Dar es Salaam, TZ – Graduate Looking to Pay Scholarship Forward – 30 Jan 2015

Jackie Machele recently graduated from the Institute of Family Welfare in Dar es Salaam with an associates degree in Social Work. Her education was sponsored by Better Lives’ partner United Women’s Friendship. UWF is a group of successful businesswomen in Dar es Salaam who pool their resources to provide education sponsorships and mentoring to girls who otherwise could not afford an education.

Jackie grew up in Dar es Salaam. Her father was a marketing manager for a tourism company and her mom stayed at home to raise the children. Jackie was always a very successful student and scored highly at the government funded schools she attended in primary school and through her first three years of secondary school.

Before she could begin her fourth year of secondary school her father died. Without the income from his job Jackie could no longer afford to attend school and she spent one year at home helping her mom. Jackie learned about UWF in a newspaper advertisement and sent in an application for a scholarship. Because of her excellent past performance, UWF granted Jackie a scholarship to finish secondary school and attend university.

Her scholarship allowed her to attend a private school for the first time in her life. Jackie was amazed at the opportunities private school provided. She explains that at government schools even if you are smart and try hard you can fail. There aren’t enough teachers and even the teachers who are there sometimes don’t care or aren’t skilled educators. Overcrowded classrooms mean that some students sit on the ground. Having so many students in one classroom also makes it difficult to focus on the teacher.

At private schools, learning is much easier. “If you try you will succeed. The facilities are there, the teachers are there,” explains Jackie.

Jackie made the most of the opportunity and is proud to have her Associates Degree. She plans to pursue a 1-2 year internship and then return to school to finish her Bachelors Degree. After finishing school Jackie’s goal is to work with children. She sees the importance of taking a holistic approach to child development. “To improve our country we must all work as a team and start at the roots. Children are the roots of the coutry,” she says.