January 11, 2012
A student's family relaxing at home in Epworth, from our Kids with Cameras workshop
As we move into 2012, I’d like to thank all of the many people who donated to our fall fundraising campaign. I’m pleased to report that Tariro raised $20,484 in the final months of 2011! This amount is enough to cover the costs of our educational sponsorship programs in Zimbabwe for one school term, enabling us to sponsor 60 students from January through the end of April. As always, we’ll be working hard to continue to raise funds throughout the year, in order to finance our sponsorship programs during the second and third terms of 2012.
Even given all of the work Tariro does, however, it is even more important to remember that the largest share of responsibility for our students, both social and economic, is born by the extending families supporting Zimbabwe’s orphaned children. As our program coordinator, Tafadzwa Muzhandu reports,
The frontline service providers for Tariro girls are families, households and communities. Tariro provides a complementary service, and for the organization to remain relevant and effective we have to listen to guardians and students as well as appreciate the various challenges the households we work with face. Schools also play an important role in each of our student’s lives, hence cooperation with the different school heads is very important, as well as identifying teachers and staff who may be able to assist in our outreach programs.
Our grassroots approach is essential in enabling us to maintain the kind of community relations that enable us to work effectively with our students and their families, and continues to produce wonderful results. In our forthcoming 2011 Annual Report, for example, our program coordinator has highlighted our strength in re-integrating students who have found themselves compelled to withdraw from school due to a lack of ability to pay school fees.
In a few days, I’ll be posting a profile of one of our exceptional students, Tinotenda B., whose story illustrates our success in using community connections to reintegrate students who have dropped out of school. Stay tuned for this moving portrait, and thank you again for your support!
A student's family relaxing at home in Epworth, from our Kids with Cameras workshop
As we move into 2012, I’d like to thank all of the many people who donated to our fall fundraising campaign. I’m pleased to report that Tariro raised $20,484 in the final months of 2011! This amount is enough to cover the costs of our educational sponsorship programs in Zimbabwe for one school term, enabling us to sponsor 60 students from January through the end of April. As always, we’ll be working hard to continue to raise funds throughout the year, in order to finance our sponsorship programs during the second and third terms of 2012.
Even given all of the work Tariro does, however, it is even more important to remember that the largest share of responsibility for our students, both social and economic, is born by the extending families supporting Zimbabwe’s orphaned children. As our program coordinator, Tafadzwa Muzhandu reports,
The frontline service providers for Tariro girls are families, households and communities. Tariro provides a complementary service, and for the organization to remain relevant and effective we have to listen to guardians and students as well as appreciate the various challenges the households we work with face. Schools also play an important role in each of our student’s lives, hence cooperation with the different school heads is very important, as well as identifying teachers and staff who may be able to assist in our outreach programs.
Our grassroots approach is essential in enabling us to maintain the kind of community relations that enable us to work effectively with our students and their families, and continues to produce wonderful results. In our forthcoming 2011 Annual Report, for example, our program coordinator has highlighted our strength in re-integrating students who have found themselves compelled to withdraw from school due to a lack of ability to pay school fees.
In a few days, I’ll be posting a profile of one of our exceptional students, Tinotenda B., whose story illustrates our success in using community connections to reintegrate students who have dropped out of school. Stay tuned for this moving portrait, and thank you again for your support!
November 29, 2011
"Researchers warn of hard choices ahead and a need for some countries to take more responsibility for their national programmes."
This weeks blog post is the last part of a three-part blog post written by Tariro’s intern Megan Bauer. The first post discussed the history of HIV/AIDS, the second looked at the various groups who have been accused of spreading HIV throughout time, and this last post is going to discuss how to take this information and act on it now.
Making solutions, not problems:
Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic there has been blame. Various groups throughout time have been accused of causing and spreading AIDS and these same groups as well as new ones continue to be blamed today. What problem does blame solve? It offers no solutions or answers, it only creates anger and hostility against the groups who have been given that burden of blame.
There are books, websites, and studies dedicated to researching and proving who had the initial case of AIDS and who is to blame for spreading it. There are tons of resources that could be used for making a better future, but instead they live in the past. Education about what HIV is and how to prevent is it important, but why continue looking for an answer to a question that will never be found? Even with extensive research, we will never know what group had the first case of AIDS, and how does that information really matter?
What benefit do we get out of living in the past? We are simply creating more problems and leaving less solutions by focusing on who caused it. Instead we should be looking towards the future and finding a cure for this epidemic that has now been plaguing people’s lives for 30 years.
Focusing on the future:
We need to take all of our resources and reroute them to focus on finding a cure and helping those in need. With more research focused towards finding a cure, we can be that much closer to a solution. If people let down their guards and take away the anger and hostility, we can work toward helping others who are struggling, and put more energy towards preventing HIV from being spread. It isn’t important where it came from, but how we handle it and solve it now.
The question never should have been who caused it, but how can we fix it.
Thank you readers:
I hope that you enjoyed and took interest in this three-part blog piece. All of these thoughts and ideas had been going on in my head for a while and it was great to able to share them with you. I hope that the history of HIV/AIDS may have offered some clarity, that the accusations post offered some recognition, and that this post offered some motivation to make a change.
"Researchers warn of hard choices ahead and a need for some countries to take more responsibility for their national programmes."
This weeks blog post is the last part of a three-part blog post written by Tariro’s intern Megan Bauer. The first post discussed the history of HIV/AIDS, the second looked at the various groups who have been accused of spreading HIV throughout time, and this last post is going to discuss how to take this information and act on it now.
Making solutions, not problems:
Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic there has been blame. Various groups throughout time have been accused of causing and spreading AIDS and these same groups as well as new ones continue to be blamed today. What problem does blame solve? It offers no solutions or answers, it only creates anger and hostility against the groups who have been given that burden of blame.
There are books, websites, and studies dedicated to researching and proving who had the initial case of AIDS and who is to blame for spreading it. There are tons of resources that could be used for making a better future, but instead they live in the past. Education about what HIV is and how to prevent is it important, but why continue looking for an answer to a question that will never be found? Even with extensive research, we will never know what group had the first case of AIDS, and how does that information really matter?
What benefit do we get out of living in the past? We are simply creating more problems and leaving less solutions by focusing on who caused it. Instead we should be looking towards the future and finding a cure for this epidemic that has now been plaguing people’s lives for 30 years.
Focusing on the future:
We need to take all of our resources and reroute them to focus on finding a cure and helping those in need. With more research focused towards finding a cure, we can be that much closer to a solution. If people let down their guards and take away the anger and hostility, we can work toward helping others who are struggling, and put more energy towards preventing HIV from being spread. It isn’t important where it came from, but how we handle it and solve it now.
The question never should have been who caused it, but how can we fix it.
Thank you readers:
I hope that you enjoyed and took interest in this three-part blog piece. All of these thoughts and ideas had been going on in my head for a while and it was great to able to share them with you. I hope that the history of HIV/AIDS may have offered some clarity, that the accusations post offered some recognition, and that this post offered some motivation to make a change.
November 7, 2011
Tariro students in Epworth, taken by one of our sponsored students during a Kids with Cameras workshop
As we move into the third week of our fundraising campaign, I’m please to announce that we have raised $2,548 toward our goal of $40,000. Most of the donations we’ve received so far come from pledges made by our monthly donors, each of whom contributes between $15-$100 per month in support of our work.
Signing up to become a monthly donor is a wonderful way to show your commitment to supporting Tariro’s work. It’s also a good way to make a huge difference in the life of a Zimbabwean girl, for only a small amount each month. For the price of dinner out, a few cups of coffee, or a new album on iTunes, your monthly donation of only $20 enables us to pay a month of school fees for one of our sponsored students.
