Into the field with Her Journey to School... December 02 2024
One of of board members, Susan, travelled to TZ in October and this is taken from her social media pages...
Her Journey to School Part 1
Let me reintroduce you to the amazing Ellie. I met Ellie in 2009 when she was being turned away from secondary school and sent home because she had not paid her school fees. Everyday, she’d put on a uniform (she couldn’t afford the correct one, so she’d wear the only one she had) and she’d walk up the hills of Mt. Meru to school. Everyday, she’d be turned away and sent home. On her way to and from school, she’d walk past the school where I was volunteering and I got to know this amazing teenager.
Ellie is the most determined woman I have ever the pleasure of knowing. She grew up in poverty, in a family with a history of daughters having to get married at 12 and 13. Ellie was determined to be in control of her future. She was determined to get an education. And she is now determined to change the trajectory for others as well and educate girls in Tanzania.
Ellie managed to complete secondary school and then received a scholarship to university via an amazing organization called She's the First. She has since started a Tanzanian NGO called Her Journey to School and she is changing lives everyday. I’m proud to call her a friend. 
Her Journey to School Part 2
Meet the dream team, Ellie, Neema and Kois, with Her Journey to School. They are hard at work fighting for gender equality through education.
On Thursday, Will and I traveled 3 hours out into to the Maasai tribal region with the team from Her Journey to School (HJTS). Our own Peace by Piece, Inc. has partnered with HJTS, as we believe whole heartedly in the mission. It was fascinating to go out into the field and heart warming to be able to take part in changing lives for the better.
Our first stop was visiting 3 separate Maasai Bomas to meet with parents to discuss the importance of girls’ education. Often times, educating females is not a priority in this region and young daughters are married off to older men as a second or third wife in exchange for a dowry, which is typically cattle.
The HJTS team wanted to ensure that, if their daughter provided with a boarding secondary school sponsorship, the family would allow their child to continue their education and not pull the student out prior to graduating.
We were welcomed into homes and all the parents we met with were not only grateful for the support and agreed to allow their children to continue to attend school, but also had high hopes of getting help sponsoring other children as well.
These families live in huts made from a mixture of mud and cow manure. They have no running water of electricity. They herd their cattle and goats throughout the day. There were lots of children running around- they have nothing but the clothes on their backs. No toys, no books. Will handed out bracelets he made from pipe cleaners and beads and you’ve have thought he was giving out gold.
We met with the parents of Joyce. Joyce is a secondary school student and the youngest of 9 children. Her older sisters were not formally educated beyond primary school and were married off in exchange for cattle. The parents then sold the cattle to get the funds to send Joyce to the first year of secondary school. They do not have the resources to continue to send her for the additional 3 years. Joyce will join the program and will be sponsored through HJTS. Peace by Piece is proud to be assisting with these sponsorships.
Her Journey to School Part 3
After meeting with the families, we traveled to Oltinga, a boarding secondary school where we met with 30 female students who had been identified by the school as having significant needs. We had met with several of these students’ families earlier in the day (see part 2) Ellie, Neema and Kois made introductions and explained the program to the girls. Once a month, the team will travel out to the school to run a mentorship program and provide education on sexual and reproductive health. Individual needs will be assessed and provided-be it additional uniforms, school supplies, toiletries, and/or full school scholarships. Sanitary napkins will be supplied to each girl monthly. The goal is keep girls in school, avoid pregnancy or early marriages causing them to drop out, allow them to reach their full potential and eventually go back into their own community empowered, aware of their rights and willing to be leaders for the next generation of girls.
The girls were shy at first, but eventually opened up, introduced themselves and shared some of the challenges they have faced. 1:1 mentorship started today for several of the girls who face more significant challenges. One 12 year old student shared with Neema that she only has one uniform, one pair of socks and one pair of shoes at the school. She doesn’t own underwear, soap, a toothbrush or toothpaste, notebooks or pens. She does the best she can but is obviously struggling. For 25,000 Tanzanian shillings (just under $10) we bought her these necessities. This is life changing for a young girl.
I can’t thank Ellie, Neema, Kois, our Maasai translator and the rest of the Her Journey to School volunteers for including us out in the field today. Thank you for fighting to make a difference in the world! I am truly lucky to know you.
“Travel isn't always pretty. It isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you - it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you… Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” - Anthony Bourdain
