"Besides love, independence of thought is the greatest gift an adult can give a child.”

~ Bryce Courtenay, The Power of One

While in Tanzania when I was traveling with "The Giving Lens", our group visited a vocational school in Moshi that was established by a former Home Economics teacher named Asha Mshana. After retiring from teaching Home Economics for 30 years in Tanzania, this lady wanted to make a difference for the girls who were getting married and having babies at age 12 or 13.  While in Tanzania we met many young mothers in their teens.  She wanted to provide them with a marketable trade such as improving there English, sewing, or using computers.  She created and found the funding for the Mkombozi vocational school. back in the 1999 all on her own which has grown a lot. Boys are allowed to attend as well. The students do have to pay to attend which is quite a hardship for many of them. Hundreds of students have graduated from one of her programs and found good paying jobs.

In my opinion Asha Mshana shows how much of a difference one person can make!  They need volunteers to help the students learn to use computers, sew, and improve their English skills.  Here is the website for the school she founded: 

http://www.mkombozivtc.org/about.html

Asha Mshana shown below:  Working hard on the computer and happy to be learning:

The sewing skills of many students were quite impressive and they were very proud of their creations:

The students all worked dilligently and seemed to be happy to be learning:

Here is a sign at the school warning about the danger of HIV/AIDS which is quite prevalent in Tanzania:

Here is the outside of the vocational school that was being expanded at the time of my visit:

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Have you ever met someone who succeeded in empowering and or helping so many others?  Have a great week my friends!

~Michelle