October 9, 2017
Meet Kitenga’s ICT and Biology Teacher: Mr. Nigo
Hi everyone! Emily M Louis here, just wanting to give a proper introduction for this post. I have had the great pleasure of being able to get to know Mr. Claud Masanja Nigo via email the past few months. It sort of feels like having a penpal again! I have to tell you, that he…
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June 23, 2017
What Could Be More Epic?
May 24th, 2017 was the Dedication/Inauguration/celebration, of the opening of the Kitenga School For Girls. May 24th was an epic day. Why? For so many reasons: Mother Nature rested her harsh rains; the new campus looked beautiful and the ceremonial tents, like a fairytale castle. The program demonstrated the girls’ passion, devotion and pride in their…
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June 5, 2017
The Dedication of Kitenga School For Girls
The day stated around 10:00am with a Mass. A choir from Utegi came to sing and it was very joyful. Around midday the school was officially inaugurated and the ribbon was cut by Sister Bernadette, the school nurse. The priests, sisters and rest of the crowd went through each building to bless the school: science…
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March 14, 2017
“Betsy’s House, truly a dream come to life”- Shelby Deck
It must have been the hyenas. On my first night in Betsy’s House, I could hear them out there in the dark talking about their day in their unique howling “Whrrrooooooooooop” noise. Switching off my solar lantern, I lay there thinking #1, this is just SO cool and #2 about my own day and the…
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March 8, 2017
IWD: The Rights Women in the West Take for Granted Are Still a Dream in Tanzania
This International Women’s Day, we implore you to truly think internationally. The rights we western women have enjoyed for decades are not yet guaranteed to women and girls in towns and villages in countries all over the world. While we fight for equal pay, stature and opportunity, women in other countries are just beginning to…
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January 6, 2017
Why I Support GEC- Guillemette Dejean
Hi I’m Guillemette! I’m a French expatriate, founder of a tech company and ever since I can remember, a fervent advocate of gender equality. Building opportunities for girls is crucial but equally important is how we achieve that. And that’s why I chose to work with GEC: the Whole Girl approach is remarkable. The GEC model…
Read MoreJanuary 4, 2017
Partner Spotlight: Buffalo Sunrise Rotary & Solar Liberty Foundation
At GEC, we make no secret of the fact that we believe meaningful change and sustainable development is the product of dynamic, mutually constitutive collaboration. Heck, it’s in our name. But exactly how those collaborative relationships play out and what has come from some of our most productive alliances is an aspect of our work…
Read MoreDecember 21, 2016
Female Genital Mutilation and What We Can Do To Stop It
I recently returned from Kitenga, Tanzania, where our organization, Girls Education Collaborative (GEC), is working with a community-led initiative to create more opportunities for girls through education. Days after returning to the US, I turned around to leave for Washington, DC to participate in the first US Summit to End Violence Against Girls. While in…
Read MoreDecember 7, 2016
Girls Being Girls in Kitenga
Dear Friends, I have recently returned from an almost three week stay in Tanzania. It was a trip like none other. For the first time since five years ago, when GEC became a part of this incredible project, there were girls on campus- living in the dorms. Attending classes. Doing homework under solar lanterns. Playing…
Read MoreNovember 14, 2016
Why I Support GEC- Lucy Sears
Meet Lucy Sears. Lucy recently moved back to Buffalo, and has been a top volunteer for Girls Education Collaborative. From helping check guests in at the first annual Taste of Tanzania, to being willing to table for GEC at networking events, to participating and fundraising in the Get Krazy For Kitenga challenge, Lucy is never…
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