Sarah’s* Story
This week, we’ve been running our first ever Big Give campaign. For the last week, donations to Kiota have been doubled. We’re incredibly grateful to say we exceeded our target of £2,000. Throughout the week, we told the story of one of the children that attends KIWOHEDE, and we hope it helps to explain why their work is so important.
Sarah grew up in the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam. Her mother left her family at a young age, which meant she was raised largely by her father along with her brother. When she was nine, her father became very sick. At first, this was not diagnosed, but it meant that he struggled to work and pay for food for his children. Sarah had to become the provider at home for her little brother.
Unfortunately, after her father got ill, he left his children to go to Mombassa for treatment. This left Sarah with no options and she began begging to support herself and her brother.
A neighbour saw what was happening and sent her to a local orphanage. Currently, there are around 50 children staying there from all across Tanzania. While the orphanage provides somewhere safe to stay, they refer children to other organisations for education and other needs. Sarah was referred to KIWOHEDE to help her re-start her education. Luckily, as a vocational centre, they are able to support students that may not otherwise be able to access education.
Sarah joined KIWOHEDE Open School at the start of 2021. Starting a new school is always scary. With the help of social workers and teachers, she didn’t take a long time to adapt to the school environment, especially when she was interacting with other students during the tea break. The social workers introduced her to all the staff and showed her around the classrooms to make sure she felt supported.
Since joining KIWOHEDE, the school’s Social Welfare Officers had a visit to the orphanage with the Matron to check in on Sarah’s development and welfare. For Sarah, attending KIWOHEDE means she is able to receive nutritious meals and extra support. She was able to talk to other children about her education and the focus on her wellbeing.
Sarah’s first lesson was Biology, where she met Teacher Vincent. During the lesson, the teacher explained the importance of studying biology and the careers that are available through the subject. Since then, Sarah has worked hard in biology and the other science subjects, realising how much she loved learning about science.
It’s really important for students at KIWOHEDE to receive the appropriate mental health support. Counselling sessions take place at the school every day, both individual and group counselling depending on the needs of the child. The aim is to increase the children’s self-esteem and confidence, and all learning is based on a trauma-informed approach to education.
Given the backgrounds of most of the children, focusing on healing trauma challenges disruptive behaviour in a supportive way. This is one of the reasons KIWOHEDE is so special. These counselling sessions also help children to think about their futures and understand that they do have opportunities open to them. Since beginning her counselling, Sarah has become more confident and is learning how to deal with stress while studying.
Sarah has a dream to be a Nurse in the future. She is currently doing well in Chemistry, Biology and Physics and she believes with the help of KIWOHEDE her dream will come true.
KIWOHEDE offered Sarah an opportunity to continue learning when mainstream education wasn’t an option. We hope this week we have shown you the ways in which KIWOHEDE aims to ensure each child gets the support and encouragement they need to flourish.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us reach our target for The Big Give. Watch this space for more updates from Tanzania.
