personal empowerment and growth by taking part in discussions and activities aimed at creating self-value and a sense of purpose. The primary objective of “Building Girls Building Dreams” was to empower students by providing them with the information, possibilities and alternatives they need to make positive choices about their education and future.
During the camp, girls participated in small group discussions focused on how to achieve personal and academic success. Topics included educational and career options, self-esteem, and empowerment. In individual and group counseling sessions, students also addressed topics such as HIV/AIDS, grief, loss, and abuse. Participation in expressive activities such as theatre, song, poetry, and art therapy provided a safe environment in which girls could discuss difficult issues including personal relationships and HIV/AIDS, opening up dialogue on issues related to sexuality and relationships.
“Building Girls, Building Dreams” was organized by Bryn Mawr student Takudzwa Kanyangarara, and funded by a Projects for Peace grant. Takudzwa’s unique project with Tariro students was oriented around the theme of building peace within each individual through education and empowerment. In the context of the global AIDS epidemic, “Building Girls Building Dreams” contributes to global peace by emphasizing the ability of young women to achieve their dreams and make a positive contribution to society. Thanks again to Takudzwa for all of her hard work to give our students this invaluable experience!
We hope that “Building Girls, Building Dreams” will become an annual event for our students, and are currently seeking additional sources of funding to make this possible. To view the artwork and poetry created by Tariro students during “Building Girls, Building Dreams,” please visit the Photo Gallery section of our site.
