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3-minute read By: Cia Martins, Sasamani Intern. As Sasamani launches its annual student sponsorship campaign: Ripples of Change, one of the Sasamani sponsored students shares how the sponsorship impacted her life.  Meet Siaba! Siaba, 24 years, recently graduated from the University of Dodoma. Siaba joined the Sasamani sponsorship program in 2014 when she was at Kingani Middle School. Since then, Siaba has gained a bachelor's degree in Biology and intends to pursue a career in public health research. Her goal is to join the fight to prevent disease in her community and in Tanzania at large. Siaba explained to us that her area of expertise is in "causative agents, such as vectors and other microorganisms, that can be cultured, so as to assess the effective measures of controlling them". Siaba shares that when she joined Sasamani, her intention was to "invest all my efforts into my studies" as she wants to become a contributing woman to society. She notes that she still has a way to go, but those who work with her have no doubt she will exceed her own expectations. Siaba's commitment to her community, to her learning, and to her future exemplifies Sasamani's mission: To empower women and girls to shape their own futures and thereby cultivating happier, healthier, and more prosperous communities. Siaba's journey Like many sponsored students, Siaba's journey did not start smoothly. When she was introduced to Sasamani, her family was unable to afford her school fees for the following year. This educational insecurity took a toll, and she began performing poorly in her studies. After working with Gladness, our Education Director, and through the correspondence with her sponsor, Siaba started to get more confidence in her ability to achieve her educational goals. Siaba's grades improved remarkably. Siaba ended up graduating from high school first in her class!  In speaking with us, Siaba said that one of her favorite things about Sasamani was the ability to "meet with different people, explore new knowledge, and ways to overcome life challenges". Committed to the community of Sasamani students, Siaba encouraged Sasamani to facilitate more gatherings between students from the different schools, so that students can have conversations about "how to be innovative after completing their studies, and create an even more expansive social education". Like many Sasamani students, Siaba is engaged, perseverant, and ambitious. What's next Siaba is one of the six students who graduated from the Sasamani program this summer. They have achieved the educational goals they set for themselves. And while we celebrate their triumphs and the ways in which they persevered, we also acknowledge that their journeys are just beginning. Currently, Sasamani and the graduates are exploring how support looks like in this new phase of their lives. Thank you! As we embark on the sponsorship campaign for 2021: Ripples of Change, we want to thank our generous donors for ensuring that all 75 Sasamani sponsored students have the opportunity and motivation to overcome obstacles with a renewed sense of self-confidence, made possible by the security of education. "The Sasamani Foundation is a special organization without which many of us, in one way or another, could fail to reach our goals and dreams. I would like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to all Sasamani supporters for the sponsorship on behalf of all Sasamani students". - Siaba, Sasamani Sponsored Student. Will you help us to increase access to educational opportunities for girls in East Africa?
