Room to Read Blog

An Engineer in the Making: Kurlithlimli’s Story

At 14 years old, Kurlithlimli has lived in the same village her whole life. She has three older siblings, but since her parents’ divorce, she has lived alone with her father, who works as a farmer and participates in local politics.

Kurlithlimli’s day typically starts at 6:00am, when she prepares for school, which is a short, 15-minute walk from home. At school she excels in science, physics in particular. “I find it very easy to understand,” she says with a smile.

Physics is not only fun for Kurlithlimli, but an important step in achieving her dream of becoming an engineer. “I think Tanzania needs more female engineers,” says Kurlithlimli, who notes that all the engineers she has seen at the road construction site near her home are men. “I hope that when I become an engineer I can inspire more girls to join the profession,” she says.

In her daydreams, Kurlithlimli sees herself owning a successful business and engineering skyscrapers in Tanzania’s cities. Her dreams, she says, help her remain focused in school. “Education is the key to success in life. If you want to do something with your life, you have to be educated.”

After school, Kurlithlimli and her classmates often participate in life skills lessons before heading home. “I enjoy the self-awareness sessions, which help me plan my future and set goals,” she says, explaining that the training has helped she and her friends avoid common roadblocks like early pregnancy.

When she arrives at home each day, Kurlithlimli gets started on her chores: making dinner, fetching water and cleaning the house. Afterwards, her father helps her with homework. Since he cannot speak English, she translates her questions into Kiswahili so they can work on them together.

One day, Kurlithlimli hopes she can repay her father for his support by becoming an engineer and earning enough money to buy a house for them. Until then, she continues to work hard in school and listen to Tanzania’s Minister of Infrastructure on the radio for inspiration. “He is an engineer and I have heard him give speeches in front of Parliament,” she says. “I like his integrity.”

Meet Kurlithlimli's trained mentor, Upendo Mchau, in a blog post from March 2013.

Join our Freedom to Dream campaign and help more girls across Asia and Africa pursue their dreams. All gifts through May 31 to our Girls’ Education program will be matched (up to US$850,000)!

Video Blog from Tanzania: Building a Strong Foundation for Education

Last year, Room to Read launched programs in Tanzania. We started in an area called Turiani, and immediately our team noted that school infrastructure there was a challenge.

With more than 100 students often sharing a classroom, we knew that School Construction would play a vital role in helping children in Turiani gain the literacy skills they need to become confident, independent readers.

Now that our first year's School Construction projects are complete, we wanted to take a look back at what went into the new buildings and explore the impact they are already having on the school environments in Turiani. In this video, you'll meet the headmaster and construction committee chair of Kanga Primary School and hear from our team about the importance of community involvement at every step of the process.

Take a look:

 

Learn more about School Construction.

Upendo's Promise: Paying it Forward in Tanzania

“Being a social mobilizer for Room to Read is a dream come true!” says 22-year old Upendo Mchau. Upendo spends her days working with the female students of Nassaro Seif Secondary School in Tanzania’s rural Mvomero district—conducting life skills lessons, providing mentorship and visiting with parents to encourage a supportive environment.  It’s a scene she saw many times in her own childhood, and to which she attributes much of her own personal success.

“When I was in secondary school, I had a teacher who served as a mentor to me and went out of her way to make sure I did well in class,” says Upendo. “She really helped me to succeed in school, and inspired me to work in a field like hers.”

Upendo recalls a time when her teacher visited her parents at home and encouraged them to enroll their daughter in a tutoring program to improve her academic performance. “She did this for lots of girls,” says Upendo.

Growing up, Upendo always knew the value of a good education, with a school secretary for a mother and a father who held a university degree. “My parents worked hard to ensure that my four siblings and I could go to school,” she says, recalling her childhood.

These days, Upendo is determined to pay it forward—helping disadvantaged female students get the scaffolding and support they need to succeed. “On my first day as a social mobilizer, I was so nervous,” she admits readily, “but I have earned the girls’ respect now and feel confident in my role.”

Many of the girls Upendo works with are facing an uphill battle in completing their secondary education. “Most of their families live in poverty and don’t have enough food,” she says, adding that the girls are “often solicited to do inappropriate things for money, food or transportation.” Determined to help the girls make good choices and avoid the numerous obstacles before them, Upendo says her focus is on ensuring each individual girl has the knowledge she needs to avoid dangerous situations and make smart decisions. “I really enjoy educating the community about the importance of education,” she says with a smile, “but my favorite part of my job is helping the girls reach their goals.”

Join our Freedom to Dream campaign and help more girls across Asia and Africa pursue their dreams. All gifts through May 31 to our Girls’ Education program will be matched (up to US$850,000)!

Rehema for President: Video Blog in Honor of Human Rights Day

Today is Human Rights Day, an annual opportunity to celebrate human rights and advocate for their full enjoyment by all people. This year, the United Nations has chosen to highlight the rights of every person across the globe to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.

At Room to Read, we focus on making these rights more accessible to children and adolescent girls the best way we know how—by investing in quality education for some of the world’s most underserved communities. Beyond being a human right in and of itself (Article 26 to be exact), education also helps children find their voices—enabling greater participation in society and politics at all levels.

This aspect of education is especially important for women, who are vastly underrepresented in the political sphere in most countries around the world. Through the life skills training included in our Girls’ Education program, Room to Read helps girls develop the skills they need to break this pattern of exclusion, such as decision-making, goal-setting and interpersonal communication.

In honor of this year’s Human Rights Day, we bring you a special video premiere that celebrates the important role that life skills play in helping all young women know and defend their own rights. In the video you'll hear from one girl, Rehema, who plans to use this knowledge to build a better future for herself and her country.

 

Learn more about our work in Tanzania.