Please join us today, and help us achieve our fundraising goal of $40,000!
Tariro students in Epworth, taken by one of our sponsored students during a Kids with Cameras workshop
As we move into the third week of our fundraising campaign, I’m please to announce that we have raised $2,548 toward our goal of $40,000. Most of the donations we’ve received so far come from pledges made by our monthly donors, each of whom contributes between $15-$100 per month in support of our work.
Signing up to become a monthly donor is a wonderful way to show your commitment to supporting Tariro’s work. It’s also a good way to make a huge difference in the life of a Zimbabwean girl, for only a small amount each month. For the price of dinner out, a few cups of coffee, or a new album on iTunes, your monthly donation of only $20 enables us to pay a month of school fees for one of our sponsored students.
Please join us today, and help us achieve our fundraising goal of $40,000!
November 1, 2011
Tariro student Pamela K. is excelling in her Advanced Level studies
As we move into the second week of our fall fundraising campaign, I’d like to share a profile of one of Tariro’s most outstanding students, Pamela K. In addition to demonstrating her outstanding ability to overcome the hardships of her life and move toward academic success, Pamela’s story also demonstrates some of the things I love about the way Tariro works.
Tariro makes a long-term commitment to girls
Tariro’s involvement with Pamela’s family dates back to 2004, when we enrolled Pamela’s older sister Pauline as one of Tariro’s first sponsored students. With an incredible story of her own, Pauline was our first student to graduate from the University of Zimbabwe, where she finished her Bachelor’s degree last year. We’ve sponsored Pamela since 2007, when she enrolled in her first year of high school. Our commitment to girls like Pamela and Pauline enables our students to dream big, confident in the knowledge that we will continue to sponsor them to the highest level of their ability. It also enables us to witness the transformative power of an education, as students like Pamela learn, grow, and mature into empowered and educated women.
Tariro is making a difference for Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable girls
Pamela and Pauline lost their mother in 2000, and their father had long been absent, as a migrant worker trying to make ends meet in Harare. After their mother’s death, Pauline moved to town to complete her Advanced Level studies, while Pamela remained in the family’s rural home in Mhondoro, living in a child-headed household with a brother who was then 16 years old. After her brother left to find work in South Africa, Pamela was left to fend for herself in Mhondoro. Given Pamela’s situation, Tariro worked to transfer her to a school in Harare, where she was able to stay with her uncle, who was also housing Pauline. After a short time, however, the girls’ uncle found himself unable to care for both of them, and kicked them out of his house. As Pauline and her sister moved from relative to relative, Pamela found herself unable to attend school regularly, yet showed exceptional academic promise.
Tariro’s personalized approach to education enables girls to succeed!
After being recommended for a boarding school placement by Tariro staff, Pamela was transferred to the UMMA Institute, a boarding school located roughly an hour from Harare, in the town of Marondera. After passing her Ordinary Level exams with high marks, Pamela chose to study Geography, Accounts and Management of Business for her Advanced Level study. She plans to follow in her sisters footsteps and attend university, and dreams of becoming a social worker.
Join us in our work!
As girls like Pamela and Pauline struggle to finish a high school education, Tariro’s educational sponsorship program means the difference between life of poverty and hardship, and a future filled with hope. By focusing on education, we give girls the tools to succeed. But we can’t do it without your help! Your donations to our fall fundraising campaign will go toward paying schools fees, required uniforms, supplies, and other educational expenses for Pamela, and all of the students we sponsor. Please donate now, and help ensure that Tariro’s work with students like Pamela can continue in 2012.
October 31, 2011
Tariro student Pamela K. is excelling in her Advanced Level studies
As we move into the second week of our fall fundraising campaign, I’d like to share a profile of one of Tariro’s most outstanding students, Pamela K. In addition to demonstrating her outstanding ability to overcome the hardships of her life and move toward academic success, Pamela’s story also demonstrates some of the things I love about the way Tariro works.
