Saying Good Bye

As always, my time at GHTA flew by and now I am home.  It is definitely an adjustment being back in Vermont, not just the jet lag, weather, and time zone changes.  Being in Moshi, seeing how difficult the lives of the GHTA students are, is heartbreaking.  It made me think about the birth lottery, the only difference between my life and that of the wonderful women of GHTA.  I was born white with all the privileges that come with it, and I was born in a place where I had the opportunity to get an education and eventually a good job.  It seems so unfair for the GHTA women to work so hard with very little chance to succeed.  All the women want is to make a good life for their families, especially their children, as many of them are single moms.  Those who are married are often beaten by their husbands.  Life is not easy.

As I reflect on my time at GHTA, I still believe in the Starfish of Moshi.  There are students who with some financial help can break through the lack of opportunity and become successful.  There are many examples of women who are now living lives that would have been impossible without GHTA.  It is frustrating to not be able to help them all but I guess the Starfish story is about making a difference one starfish at a time.  And so that is what I will continue to do.

Thank you for following along with my blog.  I hope you enjoyed getting to know about Give a Heart To Africa.  If you are interested in volunteering or donating, here is the link, https://www.giveahearttoafrica.org/

This is Lisa, GHTA General Manager (also owner of Lala Salama Day Spa).  She graduated from GHTA in the first class in 2009.  She is currently 8 months pregnant, has a 1 1/2 son, Elijah, and is raising her sister's 8 year old daughter, Laura.  We call her "Super Woman" as she somehow manages to juggle all her roles with incredible strength, organization, and wisdom.  She is amazing!

My good bye to the Class of 2020!  Beautiful, brave, and intelligent women....I will miss them.

Random Pictures of Life as a GHTA Volunteer

Here are some pictures to give folks an idea of what life is like as a GHTA Volunteer.

The "Heart" wall in the volunteer house.  Volunteers from throughout the years have a photo with a heart.

Dave and I are repeat volunteers and here is our photo from Graduation 2013.  In the photo with us, Mlay and Upendo.

Items on display at Moshi Mamas, one of the GHTA businesses.  

The Moshi Mamas sewing machines.  There are 4 former GHTA students who now own and work at this gift shop.

Volunteer house living room looking out on the class rooms.

We don't always rough it.  This is TPC Country Club.  It is the oldest sugar cane plantation in Tanzania.  It has a golf course and a wonderful restaurant.

Had a manicure and pedicure at Lala Salama Day Spa, one of the GHTA  businesses. Everyone who works here is a former GHTA student. 

The English and Business class rooms.

The volunteer house front porch.  The building in the back is the Vocations/Math classroom where I taught.

John in the Volunteer House living room.

Railroad crossing on the sugar cane plantation (TPC).

Love this RR sign on the way to TPC!

Yes, those milk cans are actually in use!  We have similar ones on display at the St. Albans Museum.

The Keys Hotel...a short walk from GHTA and really good pizza.  A nice pool and fan palms too.

Two of my favorite students from GHTA Class of 2013, Asha and Diana.

Ester is also from the GHTA 2013 Class.  She has a successful Co-op store that was started by GHTA and now she owns it independently.

Ceci was a GHTA 2013 student as well.  She works incredibly hard as the Volunteer housekeeper.

2013 was the last year men were part of GHTA classes.  This is Mlay...or as everyone refers to him, my son.

African women know how to dance!

Random folks at the anniversary party:  Chrisencia (from this year's class), Jenny, Jesca (from 2013), Mlay, Ester, Betilda (from 2013), and me.  And the two children belong to Sophia (not in the picture) who is the bookeeper at GHTA and also graduated in 2013.  The children are Mwanaidi and Hamisi.

How we entertain ourselves.

Home Visit - Mercy

Every Friday during the GHTA school year, the volunteers make a home visit to one of the students.  It is completely optional on the student's part and it offer's a glimpse into typical home life and living conditions that most visitors to Tanzania do not ever see.  The students are happy to have the volunteers visit (as well as one of the translators) and are wonderful hosts. I was able to go on the home visit to Mercy's who lives in a village on the outskirts of Moshi called Kiboriloni. It is in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. We walked about 20 minutes through the village to her 2 room home in a peaceful setting with lemon, avocado, and jackfruit trees.

Mercy has 3 daughters,  Queen (age 12), Karen (age 11), and Elizabeth (age 2). The older 2 girls go to a public school nearby.  Elizabeth comes to GHTA with Mercy every day.

We met Mercy's mom, Rose, who currently supports Mercy,  as she is unable to find a job. Rose sells used clothes in the Manyara area (about 4 hours away) and visits Mercy every weekend. 

Mercy would like to have a sewing machine so she can have a business making clothes and doing alterations.

Scenes from the village

On Saturdays this is a bustling market area full of people and vendors. 

It was a long walk.

We passed many fields of corn (maize) and sunflowers.

Mercy and Elizabeth in one of their two rooms.

