Embracing Equity: It Takes a Village

3-Minute read

On International Women's Day, Sasamani celebrates this year's theme: "Embrace Equity." From individual belief systems to community investment in women and girls' education and empowerment, embracing equity is inherently an individual and a community act. Sasamani takes today to acknowledge that the work to increase gender equity in East Africa does not happen in a silo: It takes a village!

Sasamani's impact is made possible by the effort, support, belief, and buy-in from a vast web of people and organizations, who advocate for equitable access to education and employment opportunities for ALL people. We extend our gratitude to the many who make Sasamani’s work possible:

• Sasamani-Sponsored Students' Families who are champions for their children's education. While Sasamani provides holistic support by sponsoring a student's tuition, uniforms, books, and other tangible and intangible resources, it is a family's belief in and prioritization of education for their child that ultimately makes it possible for Sasamani-sponsored students to pursue their education.
• School Faculty & Administrators who work closely with Sasamani's Education Director to ensure students' success. Sasamani partners directly with all administrators and faculty at our four partner secondary schools in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Through this essential collaboration, Sasamani can support students in their studies more effectively, and identify the most vulnerable students in need of support in Bagamoyo.
• Local Government Partners whose belief in Sasamani's mission makes our existence possible and whose collaboration helps us to prioritize the schools we work with. The Bagamoyo District Council has proudly recognized Sasamani for our work in education.
• Our Women Leading Change (WLC) Graduates are successful women leaders who inspire change in their communities and serve as role models to the next generation. We are excited to launch our Future Leaders Initiative in 2023, connecting Women Leading Change graduates to Sasamani-sponsored students for mentorship and meaningful internship and employment opportunities.
• Our partners at the University of Dar es Salaam Business School, with whom we launched our first ever Women Leading Change program in 2018, and continue to partner to hold this transformational leadership program for emerging women leaders in East Africa.
• Our donors, who believe in and join in Sasamani's mission to improve gender equity in East Africa and who make our work possible.

Most importantly, embracing equity comes from within. Sasamani knows that the largest barriers to achieving gender equity are social and cultural norms. We are constantly inspired by the women and girls who participate in Sasamani's programs, who boldly re-write this narrative and are agents of change for themselves and their community. ​

Since Sasamani's founding in 2012 and thanks to the collaboration of so many, we have witnessed community buy-in and advocacy for girls' education in Bagamoyo grow by leaps and bounds. Gladness Kulola, Sasamani's Education Director, says: "I have observed both the girls and their parents becoming more eager and thirsty for girls' education in the last ten years. The overall cooperation from the Bagamoyo parents and community has been outstanding and very positive, making me proud of our future society."

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And the important work continues! YOU can #EmbraceEquity this International Women's Day and support Sasamani's initiatives:

1. Donate: Your financial support makes our work possible! Any amount is sincerely appreciated and will be applied directly to Sasamani programs.

Donate Now

​2. Sponsor a Student: A monthly $30 donation covers school fees from middle school through university and ensures each student's basic needs are met, including food, boarding costs, hygiene supplies, school supplies, and transportation.

sponsor a student

​3. Advocacy: Engage in conversations with friends, family, and community that celebrate and advance the ideas, contributions, and achievements of women and girls.

Collective action makes the change. We thank the entire Sasamani community for supporting, advocating for, and believing in women and girls' education and empowerment. Together we continue to push the needle forward.

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​"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
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- Margaret Mead

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This article was written by: Rachael Lieblein-Jurbala, Sasamani U.S. Board of Directors, and 2018 Sasamani Intern.