Tariro makes a long-term commitment to girls
Tariro’s involvement with Pamela’s family dates back to 2004, when we enrolled Pamela’s older sister Pauline as one of Tariro’s first sponsored students. With an incredible story of her own, Pauline was our first student to graduate from the University of Zimbabwe, where she finished her Bachelor’s degree last year. We’ve sponsored Pamela since 2007, when she enrolled in her first year of high school. Our commitment to girls like Pamela and Pauline enables our students to dream big, confident in the knowledge that we will continue to sponsor them to the highest level of their ability. It also enables us to witness the transformative power of an education, as students like Pamela learn, grow, and mature into empowered and educated women.
Tariro is making a difference for Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable girls
Pamela and Pauline lost their mother in 2000, and their father had long been absent, as a migrant worker trying to make ends meet in Harare. After their mother’s death, Pauline moved to town to complete her Advanced Level studies, while Pamela remained in the family’s rural home in Mhondoro, living in a child-headed household with a brother who was then 16 years old. After her brother left to find work in South Africa, Pamela was left to fend for herself in Mhondoro. Given Pamela’s situation, Tariro worked to transfer her to a school in Harare, where she was able to stay with her uncle, who was also housing Pauline. After a short time, however, the girls’ uncle found himself unable to care for both of them, and kicked them out of his house. As Pauline and her sister moved from relative to relative, Pamela found herself unable to attend school regularly, yet showed exceptional academic promise.
Tariro’s personalized approach to education enables girls to succeed!
After being recommended for a boarding school placement by Tariro staff, Pamela was transferred to the UMMA Institute, a boarding school located roughly an hour from Harare, in the town of Marondera. After passing her Ordinary Level exams with high marks, Pamela chose to study Geography, Accounts and Management of Business for her Advanced Level study. She plans to follow in her sisters footsteps and attend university, and dreams of becoming a social worker.
Join us in our work!
As girls like Pamela and Pauline struggle to finish a high school education, Tariro’s educational sponsorship program means the difference between life of poverty and hardship, and a future filled with hope. By focusing on education, we give girls the tools to succeed. But we can’t do it without your help! Your donations to our fall fundraising campaign will go toward paying schools fees, required uniforms, supplies, and other educational expenses for Pamela, and all of the students we sponsor. Please donate now, and help ensure that Tariro’s work with students like Pamela can continue in 2012.
October 25, 2011
Please join Tariro in our Fall Fundraising Campaign!
On behalf of Tariro, I am pleased to announce the beginning of our fall fundraising campaign. This year, our fundraising goal is set at $40,000, out of an estimated total budget of $75,000 projected for 2012. We invite you to take a moment to read about our work, and ask you to join us by making a donation today!
Educating girls, strengthening families
Working toward our mission of educating and empowering girls in Zimbabwean communities affected by HIV/AIDS, Tariro provides educational sponsorship for girls who have lost one or both of their parents. By sponsoring educational expenses for students who are living with surviving family members, Tariro lessens the burden on families as they confront the dual challenges of poverty and HIV/AIDS, helping ensure that orphaned children are not moved into institutional care facilities such as orphanages.
Education is the single most powerful tool for women and girls
In Zimbabwe, teenaged girls represent the demographic group at highest risk for contracting HIV. In preventing new infections, education represents the single most important intervention strategy, dramatically reducing a girl’s risk of contracting HIV. For orphaned girls facing the higher school fees and uniform costs associated with attending secondary school, however, education represents an often unattainable goal. By ensuring that teenaged girls have access to education, Tariro seeks to reduce their chances of contracting HIV.
Your donations go directly back to Zimbabwean communities
Over 90% of donations to Tariro return directly to the communities in which we work, based in the neighborhoods of Highfield, Glen Norah, and Epworth, located in Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare. In addition to covering the costs of our school sponsorship program, donations also enable us to maintain a variety of academic and psycho-social support services, including a lending library, annual empowerment activities, and a traditional music and dance group. Given Zimbabwe’s high unemployment rates, estimated to hover around 80%, we are also proud to employ three staff members in the neighborhoods where we work, making another positive contribution to Zimbabwean communities.
