Tanzania 2024
STUDENT SPONSORSHIP OF ILET SHIRIMA
This is the first in a four part series of our work in East Africa in Rotary year 2024-25.
In the summer of 2022, we had a presentation from Timothy Massawe of the Hai Rotary Club in Moshi, Tanzania. He had recently created the Bright Future Primary School and wanted to be able to offer his school’s advanced curriculum and excellent teachers to deserving students from the nearby villages. In conjunction with other members of the Hai Rotary club and local community leaders he sought out students who showed strong academic potential, but whose parents or guardians did not have the means to pay for school fees.
He brought a list of potential candidates with him on his Rotary Tour to Canada in 2022. At the suggestion of the nominating committee, the Rotary Club of Kingston-Frontenac decided to sponsor Ilet Shirima for her Kindergarten year starting in January 2023.
Acknowledging the importance of supporting students to the end of academic milestones we agreed to support Ilet at least to the end of Primary School, eight years down the road. Since 2024 John Cowan has personally taken up the support for Ilet’s education, freeing funds for other development projects in East Africa.
Ilet has diligently kept her end of the bargain, working hard to achieve her first class standing. She is caring and helpful to both teachers and her fellow students. The latest picture was taken by the author in November 2024. Ilet is now 8 years old and started Primary 3 in January 2025.