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 This year's IWD campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge. We at Sasamani choose to challenge the idea that women are natural leaders. We know that WHEN WOMEN LEAD, THEY CHANGE THE WORLD! The Sasamani Foundation and the University of Dar es Salaam strive together to empower women's leadership in East Africa. Because when women are empowered to lead, they can achieve transformative, positive change not only within family structures, but also within organizations and communities. The Women Leading Change program paves the way by supporting women to find their unique voices and solve the complex and systemic issues in East Africa. On 3/8/21 we aim to raise $3821 in support of Sasamani's Women Leading Change Program. Be part of the change and make your gift today: Your support will show that you choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. That you want to create an inclusive world where more women lead and change the world for better. This campaign will close on 3/14/2021. Women Leading Change graduates, coaches and facilitators joining in #choosetochallenge
To ensure The Sasamani Foundation's continued success in fighting poverty in East Africa, we rely upon your generosity. Donations at any level have an immediate positive impact. Empower a student to achieve their dreams- The surest road out of poverty is education. Sasamani commits to support students from middle school through university. A $30 monthly (or $360 annual) donation guarantees sponsorship for one student. Sasamani's holistic sponsorship covers education, room and board, a school uniform, health insurance, hygiene supplies, and access to a social worker. A sponsorship also offers the opportunity for correspondence directly with the sponsored student. "It is my dream to become a teacher. I want to help students to become successful in society."- Suzana, Sasamani Sponsored Student. Inspire emerging women leaders to lead change- When you invest in a woman, you invest in lasting social change. Sasamani and the University of Dar es Salaam collaborate to deliver the Women Leading Change program for high-potential, mid-career women in East Africa. This program brings experienced educators from academic institutions such as the London Business School (UK), John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (US), the University of Pennsylvania (US), and the University of Agder (Norway). A donation of $2,500 provides a scholarship for one participant. As a scholarship sponsor, you can correspond directly with the leader you support, learning first-hand how her life is impacted. "Even being a leader for so many years, I was able to change the way I lead other people, organizations, and started my own businesses."-Mama Thea, Women Leading Change Graduate and Coach. Provide dignified employment opportunities- Sasamani's employment initiative generates fair wages that help tailors lift themselves out of poverty while doing something they love. You can purchase their hand-crafted bags on our online shop. 100% of the profits are redirected to Sasamani's education program. We are also pleased to coordinate purchase of larger quantities and/ or custom-made bags. "The income I earned through Sasamani has given me confidence in satisfying my needs, for example I managed to renovate my working place."- Tatu, Sasamani Tailor Help to break the cycle of poverty in East Africa- Unrestricted donations support our mission across all programs and cover operating costs including the salaries of our passionate and dedicated in-country staff. Sasamani's 2021 budget of USD $250,000 covers all our programs, the Education, Women Leading Change, and the Employment program, and our operating expenses. You can also donate by mailing a check directly to
P.O. Box 315 Old Mystic, CT 06372. Tax deductible donations of any kind are gratefully accepted. Please sign-up for the Sasamani newsletter and follow our social media channels to see the impact of your support. Many thanks for your consideration to provide women and students in East Africa with opportunities and hope for the future. Asante Sana!  BAGAMOYO - Today, The Sasamani Foundation received a Certificate of Appreciation for Education Development in Bagamoyo, Tanzania!
The annual event is organized by the Bagamoyo District Council and recognizes the efforts of organizations, NGOs, Schools, Principals, Teachers, Students, and other stakeholders to raise academic performance in national examinations. The Sasamani Foundation is amongst 24 winners from hundreds of participants. The selections are based on quarterly government progress reports and are a result from follow-ups with partners and beneficiaries. Gladness Kulola, Sasamani Education Director - "I feel so proud Sasamani received this recognition from the Bagamoyo District Council. It is a great motivation for all the Sasamani students, our partner schools and our staff". We would like to thank the Bagamoyo District Council for this important recognition, our dedicated staff in Tanzania for their efforts, and the amazing Sasamani students for their excellent performance in the national exams. We also want to thank our generous student sponsors and donors for their continued support to the Sasamani Education Program. We could not be more grateful. THANK YOU!  Jambo! We are very excited to announce that we are participating in Giving Tuesday 2020! Tomorrow, on December 1st, is Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement encouraging people to foster and celebrate generosity in any way possible. This year we are joining the movement to help women and girls in East Africa to achieve their dreams and shape their own future. The Sasamani Foundation works to empower women and girls through providing sponsorships to students from the most vulnerable families, we provide dignified employment opportunities to tailors in the Bagamoyo area in Tanzania, and through our Women Leading Change program we support emerging women leaders to lead change. "It is my dream to become a teacher. I want to help students to become successful in society."- Suzana, Sasamani Sponsored Student. Will you empower women and students in East Africa on Giving Tuesday? Donations at any level have an immediate positive impact. And on Giving Tuesday your donation can even have a bigger, positive impact! Facebook will match $7 million USD in donations made to qualifying nonprofits, like Sasamani, starting December 1st at 8 am ET. "The income I earned through Sasamani has given me confidence in satisfying my needs, for example I managed to renovate my working place."- Tatu, Sasamani Tailor Proceeds will go towards our goal this year to provide holistic sponsorships for 73 students, dignified employment opportunities to the tailors in Bagamoyo and to the Women Leading Change program. "Even being a leader for so many years, I was able to change the way I lead other people, organizations, and started my own businesses."- Mama Thea, WLC Graduate and Coach. How to give
The 'Sasamani Giving Tuesday 2020 Campaign' is now live on our Facebook page. Support our goal by donating and by spreading the word on Sasamani's mission. Please consider sharing the Sasamani fundraiser or create your own fundraiser on Facebook. We are thankful for your support! Kwaheri kwa sasa! (Bye for now!)
