Pride R.

In today’s post, I’d like to revisit the story of Pride R., a student whom I mentioned several weeks ago, in a post about Tariro prize-winners.  Currently finishing her first year of high school at Domboramwari Secondary School in Epworth, Pride was enrolled in Tariro early this year.  Her story is a powerful example of how Tariro’s school sponsorship program is giving educational opportunities to girls who would otherwise be unable to finish high school.

I’m going to share two versions of Pride’s story with you.  The first is an assessment from Tariro’s program coordinator Fadzi, who observes that Pride had not attended school for two year before receiving assistance from Tariro.  Because of the family’s socio-economic situation, Fadzi suggests that Pride is even more vulnerable than many other Tariro students, making her a good candidate for boarding school.  Here is Fadzi’s assessment:

Pride lives with her father and stepmother who are unable to fund her education. Despite having both parents, Pride is very vulnerable. After her father remarried, things changed at home, as she now had two more siblings and her father was struggling to provide food and school fees. Pride lost a sibling earlier this year, because the family did not have the funds for the required medical attention. They still owe Harare hospital for medical bills, even though their child was never adequately treated.

Pride’s father was mentoring her from home in 2008 and 2009. The family did not have funds to complete primary school, but the teachers at Chinamano school paid for her so she could write her primary exams. She never registered for high school as she knew the family would not be able to fund any education. Pride’s primary school teachers made contact with school, and told them about her home situation. Domboramwari then admitted Pride, and put her on the government scholarship waitlist.

Throughout primary school, Pride came first in her classes. She describes herself as an obedient and honest young woman. Her teachers believe she is one of the best students, and she came highly recommended for the Tariro Scholar Program.

This year, Pride came first in her form 1 class despite the many challenges at home and won another prize for being the most well- behaved student in her cohort. She would be an ideal candidate for boarding school, so that she is away from home for the duration of the school term.

Re-reading Fadzi’s version of Pride’s history, I found them especially striking in comparison to the story Pride herself told in her Hero Book, made with Lauri Benblatt at this year’s empowerment camp.  In her Hero Book, Pride focuses on having overcome the most significant obstacles following the death of her mother.  Omitting any mention of her sibling who passed away, Pride describes herself as “living a happy life” and looking forward to the future.

Pride's hero book depicts a flower as a symbol of new growth and hope

Here is an excerpt from Pride’s Hero Book:

11 years ago when I was 3 years my mother died and left me alone.  At that time I didn’t know what is death, my father lied to me that my mother had gone to our rural home.  I kept on asking him,” will she return?” and he always said “she will.”  I was taken to my mother’s sister in Mutoko.  After 1 year I started going to crèche.  I then returned to Epworth to live with my father.  I started my grade 1 when I was six years old.  We lived a very hard life.  I’m now 15 years old so I thank God who guided me for all these years.  I’m now doing my form 1 and I wish to excel on my O level and go to form 5-6.  I want to be an accountant or a pharmacist.  I am good in computers, geography and history.

I’m now living in Epworth and I’m learning at Domboramwari High School.  I’m living with my father and stepmother and two little step sisters.  I’m living a happy life with those sisters of the Tariro organization.  We usually go on camps where we share our ideas with others and taught lessons including the facts of life.  I’m looking forward for a happy life and a glittering career.

Pride’s Hero Book demonstrates how despite the many problems she faces at home, Tariro’s support has enabled her to envision a new future, and to work toward success.  Tariro is proud to work with students such as Pride, who have both outstanding academic potential, as well as exceptional financial need.  As we draw toward the end of the year, we’re asking you to join us in ensuring that we can continue to support Pride, and all of our other sponsored students, in 2011!

As the year draws to a close, we’re calling upon our supporters to ensure the success of our programs in 2011! Please consider making a donation to Tariro so that we can continue our work educating young women in communities affected by HIV/AIDS.