Tausi, our translator, and Elizabeth. We were served a lovely spread of fruit:  Bananas, oranges, and papaya.

Rose (Mercy's Mom), Mercy, and Elizabeth.

Jenny and I trying to hide!

The road went on and on....

Two young girls on their way home from school.

A common sight in the villages.  Women sewing outside a storefront.  The hanging fabric is so vibrant and colorful!

Learning about knitting machines used to make school uniform sweaters.  It is one of the vocations taught at GHTA.

Success Story - Magdalena

In 2014, my daughter Kate volunteered at GHTA for 5 months.  One of her students was Magdalena.  I had never met Magdalena until this visit to GHTA but we have been Facebook friends for awhile.  She came to the GHTA 10th Anniversary Party in January.

After graduating from GHTA in 2014, Magdalena decided to start a daycare center in the neighborhood she lives in, Majengo.   She told me that while at GHTA, Kate asked her, "What is your passion?" and she decided it was taking care of children.  Jenny and I made a visit to Magdalena's daycare one day after class.  It was a wonderful experience.

Jenny and I with the kids. Magdalena employs two certified teachers as well. There was a torrential rainstorm just as we arrived.  Magdalena makes the uniforms and they are adorable.


The idea of a "daycare center" is fairly new in Tanzania.  It is a step forward for women as without childcare it is difficult for a woman with children to be able to work.  Many of the children in her daycare come from single parent families.  

The children reciting their ABCs for us.

It took Magdalena several years to build up her daycare.  She was able to get donations from former GHTA volunteers as well as generous people from other international nonprofit organizations to get up and running.  

And their numbers.

 She has big plans to expand as she purchased a small plot of land across the road and will turn it into a playground as soon as she has some funding.  She also has dreams of starting an orphanage as well.  There are many "street" children in Moshi and a good, quality children's home would be welcomed.  

Magdalena and the 2 teachers with the children.

  The enrollment numbers vary during the year and there can be as many as 70 children during some months.  The children are there for full or half day.  The cost is regulated by the government and per month is around $10 for half day and $20 for full day.  It seems inexpensive but many jobs pay only a few dollars a day.

We were very impressed with the daycare as well as seeing Magdalena as a businesswoman.  She told us while she was at GHTA she was in Group 1, the students with the least amount of English knowledge.  During our visit she spoke to us in very understandable English the entire time.   She is definitely a GHTA success story!

The Students

The most compelling reason I volunteer at GHTA again and again is the students.  The women I meet, and it is the same each time I come, are incredible.  They are smart, hard-working, ambitious, and brave.  The obstacles they face in their daily lives are things most of us who live in North America or Europe would not be able to imagine.  Yet they come to school each day with a smile on their face and a willingness to learn so that they may have a small chance for a better life.

The students are taught English, Business, and Vocations. They are divided into 3 Groups and rotate through the classes each week.  I am teaching Vocations/Math. The Vocations class is 3 hours long and during the first hour the students get a refresher course in basic math skills.  Many of the women’s educational level is Standard 7.  It is the equivalent of finishing school in the sixth grade.

Here are some pictures of the women in the Vocations class.  They are learning to make beaded jewelry, earrings in this case, and they are enjoying themselves.  There is a small market for beaded items at local gift shops here in Moshi.  Unfortunately, the tourist industry is suffering in this area as not as many people are traveling to Africa as did in the past.

This is Joyce. She is 47 years old and has 5 children.  She is often seen holding one of the younger student's babies.  The students are allowed to bring their children to school and they are looked after by Mary, a former student.  

 The woman with the cast on her arm is Ester. She is 24 years old with 2 children.  She broke her wrist on one of the first days of school and has yet to miss a day of class.

The woman in front in the black shirt is Neema.  The woman to her left (you can only see her hands) is also Neema. And the woman behind her in red is named Neema.  There is also another Neema who is not in the picture.  There are over 50 students and the struggle to remember everyone's name is real!

The woman in front in the beautiful African outfit is Miriam. Some of the women, especially the younger ones like Edna in the striped shirt, wear clothing we would expect to see at home.  The older women are more likely to come to school in more traditional Tanzanian clothes.  Some of them switch from day to day.  

This is Levina.  She has a 1 1/2 year old son named Brian who comes to school with her.

This is Pendo.  She is 41 years old and has 2 children.  She told me the last time she was in school was 1994.  She is struggling a bit with Math so she willingly stays after school to get extra help every day she can. She is an incredibly hard worker and sweet as can be.

This is Rayness.  She is 24 years old and has a 6 year old daughter. She is outgoing, charming, and has an incredible positive attitude. She is often seen taking a selfie!   

L to R, Zuwena, Tausi, and Bahati. These are the teacher/translators (not students) learning how to type for the first time.  They do not own laptops (a luxury the majority of Tanzanians would never be able to afford) so they are using a GHTA admin laptop and a couple that belong to the volunteers.  We downloaded a free typing program and helped them get going. They loved it. They were smiling and giggling, and having a wonderful time.