We are excited and grateful to announce that 4 extremely talented Connecticut College students have joined the Sasamani team for our virtual internship program this summer: Welcome Taeva Cohen, Jordyn Turin, Meera Narayanan-Pandit and Tihut Getabicha!
We would have loved for them to travel to Tanzania to meet our team, the students, the tailors and the Women Leading Change cohorts, and for them to experience life and culture in Bagamoyo. We hope to connect in-person in the future, and in the interim, are thrilled to welcome the interns on board in this capacity. We have designed the Virtual Internship experience to be as interactive and intercultural as possible, including virtual interviews with Sasamani students, women of the Women Leading Change cohorts, experts in the NGO sector, as well as other organizations active in Tanzania and East Africa. The interns will also work closely with our Sasamani staff, including Tialda (Sasamani's Executive Director), Gladness (Education Director), and Elias (Managing Director). We look forward to their input and contributions to Sasamani! Introducing Taeva, Jordyn, Meera, and Tihut:
With schools shut down, our 75 sponsored students are staying home with their families, many of whom are similarly losing essential income. In turn, parents and caregivers are limited in their capacity to put food on the table and to maintain good health. Tialda, Denise, Gladness, and Elias have been working tirelessly to rapidly institute COVID-19 relief projects for our families. Our staff in the U.S. has been working with Gladness and Elias to identify the most urgent needs in Bagamoyo, and in turn, the team has developed strategies to meet those needs effectively and efficiently. We are currently mobilizing to implement four new initiatives to best support our Sasamani community:
Frolich-Rienstra has more than twelve years of experience in strategic brand consulting, marketing and project management globally, including in Africa and the Middle East. She has worked with a variety of organizations, from large multinationals to start-ups, in both the public and private sectors. Frolich-Rienstra brings a broad experience of growing brands in developing and developed countries. As an active member of Amnesty International for over twenty years, Frlich-Rienstra has been involved and responsible for several fundraising campaigns. Most recently, she worked as a consultant for the Women’s Opportunities Resource Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “We are so thrilled to have Tialda join Team Sasamani," said Erica Mohr, Board Vice Chair. "Her wealth of expertise in marketing, cultural savvy, and leadership presence will help us better communicate our purpose and impact so that we may ultimately serve more women and girls. At our heart, Sasamani is about breaking the cycle of poverty. The Board is confident that Tialda will effectively collaborate with our talented Tanzania and US teams to do just that."
Frlich-Rienstra received a BSc in International Business and Management from the NHL Stenden University (Netherlands) and a MA in Marketing Communication from Middlesex University Dubai (United Arab Emirates). She is a Dutch national who has worked and lived in Dubai from 2011 to 2018 and currently lives in Pennsylvania (USA) since November 2018.
About The Sasamani Foundation The Sasamani Foundation builds education and employment programs to stop the cycle of poverty in East African communities. All Sasamani Foundation activities have a focus on building capacity and addressing attitudes toward women's equality, so that women and girls have better choices and outcomes for their future. The Sasamani Foundation achieves its mission through four key initiatives:
The majority of our programs are implemented in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. To read more about The Sasamani Foundation, our impact, and learn how you can contribute to the foundation’s mission, click here. |
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