Tariro’s work is unique in that we select a small group of students with exceptional financial need and academic potential. We are committed to sponsoring these students through the end of high school, and have even begun extending our supporty to students who pass their Advanced Level exams and are accepted at the University of Zimbabwe. The financial assistance our sponsored students receive from Tariro is critical in enabling them to finish school. By working with talented young women in need, we are helping to build future women leaders in Zimbabwe.

Tariro’s projected budget for 2011 is $75,000, which will enable us to provide school fees and support services for 65 students. We’ve set a $40,000 fundraising goal by the end of the year, in the hopes of raising half of the money to meet our financial obligations for 2011. Please help us make progress toward meeting our goal! We need your support to ensure the success of our programs this coming year. To donate to Tariro, please visit our JustGive site.

We encourage you to make a one-time donation, or to sign up as a monthly donor. Finally, a donation to Tariro makes a great holiday gift! If you’d like to make a donation in the name of a friend or family member, please contact us directly. We’ll send you a handmade embroidered card, made by a Tariro student, to give to the recipient of your gift.

Thanks for your support!
Jennifer Kyker, Executive Director

Tariro's founder Jennifer Kyker with our first university graduate, Pauline Kawungwa

Today, I’d like to share with you the incredible story of Tariro’s first university graduate, Pauline Kawungwa.  Please take a moment to read her moving story.  And remember, Tariro is current in the midst of our annual fundraising drive.  To help Tariro educate and empower more young women leaders like Pamela, please join us by making a donation online.  And now for Pauline’s story, as told to Tariro program coordinator Tafadzwa Muzhandu:

Pauline’s Journey to Graduation

Pauline lived in Mhondoro with her mother, sister and brother, while her dad worked for a small horticultural farm in the city. This is very common in Zimbabwe, as whole families are unable to live in the city due to the cost of living. Pauline’s father lived in a single room, shared with another laborer, making it even harder for her family to visit. In Mhondoro, Pauline’s family were doing okay compared to their neighbors. They had a few cows and goats, and always had something to eat. As Pauline tells me her story, she keeps reminding me “ Fadzie we weren’t always poor,  we had a loving family, and my mother wanted us to do well, my father earned little but he could bring something home”.

Losing her mom

In 2002 Pauline’s mother died, and her family (Pauline’s mum) took everything they had, from the cows to the floor mop. They left one saucepan-which leaked- and one blanket for Pauline and her siblings. Her father, who hadn’t paid brideprice, was forced to look for money before the mother could be buried. This is very common in Zimbabwe, where a woman’s relatives will demand brideprice before burying their daughter, and the funeral could be dragged for weeks. Pauline’s father had no property to sell so he borrowed money from relatives, colleagues and his employer to pay brideprice. Pauline says her mother was in the mortuary for weeks, because her father would bring one cow, and her mother’s family would say it wasn’t enough. Everyone would go back to the city, and when her father got some more money, they would all come back to the funeral until the entire brideprice was paid. Pauline did and still does not understand why anyone would want children to go through that, especially your sister’s or daughter’s children. Her mother’s passing changed everything, because they lost everything.  Almost a decade later, her father is still paying debts from the funeral.

Trying to finish school

Pauline and her sister continued to farm and go to school. She managed to finish her O levels in Mhondoro, and passed 9 subjects. Her father told he her couldn’t afford to send her to A levels. She worked at a farm near Harare, doing manual labor. A visitor to the farm told her about a woman working at the US Embassy, who might be able to help. Pauline didn’t have the means to get into town, but after a month an aunt who lives in the suburbs asked her to come and live with her.

Working as a maid

Pauline thought she had got lucky, but realized the aunt only asked her to come because her maid had just left. Pauline lived with the aunt, and did all housework, but wasn’t fed properly. The family would send her to the shops to buy bread, and as soon as she returned from the shops they would send her out again for something else, and by the time she got back home the bread would be gone. Her aunt would tell her to wait for the next meal, and the same thing would happen.

