Save Your Change to Be The Change

Before you read this post, I’d like you to check your pockets, your purse, or the under the seat cushions of your couch. How many coins did you find? More than 12 cents? If yes, then I’d like you to continue reading to learn how that 12 cents you didn’t even know you had, could make a huge difference in the life of one of my students.

On Monday, my school began serving porridge, Uji, to all students during our morning break. In the 5 months that I’ve been teaching at Bukiriro, the academic master at school and I are the only people who would eat or drink during the day. Taking this step to feed the whole school has been more of a leap for us, but one that has been extremely positive! My students walk up to 8km to school in the morning on an empty stomach, waking up well before the sun rises. They sit through classes all day, and then walk all 8km home on an even emptier stomach. No wonder I had students regularly fall asleep during my afternoon classes…I would too if I was them!

I can personally say that in the four days that uji has been served, the difference in the afternoon is unbelievable! To say that students are more alert, attentive and participative is an understatement: the energy that radiates through the room is palpable. It’s amazing what 16 ounces of porridge will do for a person! Attendance is up, students are awake, and the school is alive!

Soon, I will certainly post pics of the students enjoying their uji!

Now, back to that 12 cents you found buried in the side of your armchair. The students are each expected to pay 200 shillings per day for uji, which is 1,000 shillings per week and 40,000 shillings for the entire year. In US$, that’s $0.12 per day, $0.62 per week, and $25 for the year. Compared to hot lunch programs in America, this sounds pretty good, right? Unfortunately, many of my students cannot afford this. Many families can barely afford their annual school fees of $25, so to expect them to pay twice as much is unrealistic. Also, a very high number of students are sponsored by various organizations and donors for their school fees and uniform, but the uji expense is not included in their funding. Currently, about 80 families have contributed to the uji fund, but with nearly 300 students, you can imagine that the money will run out eventually. And unfortunately, no money means empty cups and empty stomachs.

That is why I would like to raise money to support this effort. My goal is to cover 8 weeks of uji for the entire school.

$1 will buy 1 kilogram of maize flour, which feeds at least 10 students.

$2 will buy 1 kilogram of sugar.

$30 will feed the whole school for one day.

$150 will feed the whole school for one week.

Ultimately, 8 weeks of uji is $1200, and I am confident that together, we will keep these students nourished, awake, and energetic throughout the school year.

If you are interested in supporting our UJI effort at Bukiriro, you can donate directly to WorldTeach, specifying the community project for Elizabeth Martin, Tanzania, at www.worldteach.org.

Or, you can donate to my page on firstgiving, and although a small percent of your donation goes to First Giving, I promise the money will all make it here to our tiny village. Check it out: https://www.firstgiving.com/WorldTeach/worldteach-tanzania-bukiriro-2013 .

So before you throw that quarter on the ground or grumble about the change weighing down your pockets, think about the two days you could be feeding a child and keeping him or her in school. I wish I could adequately say thank you for your support, but words are not enough.  It’s hard to capture the simple joy that lights their eyes and the brimming smile on their face as they sip from their steaming cup of uji, but I promise you that your $0.12 will make a huge impact in the life of a student.