January 2006, Board Member Eva Cleynen asked us to help send six young men from the local street boy’s home to secondary school. The boys had passed all of their Standard 7 exams. The home was closing abruptly and most of the 90+ boys were forced back onto the streets. We resisted the idea, thinking that we couldn’t manage the time and money, but Eva persisted and everyone is so grateful that she did. She and her colleagues in Europe raised $800 in a few weeks and we covered the rest with a donation from Council Rock High School South. Thank you Karen Loeschner.
Forget what you think you might know about “street boys” because Benedictor, Benard, William, Emmanuel, Pascal and Yassini break every mold. They are incredibly enthusiastic about their education and they don’t take it for granted for a single minute. They didn’t know each other on the street, but they survived some pretty rough “relief” houses together. They are no longer “street boys”, but members of our family.
Meet the Boys:
Yassini
My name is Yassini Hamisi. I was born in 1988 in the region of Singida in Tanzania. My parents divorced and left me with my grandmother. I started school in 1996 in the region of Singida, but in 2000, when I was in the 4th grade, I decided to leave home because of the difficult financial situation and went to Dar es Salaam. I didn’t have any relatives there and lived on the street. It was a very difficult life since I had no one to support or feed me. I got food by washing cars and begging on the streets. After two years on the streets, in 2003, I got help and was taken to the Anchorage Shelter of Bagamoyo, a centre for street boys. I stayed here for four months and then started fifth grade of primary school. I finished primary school in 2005 and I passed the exams to start secondary school. Therefore I am asking for your help to be able to continue studying.It is my dream to get a good education so that one day I can support myself and live a dignified life.
Yasini Hamisi
NOTE: Yasini is now studying business in Mbeya, Tanzania. He’s getting terrific grades and is being sponsored by Evelyn Cleynen and Katie Balk. Thank you Eva and Katie!
Benedictor
My name is Benedictor Julias. I was born in 1989 in the region of Mara. I never knew my father and lived only with my mother. When I was seven years old, my mother left home and left me with my uncle. After my mother left my life became very difficult. My uncle treated me badly, he didn’t love me at all. This is why I decided to leave and to go to Dar es Salaam. Life in Dar es Salaam was very hard, because I didn’t have a place to sleep and it was difficult to get food, but all this was still better than living with my uncle
After living on the streets for a long time I got help from a boys centre in Bagamoyo and got the chance to go to school. Unfortunately this centre had to deal with some problems. My dream is to get a good education in secondary school and after, so that I can leave poverty behind.
Yours truely,
Benedictor Julius
Note- Benedictor is now in his final year of secondary school. He takes exams in February and if he does well, we hope to send him on to medical school! He is sponsored mainly by Trinity Cathedral. Marja Harmon helped him last year and Soi Daniel Brown helped him this year as well. If he gets into medical school we’ll need all the help we can get! Benedictor is on Facebook and is a great friend.
Benard
My name is Benard Philip Mwano. I was born in 1989 in the region of Dodoma in Tanzania. I am a street boy and need help to continue to study at secondary school. I passed the exams to continue Form I but I cannot afford this. Until now I have receive help from different people.
I started living on the streets in 1995 when I was six years old, after my parents separated. After their divorce they sold the house and split the money. I am the 8th child in our family. My brothers and sisters died in a car crash together with my uncle, and our dad was killed by criminals when I was in third grade. I still have a mother but I don’t know where she is. The only relative I know is my older brother, but he hasn’t got the financial means to help me. I got plenty of problems when I was raised by my aunt, who married an army officer. I was in a car accident and hurt my arm and head but I thank God I got better. I hope to get a good education in order to get a job and be able to help others.
Benard Philip Mwano
NOTE: Benard is now studying Journalism in Dar es Salaam and getting good grades. He is leaning toward advertising and marketing in his studies. We are working on getting him an internship at a promotion company. He is sponsored by Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix Arizona and Ruud Keulen of the Netherlands. Thank you!
Emmanuel
My name is Emmanuel Joseph. I live in Bagamoyo but come from Moshi in the Kilimanjaro Region. I was living together with my grandmother and my mother. My mother has three children. She said the other two are with their father. She left him and took me with her when I was still very small. So I never knew my father.
I continued living with my mother at my grandmother’s place. I was sent to school until fourth grade. When I started fifth grade my mother died. I continued living with my grandmother but since she was very old and poor she couldn’t continue to send me to school. I had to leave home to search for help.
I left Moshi and went to Dar es Salaam. I started living on the streets because I didn’t know anyone there. I led the life of a street boy for a year and a half, after this God helped me and I found someone that sent me to school until I finished the seventh grade. I passed the exams for secondary school in 2005.
I would like to continue my education in the secondary school of Kiwangwa, this is why I ask for your help, in order to keep on studying.
Thank you very much
Yours,
Emmanuel Joseph
NOTE Emmanuel now studies social work at the Institute of Social Work in Dar es Salaam. He loves his work. During his fieldwork he helped us to work with the extended families of some of our kids. He is sponsored by Pernille Larsen of Denmark. Thank you!
William
My name is William Jones. I was born in the Mara region in a village called Kyabakari, in Musoma district. There I lived with my grandparents. They explained to me that my father died when I was still a baby and that my mother married another man when I was three years old, and that she left me with my grandparents. They decided to bring me to my aunt to live with her, and I lived here until I was nine. I never went to school since there was no money. At that time you still had to pay to go to primary school.
My aunt decided to send me to a group of children who can read so that I would learn how to read. I joined them for two years and then I decided to leave my aunt’s place and go to Mwanza. There I lived on the streets for two years without any result, and so I decided to go to Dar es Salaam. I was 13 at the time. I arrived in Dar in 1993, lived on the streets for one year, while I searched for a place to get an education and other basic needs. I met a young woman who lved in Kigogo, who wanted to help me. So I got food and a place to sleep. One day this woman wanted sexual favours from me so I was forced to leave because I did not agree with this.
In 1997 I returned to the streets once again and lived there for four years until in 2001 I met Duncan. Luckily, he told me he would take me to a place in Bgamoyo, because in Dar es Salaam he did not have a centre for street kids.
I came to Bagamoyo in 2002 and was send to fifth grade of primary school. Because of my age, I couldn’t start in the first grade. I tried the best I could and in 2004 I finished seventh grade. I passed the exams to go to secondary school in 2005. This was when the centre in Bagamoyo was run by mama Vicky. Duncan was having some problems so he was no longer with us.
I know that this is how life is, and I am certain that I will succeed.
I thank God for everything
William Jonas
NOTE- William completed Form 6 and has just started two year diploma course in education. He is studying in Mbeya, Tanzania which is far from us but now he will be close to Yasini. When he is finished he will be qualified to teach secondary school in Tanzania. His English is excellent. He is sponsored by Patty Bruininks and Mina Van Dyne but this year the Baobab 6th Annual Co Ed Softball Tournament in Bedminster New Jersey was what enabled him to get into school.
Pascal