Tariro = Hope!

Pauline did not stop thinking about the lady at the US Embassy, so one day she got the courage to walk from Ruwa (30km/19miles from the city center) to meet with Rebecca Mano at the Embassy. The guards would not let her in or call Rebecca the first time, so she went back home. She made the trip again, and one of the guards let her in. She told Rebecca her story, and they both talked about her options. During that same period, Jennifer had come to Zimbabwe and was doing outreach for Tariro. While Rebecca and her husband thought about paying Pauline’s school fees personally, they were taking care of several relatives at their home and were struggling to pay all the school fees, so they referred Pauline to Tariro. Tariro continued to pay for Pauline’s boarding fees for her A level exams and paid her university tuition. Pauline worked part time to pay for room and board. She said her university years were tough, as she had to take care of her sister as well, but she is grateful to Tariro because she believes without their support she wouldn’t have gone to A levels or to university.

The future: Helping others

Finally we start talking about the future and Pauline says she will bring her brother to the city and send him to school. She also offered to take in any other Tariro student if they ever need a place to stay. She would like to help other girls, but she feels it is also important to help her brother come to town. She says a boy in a village will probably end up with only primary school education, and possibly get married at 20, and work as a shepherd for the rest of his life. She doesn’t want that for her brother.

A life full of hope

When I asked Pauline what she eventually wanted to do, career wise, she said, “ I could teach, look for a job, or I could go back for my masters then work as a junior lecturer at the university! Right now I am going to continue working with a chemicals company because I am learning so much and have realized I have created my own contacts, so I might open my own soon”.   Pauline laughs at herself and comments that five years ago she never thought she would be talking about such options.

In closing…

Pauline is an incredible young woman, and we can’t wait to see where her life will take her in the next five years!  Thanks for helping Tariro to provide educational opportunities for orphaned girls in Zimbabwe.  We have two other students entering university this year, and we can’t wait to share their success stories with you in a few years’ time!

"Spreading Hope and Music" By author Cai Emmons

Ever wondered what Tariro founder Jennifer Kyker’s daily experiences are like in Zimbabwe?  Want to know what some of our students have to say about how our work has transformed their lives?  Then take a minute to read this great article about Jennifer’s work with Tariro in the Penn Gazette, the alumni magazine of the University of Pennsylvania.  Written by Eugene author Cai Emmons, the article follows Jennifer in Zimbabwe as she visits with students, friends, and others involved in Tariro’s work.

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been working with members of the Santa Cruz community to organize a benefit event on Tariro’s behalf.  I’ll be visiting Santa Cruz to attend, and participate in, the event.  In addition to two great marimba groups, Kuzanga and Singing Wood Marimba, the event will feature a reading by writer Virginia Barrett, a silent auction, and a community marimba jam.  Come listen to, and even play, some great music, and support our work!  Here are the details:

What: Hope for Zimbabwe Benefit Event
Where: Louden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz
When: 6:30-9:30pm, Saturday, November 13th

You can let us know you’ll be attending, and spread the word to friends, on the event’s Facebook page.  Thanks for your support, Santa Cruz!

In this post, I’d like to share a brief update on Tariro’s progress toward our 2010 fundraising goal of $40,000.  We’ve just updated the fundraising thermometer on our website to reflect $1,980 of donations received online since our fundraising campaign began a little over a week ago.  However, I recently received news from Tariro’s secretary that we’ve also received $1,275 in mail-in donations, bringing our fundraising total so far to $3,255.  This includes donations from 7 new Friends of Tariro, who have signed up to make automated monthly donations in support of our work to educate and empower Zimbabwe’s orphaned girls.  This means that just over a week into our annual fundraising campaign, we’re almost 10% of the way toward this year’s $40,000 goal!

