Meet the St Monica Family, Kisarawe girls school, Tanzania
About the St Monica Family
The St Monica Family is a group of 31 girls in their first year at secondary school. The St Monica Family girls started secondary school Kisarawe Girlstown in January 2022. The girls are cared for by their Mother-Sister, Sister Vaileth. The family is “happy, united, and cheerful family. The girls are sociable and cooperative with each other most of the time. They do and share many things in common” says Sister Vaileth.
Sister Vaileth speaks about the challenges many of these girls face, saying that they do their best at academic studies but many have a lot to learn in their first year. Sister Vaileth says that a big challenge is “learning, understanding, and speaking the English language because most of them start to learn this language only here and now. Many come from remote villages and speak only their native language.” Through the support of the family, the girls help one another to learn and encourage one another through these challenges.
What your sponsorship will do for children in families like St Monica
When the children start school in Grade 7, they receive their school uniform, a bag, a pair of sports shoes and school shoes, set of colouring materials, some house clothes and sports uniform. They also receive books, board games, and other indoor game materials in their dormitories for leisure time. They have a general medical check-up to assess their medical and dental health needs. Your sponsorship of a family will contribute to these basic costs, making sure that each one has clothing, food, and books for their school.
Every day, the St Monica Family eats breakfast, do their chores, attend classes and extra curricular activities, spend some time gardening with Sister Molina, eat dinner, and study together before going to sleep in their shared dormitory space. Their lives are communal and they do everything together, giving each other support and friendship as they progress through their schooling.
Meet some of the girls from the St Monica Family
Meet Mariamu
“My name is Mariamu, I am part of St. Monica family. I come from Dodoma Region. I am 13 years old. I am the fifth child of seven children in the family. We started to experience suffering and poverty when my father became addicted to drinking. We depended solely on our mother then who was also sick with HIV and was made weaker because of overwork. I had difficulty during my primary school days to travel long distances to reach school. We usually could eat only once or twice a day.
When I first arrived at the Sisters of Mary School, I was very happy. The school is supporting me with everything I need. I can study well and eat three times a day. And the food is more delicious and nutritious than what I ate at home. I wish to be a teacher someday, so that I, in turn, can help other poor people who do not have the chance to study. I’m hoping that after I finish my studies here at the Sisters of Mary School I will have a successful life so that I can help my family who depend on me a lot to support them someday.
Thank you so much to all our benefactors!
Meet Salome
“My name is Salome, I am part of St. Monica family. I am 14 years old and have come from Tabora Region, Tanzania. We are six children in the family and I am the fifth child. Both my parents are farmers and our family is very poor.
After I completed Standard Seven I came here to study at the Sisters of Mary School. I thank God so much! I arrived here in January 2022. I was very happy I came with my friends.
In the Sisters of Mary I am seeing many changes in my life. Example, here we eat three times a day, we eat chicken on Sundays and rice… and on feast days we eat more delicious food. This helps me study with more enthusiasm. Here also I received good bed with a nice mattress and good clothing to wear.
My hope while I am here at Sisters of Mary school is that one day I will be a very good student who can quickly understand my lessons. I want to be a teacher someday. When I fulfil my dream I will be able to help support my family and at the same time help others also to get good education.
What your donation will provide
£9 – Helps provide all the clothing, care, health and hygiene essentials for a child for a month
£21 – Helps provide all the reference books, textbooks, notepads and pens for a child’s education for one month
£26 – Helps provide all the food needed by one child for a month
£84 – Helps provide everything needed to care for one child for a month*
*these costs are based on the average across all our schools
Tanzania
Salome’s Story
Salome came to Kisarawe Girls School in 2022. She lives with her grandparents and had to sell buns to buy school supplies as her family is very poor. They frequently experienced hunger but when Salome came to the school, she discovered life without a lack of food.
Tanzania
Mariamu’s Story
Mariamu is from a very poor farming family. Her father struggles with alcoholism and the family relies on her mother to provide, but she is sick with HIV. When Miriamu arrived at Kisarawe, she experienced stability and security for the first time in her life.
Kisarawe Girlstown
Justa’s Story
Justa is one of 8 children and lives in severe poverty with her parents in rural Tanzania. Thanks to your support and the care of the Sisters of Mary she is now at school in Kisarawe and looks forward to a brighter future.
Donation Impact Calculator
Your donations help us to provide education for the world’s poorest children. They help us to fund school places and the everyday care needed for boys and girls who are without hope. See the difference your monthly or single gift can make to the lives of the children in our care: