YES ARUSHA – Living our Christian Values

Students of Our Lady of the Southern Cross College are continually committed in their efforts to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Our link with YES Arusha is just a part of the ongoing development of the students understanding of being living witnesses to Christ’s values.

What a wonderful year 2019 has been with our students and families participating in charitable activities at a local, national and international level.

Teaching and Learning in Year 8 English and Religious Education has focussed on the global problem of Poverty. The Term 4 unit has introduced students to the extent of suffering in our world and the ongoing fight for the development of human dignity for all people.  It’s about opening their minds and hearts to the reality of poverty which affects 3 billion people across the globe (that’s half our world population).

The following extract is from the YES Arusha website and captures the essence of the organisation:

“YES Arusha Limited is a small not-for-profit organisation based in Brisbane, Australia. We support young people in Tanzania with access to education. In particular, we work in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania. We are partnered with Haradali Primary and Secondary Schools; a well-established educational institution, which is founded and operated by local Tanzanians.”

Lachlan Miller founder of YES Arusha is currently in Tanzania. Annually Lachlan spends time in Arusha at both Haradali’s campuses, in the Safe House and in the homes of our students. This hands-on approach connects our work with the young people in our care.

How is Our Lady of the Southern Cross involved?

Is it worth it? Nearly 10 years ago a cohort of Year 8 students decided to sponsor 2 brothers so they could access education through the organisation. When Lachlan first met Kelvin and Baraka they were walking 3 hours through the Tanzanian bush to get a handful of rice, a hope of some education and then walking home. The moneys coming into the “orphanage” appeared to be being spent in other places and not on the children. It was at this time Lachlan started YES Arusha and visited our Year 8’s

To provide these two boys an education at a new progressive school would cost $1500 each. This cost covered their tuition, boarding and all school needs.

Kelvin was a natural immediately getting to the top of the class. Baraka the older brother was a worker. When in Year 3 Kelvin asked if he could sit the Year 5 entrance exam, he sat it, gained top grades and jumped Year 4. Baraka couldn’t be left behind and studied and passed with a high enough grade to enter Year 5. And so the path was set for the two brothers. Haradali grew from a class of 27 in its first year to 1000 students in its 10^th year. Kelvin and Baraka grew with it and in Year 7 Kelvin was made School Captain and Baraka a Prefect. One of Yes Arusha’s girls was also made School Captain.

Here are the two boys today as they continue their education and strive to be the best they can be. There will be opportunities for people to help keep Kelvin and Baraka in school at next weeks Christmas Carol Celebration. Please help our students make the difference in the lives of two very appreciative young men.

What’s happening now.

I received an email from Lachlan who is in Tanzania at the moment working towards identifying the boy and girl we will offer our scholarships to in 2020. On reading his email I thought that rather than me summarising, I would attach Lachlan’s words. I found them quite powerful

“Yesterday I travelled with two teachers from Haradali to conduct interviews for the 2020 scholarships. It was an incredible experience. We decided to target an area called Simanjiro in the Manyara region of Tanzania, about 120km south of Arusha. This area has some of the lowest rates of education in the country. Simanjiro is populated predominantly by Maasai people who are living in very traditional ways - we even had to take a teacher who spoke the Maasai language because Swahili isn’t well understood by the locals. We were supported by the village chairman who took us to visit nine children who had been nominated by their schools for the scholarships. These kids were truly remarkable, it was amazing that they had been able to complete primary school, let alone attend school at all. For some, it was a 5km walk each way amongst wild animals to get to school where there was one teacher to every 100 students. We visited two primary schools and the percentage of students who completed Grade 7 was very low - probably less than 10% - and few of those who passed would go on to do secondary. 

The whole experience motivated me a lot and it reinforced the purpose of these scholarships - to provide opportunities to students who have overcome huge challenges and excelled in primary school. As one of the Haradali teachers put it, “if a child can pass primary school even with just C’s in this environment, then they will do amazing things at Haradali!”

I just wish we could support them all… it will be a tough job working through their academic results and looking at their personal backgrounds to determine which two students will receive the scholarships.”

As a member of the YES Arusha organisation I would like to than our College and wider Dalby community for their continued support.

If you are interested in the work of YES Arusha have a look at our website. https://www.yesarusha.org

Steve Gillespie.

Chairman of Directors YES Arusha.