Tariro’s work in Zimbabwe enables students like Daisy, who lost both of her parents, to obtain a high school education, reducing their risk of contracting HIV, and giving them hope for the future.  Here is Daisy’s story, as told in her hero book, which she dedicated to her deceased mother:

My road of life

My name is Daisy.  I live in Western Triangle.  I am a girl 16 year old.  I live with my brother and his wife and daughter…  My mother died when I was grade 1 on 2001.  And my father died when I was too young.

By the time I was told that my mother and father were dead, by that time I feel so difficult to me to understand that my mother and father were dead.  My friends started to help me so that I am not be able to think about my mother and father that were dead.  This time I feel like I have my parent because I love the way my brother talk to me so that I feel so comfortable.  And my sister is also there for me.

A page from Daisy's hero book

When I grow up I want to be a doctor.  After I finished doing my education I want to have a husband and three children and have one nice house, nice village and beautiful husband and have a nice wedding with my husband.  A husband is someone I can told my problems so he can help me for my problems.

Thanks to her enrollment in Tariro, Daisy will benefit not only from our school sponsorship program, but also a host of extra-curricular activites designed to improve her academic outcomes, including our English club, empowerment camp, and mentoring programs.

Please join our annual fundraising campaign in support of Tariro’s work with Daisy, and other Zimbabwean girls in communities affected by HIV/AIDS.  You can sign up to become a monthly donor, or make a one-time donation to Tariro, through our page online at JustGive.  You can also visit our website, or join us on Facebook, to stay in touch and learn more about our work.

Pride R. is another recent Tariro prize winner!

In this week’s post, I’m pleased to introduce two more of Tariro’s recent prize winners.   The first, Pride R., lives in Epworth, and joined Tariro in 2010.  Pride won two prizes this past term at Domboramwari Secondary School.  She was awarded the first of these two prizes for having the ranking 2nd place among almost 250 students in her Form 1 cohort!

She was also awarded a second prize for being the most well-behaved and grounded student in the entire school.  The most amazing part of this story is that Pride won these two awards just two terms after returning to school, after missing an entire year of school because of a lack of money to pay school fees before she began to receive assistance from Tariro.

Vimbai C.

The next Tariro prize winner is Vimbai C., also a Form 1 student at Domboramwari Secondary School in Epworth.  Vimbai, who is also very committed to her schoolwork, won a prize for being the best history student in her grade at school.

Pride… what a great name for such an amazing young student!  For me, through, Pride’s name sums up my feelings about all of Tariro’s students, who are overcoming the obstacles of losing parents to HIV/AIDS, and are pursuing their dreams.  Remember, though, we need your help to do it!  Please join our annual fundraising campaign to become a Friend of Tariro by donating monthly through JustGive, or make a one-time donation to our annual fund.  As always, you can also mail in your donation to Tariro at:

Tariro: Hope and Health for Zimbabwe’s Orphans
PO Box 50273
Eugene, OR, 97405
USA

Thanks again for your support!

Tariro student Faith P.

In August, therapist Lauri Benblatt traveled to Zimbabwe to work with Tariro students.  At our annual empowerment camp, she initiated a “hero book” projects, intended to conduct group counseling sessions through an artistic medium.  As part of our current fundraising campaign, I’ll be posting a new hero book each week.  The hero books are an illuminating window into our girls lives, for in them, the girls conceptualize their lives as a road, discussing the obstacles they’ve met along the way, and how they’ve sought to overcome them.

This week, I’m featuring the hero book of student Faith P.  A long-time member of our marimba and dance group, Faith is in Form 3 at Herentals College in Highfield.  A single orphan, she lives with her mother after losing her father.  For Faith, the challenges her mother has struggled with after her father’s death have made her mother her personal hero:

My mother is my hero because she always find a possible solution to many of her problem.  And some of the problem started when my father died, he died when I was Grade 3 and my brothers and my sister were in O level.  And also my younger sister was 1 year old.  My mother does not work.  She always do piece jobs like washing peoples’ clothes, dish and even sweeping.  Through all this my mother provide almost everything for me and my younger sister.

