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Because 10% of Tanzanian Children graduate from high school...I'm going to do what I can:

 Hi!

My name is Marisa Ranieri, I am a 2008 graduate from Auburn High School, and currently in my senior year at the George Washington University in Washington, DC, where I will graduate in May with a B.A. in International Affairs with a focus in Africa and Contemporary Cultures & Societies.  

 

This coming August I will be starting a year of public service in Tanzania through the non-profit organization WorldTeach. WorldTeach is affiliated with Harvard University’s Center for International Development, and is registered as a 501©3 entity. The goal of the organization is to partner with governments in developing countries and provide volunteer teachers that will be placed in regions in need of additional assistance.

 

While in Tanzania, I will be a full-time secondary school teacher of children (ages 13-19) hired by the Ministry of Education. I chose Tanzania because I am familiar with the language and culture of the region, and have found the people there to be welcoming, hard-working, eager to learn, and genuine. Though the nation has committed itself to improving the opportunities of its youth the most recent estimate shows that the current education system is about 85,000 teachers short of being efficient.

 

While Tanzania has made serious inroads to improving their education system by allocating 20% of the total budget to education, , a study by Uwezo showed that the quality of education in Tanzania's primary schools were significantly worse than neighboring countries. Half of all students do not pass primary school (elementary and middle school) and only 10% graduate from secondary school. Students are flocking to school more so than ever before, yet the nation currently has a teacher-shortage of 85,000. That’s A LOT of empty classrooms.

 

 Moreover, in these public primary schools, the boy/girl ratio is almost exactly 1:1 - girls seem to have an equal opportunity to education. However, when you look at those attending secondary school, students are disproportionately male. This means females are inherently less likely to graduate with the equivalence of a high school diploma.

 

 The World Bank asserts that there is a strong correlation between performance levels of students and the distribution of resource and teachers. If students in low income districts were to receive additional teachers and books, it is likely to have a dramatic impact.

 

So in a country where the 85,000 person teacher-shortage is leaving classrooms across the nation sitting empty and students struggling to educate themselves, I'm going to do what I can.

But I can't do it alone. Why I need your help:

Teddy Roosevelt once said: Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.   The initial cost of this teaching program through WorldTeach is $5,990. That money will cover my flights there and back, my in-country training and support, and my housing and food expenses for an entire year. I've made the decision to pay for the program myself - it is my first job in the 'real world' after all. However, when I started accounting for all of the additional (ie: hidden) costs of living abroad, such as ensuring internet connectivity, having a pay-phone charged with shilingi so I can contact people in case of emergency, and the cost of providing school supplies for a classroom of 40+ students, the price overall started to increase dramatically.    To defray some of the financial stress on my part, my hope is to have 365 different friends and family members donate $10 towards the cost of my program – one for each and every day I’m abroad.  I'm not asking you to pack your sneakers and come with me in the flesh, but I would like you to join me in spirit. You won't only be making a difference in my life by helping this opportunity become a reality, you'll also be granting the opportunity for classrooms of students to have the best learning experience possible.  I'm just asking you to do what you can, with whatever it is you have, from wherever it is you are.      So, please, join me.

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