Tariro is committed to sustainable development
As a small, grassroots organization, Tariro’s approach to development is distinguished by intensive engagement with our sponsored students and their families, including regular home visits and meetings with students’ guardians. We are committed to long-term, sustainable relationships with students, and will continue to sponsor students who excel in school throughout high school and college preparatory classes, as well as offering financial assistance for Tariro students who are accepted at university. Educating girls represents an investment in human capital, arguably the most sustainable contribution toward social and economic development.
Please join us!
As we prepare to continue our work in 2012, we invite you to join us by investing in Zimbabwe’s future, through three easy ways to donate to Tariro’s Fall Fundraising Campaing.
Tariro: Hope and Health for Zimbabwe’s Orphans
PO Box 50273
Eugene, OR, 97405
USA
In the coming weeks, I will be sharing more important news about our work. Please visit our blog regularly for more details, including individual stories about our students and their families. And as always, please feel free to contact us with questions about any aspects of our programs.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Kyker
Executive Director
Please join Tariro in our Fall Fundraising Campaign!
On behalf of Tariro, I am pleased to announce the beginning of our fall fundraising campaign. This year, our fundraising goal is set at $40,000, out of an estimated total budget of $75,000 projected for 2012. We invite you to take a moment to read about our work, and ask you to join us by making a donation today!
Educating girls, strengthening families
Working toward our mission of educating and empowering girls in Zimbabwean communities affected by HIV/AIDS, Tariro provides educational sponsorship for girls who have lost one or both of their parents. By sponsoring educational expenses for students who are living with surviving family members, Tariro lessens the burden on families as they confront the dual challenges of poverty and HIV/AIDS, helping ensure that orphaned children are not moved into institutional care facilities such as orphanages.
Education is the single most powerful tool for women and girls
In Zimbabwe, teenaged girls represent the demographic group at highest risk for contracting HIV. In preventing new infections, education represents the single most important intervention strategy, dramatically reducing a girl’s risk of contracting HIV. For orphaned girls facing the higher school fees and uniform costs associated with attending secondary school, however, education represents an often unattainable goal. By ensuring that teenaged girls have access to education, Tariro seeks to reduce their chances of contracting HIV.
Your donations go directly back to Zimbabwean communities
Over 90% of donations to Tariro return directly to the communities in which we work, based in the neighborhoods of Highfield, Glen Norah, and Epworth, located in Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare. In addition to covering the costs of our school sponsorship program, donations also enable us to maintain a variety of academic and psycho-social support services, including a lending library, annual empowerment activities, and a traditional music and dance group. Given Zimbabwe’s high unemployment rates, estimated to hover around 80%, we are also proud to employ three staff members in the neighborhoods where we work, making another positive contribution to Zimbabwean communities.
Tariro is committed to sustainable development
As a small, grassroots organization, Tariro’s approach to development is distinguished by intensive engagement with our sponsored students and their families, including regular home visits and meetings with students’ guardians. We are committed to long-term, sustainable relationships with students, and will continue to sponsor students who excel in school throughout high school and college preparatory classes, as well as offering financial assistance for Tariro students who are accepted at university. Educating girls represents an investment in human capital, arguably the most sustainable contribution toward social and economic development.
Please join us!
As we prepare to continue our work in 2012, we invite you to join us by investing in Zimbabwe’s future, through three easy ways to donate to Tariro’s Fall Fundraising Campaing.
Tariro: Hope and Health for Zimbabwe’s Orphans
PO Box 50273
Eugene, OR, 97405
USA
In the coming weeks, I will be sharing more important news about our work. Please visit our blog regularly for more details, including individual stories about our students and their families. And as always, please feel free to contact us with questions about any aspects of our programs.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Kyker
Executive Director
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