As Faith relates in her hero book, single orphans, as well as children who have lost both parents, are also at extremely high risk for dropping out of school:

Some things were difficult for me and all of my family members.  When my father died all of his family members wanted to sell my father’s house in Waterfalls and they even did so.  They even sent us out of the house.  But with the love of God one of my father’s family members chanced his mind and gave us a place for us to stay and that person is my father’s daddy, my grandfather.  And now my mother is doing piece jobs still we are still living at my grandfathers home.

Just after my father died I spent 6 months without going to school because my mother did not have the money to send me to school and I had to help her in some of the piece jobs that she was doing in order for us to survive.  I, my mother and my sister we had to sell some fire wood for us to eat and even go to school.  During this time my brother had to stay with my uncle in Highfield because he was in Form 4.  I spent 6 months without going to school but I passed my grade 7 examinations.  What I did was not expected by many people of what happened in my life before.

Faith’s story, however, does not end there.  Because of Tariro’s timely intervention, Faith was able to proceed forward with her education, enrolling in secondary school:

With the help of many people in the community, friends, school, including Tariro organization and my family, I was able to go to school and they teached my that I, my mother and also family we now that this is not the end of our lives.  We must not stand at one point and we now know that life has humps and we mustn’t stand at one point, you must move on with your life.

And we also learnt that disappointments are moments in life and we must move on with your life.  Besides all of this I also learnt that God does everything for a purpose and also every moment in your life have a purpose in life.  Even when things goes wrong, you must keep on pulling the top until you go higher.

Faith’s story ends with what she loves- “I like to read novel and enjoying myself so that I can forget all of my problems.  I like to share my problems with friends I trust and to play mbira with my grandfather”- as well as her hopes and dreams:

I hope that I will pass 7 subject in my O level examinations so that I can go on with school and I will achieve my dreams of becoming a chief account in order to change the way of living in my family.  I need to work hard and I will get all of my dreams.

Please join Tariro in our annual fundraising campaign.  Your donation will enable Tariro to continue to pay school fees and related expenses for Faith, as well as over 50 other students who have lost parents, primarily due to HIV/AIDS.

Tariro student Ashley M

In this post, I’m pleased to launch Tariro’s 2010 annual fundraising campaign.  To begin the campaign, I want to share the story of Tariro student Ashley M.  As Ashley describes, the opportunity to participate in Tariro is a life-altering experience for our students, many of whom have struggled with the grief of losing their parents:

Trouble started when my father got ill.… his health deteriorated and at last we lost him on the 5^th of December 2007.  After his burial I went and lived with my aunt in Ruwa.  She had promised me to pay my fees but she later on changed her mind.  I moved back to my father’s house from Ruwa and my step-mom told me she couldn’t afford to send me to school and urged me to go to my granny’s house… For many days I lived in grief.  Sometimes I would stare at the entrance gate thinking that my father would come back from work but I saw no one.  These were some of my hard, sad moments.

I moved to my grandparents’ place and lived there.  I didn’t know that God was the one who planned my life until Tariro started to pay for my school fees…  This changed my life because I now knew I could live a normal life even if my parents were dead.  It gave me power over my academic results… I performed quite better in terms of school work and exams.  I am in Form 3 now at Herental College.

Today, I am asking you to consider making a donation in support of Tariro’s work with Ashley, in addition to the more than 50 orphaned girls we currently sponsor.  Your donations are critical to enabling us to carry out our mission of educating and empowerment girls in Zimbabwean communities affected by HIV/AIDS.  Please read on to learn how to support our work.

100 “Friends of Tariro”

This year, Tariro’s goal is to sign up 100 “Friends of Tariro,” who will support our work by making automated monthly donations.  As a small organization, recurring donors are especially important to us, enabling us to have a stable and predictable donor base.  We would love for Friends of Tariro to consider making a monthly donation of $30; however, no amount is too large or small!

