In the world, and in particular, in Africa, women are the core engine of social progress and ameliorate day by day the living conditions of the whole population. They work in the fields, carry on the house, and grow up the children. Therefore, it is mandatory for them to have the possibility of having access to education since their knowledge influences the whole family. But instead, the biggest efforts are always made for male sons, while daughters are left home caring for siblings and helping their mothers.

In the last years Karibuni and Pace Adesso have put their effort to help less advantaged children, the ones who have the capacities but not the economic possibilities, to have access to education.

Tanzania’s volunteers experience during the pandemic

Patrizia, one of the Karibuni‘s founder, would like to share what happened in Tanzania when the Covid-19 pandemic started.

When the news was reporting Italy as the most suffering country, we were shocked and struggling to understand how to act. At that moment, our friends in Tanzania, the girls we had helped during the years, and all the people who had the possibility to send us an email or a message, wrote to us to know how WE were doing. We answered we were doing good and trying to figure out what to do and gave them advice on how to behave in order to fight the spread of the virus since the media were not very helpful and their president was suggesting as a solution to pray God for help.

We do not know what happened, but the numbers, In Tanzania, of Covid-19 related deaths have not been as high as expected. Probably also the inefficiency in reporting the numbers played its role, but the situation has not evolved dramatically.

Schools have been closed in March, in order to avoid the spread of the virus between students, but then have been reopened in June and July. Unfortunately, in the country distance learning is impossible to realize. Almost nobody owns a computer, and the internet connection is unavailable in most of the villages.

The number of deaths has not been as high as expected, maybe thanks to the lower average age of the population and because most people infected did not show symptoms.  There have not been measures for closing economic activities and there have been recommendations about the hygienic norms (frequent hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, use of face masks).

The future lies in the education of young people

After being aware of the situation, we continued to send the aids for the school’s and university’s subscriptions, because our girls must continue to attend classes.

Education is the most powerful tool for fight degradation, poverty, social injustices, and violent reactions to them.

 After the months when we felt victims of an invisible enemy, which messed up our plans and our certainties, we feel more vulnerable, and we are less willing to give something to others. But we must remember that for how bad our actual situation may look; we still cannot imagine what it does mean living in absolute poverty. In this condition also a minimum help, that for us may be indifferent, can make a huge change in the life of someone else.

We should not forget about those students in Tanzania, of these girls which are working hard, but full of joy and happiness, in order to build their future and the future of those living around them.