Hi All,

2011 has been a busy time for Jiamini! Thanks for your generosity in making this all happen!

Starting the New School Year

In January our 49 sponsored students safely started the new school year. After paying all the school fees we purchased new uniforms and school supplies. This year, through our SIPS (School Improvement Project) programs, we were able to provide new textbooks for our students and also many textbooks for school libraries. 1,250 books in all!

During our home visits in January and February we found that a few of our younger girls were living in deteriorating situations that were either unsafe or not conducive to studying. Working with educational officials we were able to transfer three of our younger girls into boarding dormitories at Nangwanda Secondary School. This will allow them to remain in the Newala community in a safer and more stable environment. We visited the homes of all the students of concern and continue to monitor all students' living situations closely.

In March we selected our next class of scholarship recipients, currently in their last year of primary school. We have completed our initial home visits and are in the process of obtaining birth certificates for each student. Our new students are just taken the secondary school entrance exam after weeks of evening classes (after their normal school days). A few of these new students still don't have sponsors yet, so if you know someone who might want to sponsor a student, please have them contact Katie at katie@jiamini.org.

Gift Kits

Gift Kits allow donors to contribute to specific projects as a present to a friend or loved one. Gift Kits purchased in 2010 along with our general donations allowed us implement a number of school improvement programs this year.

Tutoring

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Every evening for the past few months, our students from 6 different primary schools gathered for additional instruction and support in preparation for the secondary school entrance exams. Additionally, in June our secondary school students attended tutoring during their school break to help them prepare for their end of year exams.

Starting next month our new primary school graduates will be attending an intensive english course to help prepare them for secondary school (which is taught in english). Also, in December we will be offering tutoring for our students currently in secondary school.

Clean Water

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At Butiama Primary School, where many of our primary students study, we completely renovated a six stall latrine block, repairing floors and walls, and installing doors on the stalls. We also helped the school plan their own resources for an additional new latrine block, and contributed to supplies to this project, which is currently underway.

At Dr. Alex Secondary School we replaced the rotten bamboo covering the water cistern with tin and sealed it with cement to prevent leaves and small animals from entering the cistern and contaminating the water. We also installed rain gutters on a near by classroom building that connect to the cistern so that the cistern is replenished with rainwater.

At Newala Day Secondary School we installed a water tank outside of the latrines for hand washing. We installed gutters on the latrines to fill the water tanks.

Malaria Prevention

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New mosquito nets were installed on the dormitory windows at Nangwanda Secondary, Chidya Secondary and Ndwika Secondary Schools. These will help decrease the spread of malaria.

Texts for Tanzania

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We purchased and distributed over 1,250 textbooks at the 5 secondary schools where Jiamini scholars study. Not only will these books help our students and their schools, the books are written for the Tanzanian curriculum and were all purchased in-country to support the local economy.

Girls Empowerment

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In March we brought together all of our girls for our first seminar on women's issues. Topics spanned from reproductive education to domestic rights, and careers. Among other presenters, Nurse Mbemba from Newala Hospital led a discussion on reproductive health. Most girls are not educated about reproductive health as it is not part of school curriculum and is generally not discussed at home. Our students participated in discussions and seminars about sexual and reproductive health, peer pressure, career goals, and the right to say "no," among other topics. On the final day of the week-long seminar, Jiamini's boys were invited and the girls led seminars, imparting what they'd learned to their male peers. The girls completed the seminar empowered with the tools they need to make informed decisions about safe sex, domestic environments, child rearing, and careers. They also gained the confidence to implement these tools.

Vocational School Supplies

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We are working with Nachitulo Primary School to develop vocational training programs for students unable to complete secondary school. The programs train students to be tailors, carpenters and masons, and this year we purchased new supplies, including a new sewing machine and handtools. The sewing program is starting a sustainable funding project wherein the students sew uniforms for sale at the school. Profits will go toward new sewing supplies.

Jiamini Outreach to Youth on the Streets

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Our pilot program continues to grow with 4 more children added this year. So far this year we have been able to provide school supplies, uniforms, and other school contribution costs for three boys who are in danger of returning to the streets. We also placed our first two students in foster care with families who are not related to them, and are happy to report that both students are doing well with our support. One of these is a teenage girl who has been placed in a foster care situation and a tailoring apprenticeship. We continue to provide medical care for our JOYS children and to meet their various psychosocial support needs.

Joseph Lawrence Chow Scholarship

The Joseph Lawrence Chow Scholarship was established last year to support exceptional students at Ndanda Secondary School. Through the generosity of the Chow family we were able to add 8 more young men to this program. There are now a total of 10 students completing their A-level education at Ndanda Secondary School, all in memory of Mwalimu (Teacher) Joseph. Joseph's parents came to visit in May and their students were very excited to meet them!