Celebrations: 50 Years of VSO in Tz....SEGA featured in their publications

VSO Tanzania

50 Years of Partnership

1961-2011

 ----------------------------------------------------

During the latter part of 2011, I had the pleasure of three CUSO-VSO (Canadian branch of VSO) representatives visiting SEGA and witnessing the intensive work being done. Much of the interview information, pictures and videos were used in the promotion of the work being done by VSO Education in Tanzania. Shown above is the front cover of the book published to recognise and celebrate 50 years of VSO’s active participation in Tanzania which features my Pre-Formal Intensive English class. 2011. Nasura is just one of our many focused and hungry students desperately wanting to, and working hard towards, succeeding in mastering their command of the English language.

-------------------------------------------------

Educating girls out of poverty

VSO is assisting teachers to use participatory methods at the Secondary Education for Girls’

Advancement (SEGA) School in Morogoro

 ------------------------------------------------------

When Lucy Richard was 14, she was a “house girl” who

cooked, cleaned and washed laundry for a family in return

for room and board and a small salary which she gave to her

impoverished, widowed mother. After the first month, the

salary disappeared and she was trapped in a job destined to

keep her illiterate, dependent and poor.

One day at church, her pastor told the congregation that a

new secondary school for girls was starting up in Morogoro

and was looking for students. She talked to the pastor after

the service, walked for two hours to the school office and

was told the intake process was already completed. But she

was determined to go back to school so they let her write the

entrance exams anyway. “The headmistress came to my house

and said get ready for school- I passed the exam,” Lucy says,

her smile widening at the memory. “I was so happy. I jumped

up and down and I prayed.”

That was three years ago. Today, Lucy, aged 17, is one of the

most promising students at the Secondary Education for

Girls’ Advancement (SEGA) School in Morogoro, an institution

for motivated but economically disadvantaged girls who

otherwise would have no access to a secondary education

because of poverty or teenage pregnancy.

“I get an education, I get books, I get all I want here and I

have my friends to study with in group discussions and I have

others to teach me when I don’t know things,” says Lucy.

“So much is needed here in Tanzania,” says the school’s

founder Polly Dolan. When she learned that some girls were

prostituting themselves in exchange for room and board while

attending school, she came up with the idea of SEGA. “You can

help get communities out of poverty by educating girls.”

Volunteer Fran Bruty has been training SEGA’s Tanzanian

teachers to use participatory tools to enhance their skills and

hopefully increase the quality of education the girls receive.

She’s also been helping with English language instruction.

“They all want to be doctors, accountants, engineers, pilots

and teachers,” says Fran, of the students. “It’s really rewarding

to see their enthusiasm.”

The previous two pages were featured illustrating our work and the reality of the girls we are supporting. Lucy is a very dedicated, hard working student who has a naturally inquiring mind. She is moving quickly in her learning, guided and supported by her teachers and their commitment to nurturing higher level thinking skills and participatory learning techniques in their education.  
During the annual VSO conference held in December 2011, the video reflecting the 50 years of work engaged in by Tz VSO, was shown together with the distribution of the published book.
Whenever we have visitors come to SEGA our girls welcome them by singing the “Welcome Visitors” song. We had done this as Lisa, Laurie and Scott (CUSO-VSO reps) had joined our Intensive English class. I had joined the girls in song as I usually do when it is my own class welcoming our guests. This footage, together with the informative interview done with Polly, Director of SEGA, was featured during this documentary spotlighting SEGA and sharing our vision and that of VSO education, to..........

educate girls out of poverty.