It’s easy to sign up to make automated monthly donations through our online donation service, JustGive.  Simply visit Tariro’s page with JustGive. Then check the box, “Make this a monthly recurring donation” as you fill out your details.

Becoming a Friend of Tariro is a wonderful way to help ensure the sustainability and progress of our small but growing organization.  We thank you for your support!

Make a one-time donation

You can also make a one-time donation to Tariro through JustGive, or by sending us a check at:

Tariro: Hope and Health for Zimbabwe’s Orphans
PO Box 50273
Eugene, OR, 97405
USA

Track our progress online

Our fundraising goal is to raise $40,000 by the end of 2010.  You can track our progress on the thermometer installed on our website, which will be updated weekly as funds come in.  For each monthly donor who signs up as a “Friend of Tariro,” we will calculate the total yearly amount of your donation when updating the thermometer.

Why donate to Tariro?

Tariro’s investment in women’s education is an investment in building a future free from HIV/AIDS.  By working with individual students and their families, Tariro is able to radically transform the outcomes for orphaned girls, enabling them to finish secondary school, and even proceed to university level studies.

As a grassroots organization working closely with individual students and their families, Tariro’s investment in educating and empowering women has started to pay off.  Some of the tangible indicators of progress we’d like to share with you from this year alone include:

Tariro’s first university student celebrated her graduation from the University of Zimbabwe this year.  She is now a small business owner, employing women in her own community.  In addition, two more students have now begun attending university this year with Tariro’s assistance.

Tariro works closely to provide emergency services to students with special needs.  This year, Tariro raised over $1,000 to provide emergency medical care for student Noleen C., who suffers from spina bifida and attends a special school for the disabled.

Camps Unlimited, the agency which organizes our annual empowerment camp, has been so impressed with Tariro’s students that they gave one of our recent graduates a job as an on-going camp facilitator.

Thank you!

Whether you choose to make a one-time donation or become a Friend of Tariro, we appreciate your support, which is critical to Tariro’s ability to continue our work educating and empowering Zimbabwean girls.

Hello readers!  I’ve just received another monthly update from Tariro’s program coordinator, Fadzi.  I’m pleased to report that at least five Tariro students have recently been awarded prizes by their schools for their excellent academic work.  In today’s post, I’d like to highlight two of those students.

The first is Samantha M., pictured above.  Samantha, who lives in Glen Norah, has been sponsored by Tariro for several years now.  She attends Herentals, a private day school where she was transferred by Tariro during the severe educational disruptions prior to the presidential run-off elections in 2008.   This year, Samantha won a prize for placing first in her class, among a cohort of 40 students.  She is one of our best students and has maintained an A-/B+ average during this whole year.  She is also a dancer in the traditional dance and music ensemble, writes poetry and short stories, and attends every activity that Tariro offers!  We are proud to be sponsoring such a motivated and intelligent young woman.

Mitchelle M. (right, in white)

Second is Mitchelle M., who also participates in Tariro’s traditional music and dance group.  We first met Mitchelle when she was a primary student at Chembira School, where Tariro’s music and dance group rehearses.  Upon learning that she was in need of financial assistance to attend secondary school after completing grade 7 at Chembira, we encouraged her to apply for assistance from Tariro.  Mitchelle also attends Herentals, where she placed second in her class last term.  She is in the drama, dance, and athletics club at Herentals, and one of the best dancers in Tariro’s traditional dance group, having started participating in traditional dance while still a primary school student at Chembira.  I love watching her incredibly serious face as she executes amazing rhythmic footwork as a dancer.  Her dancing is truly on a level approaching that of dancers with professional companies.  In addition, Fadzi describes Mitchelle as one of Tariro’s most confident and outspoken students.

Thanks for reading, and taking the time to get to know our students.  Its almost time for Tariro’s annual fall fundraising campaign.  In my next post, I’ll be talking about what you can do to support our work.  Please stay tuned.