What a difference a day makes...

Last week, five members of our Unite team returned to Dar es Salaam following a 15-day tour across Tanzania visiting the homes of our newest class of Unite Scholars. The goals of these home visits were to:

• Bear witness to the realities of our scholars’ daily lives in their home environments,

• Meet their families and/or caregivers,

• Explain—face to face—who we are, what we do, and why we do it,

• Answer any and all questions, and

• Assess needs and identify potential interventions to improve lives.

In 15 days…

Our team traveled by van, 4-wheel drive, motorcycle, boat, and foot.

Total distance traveled: 3,174 miles

Total estimated time on the road: 88 hours

Scholars’ homes visited: 22

VillageS: 20

Districts: 17

Regions: 10

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Where do our Unite Scholars come from?

Click HERE for the interactive map of where our Unite Scholars come from across Tanzania.

From the tour…

Note: A very special thanks to Unite’s Program Director Anty Marche, Unite Scholars Program Manager Joan Mnzava, Unite’s Social Media Manager Ashura Kaaya, Unite’s photographer and videographer Richard Munisi, and our logistics coordinator out of Dar es Salaam Peter Mwailolo for all of their extraordinary hard work, dedication, resilience, and commitment throughout this long challenging journey.

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Team member spotlight: Joan Mnzava

JOAN MNZAVA
Unite Scholars Program Manager & Lead Mentor

“Unite does more than support scholars; it creates space for young people to grow, believe in themselves, and become the best version of who they are meant to be.” - Joan

Joan, 30, is the oldest of two children born to her parents. She and her younger brother Peter were raised between Arusha and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. After completing lower-secondary school (Form 4), Joan enrolled in college in Iringa and in 2018 earned her Bachelor’s degree in community development.

Beginning higher education at 17 years old in a district so far from home presented significant challenges. In Iringa, an area with a high HIV prevalence, Joan faced emotional isolation, financial pressures, harassment, bullying, and unsafe environments, and other challenges commonly experienced by young female students living independently. Coming from a background where expectations for her academic success were low, Joan carried a strong sense of responsibility to prove her potential. Rather than feeling discouraged, these circumstances strengthened Joan’s resilience and commitment to personal growth. Through discipline and determination, she excelled academically and developed her passion for community development, sociology, and social work.

In 2018, Joan became involved with Unite through recruitment activities led by Program Director Anty Marche. Later that year, she met Unite Founder Anne Wells, board member Debbie Wiley, and advisor Josephine Brunoski, and Joan was hired as one of the organization’s first three professional mentors.

Today, more than 7 years later, Joan serves as the Unite Scholars Program Manager. She is responsible for the overall planning, coordination, and implementation of the entire program. Her work includes supporting scholars’ academic progress and personal development, coordinating mentorship and training initiatives, managing program budgets and logistics, maintaining records and reports, and ensuring accountability across all program activities. Her role requires balancing strategic planning with day-to-day execution, while maintaining close relationships with 100+ scholars to support their comprehensive success.

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“Joan leads with both strength and heart. She knows every scholar’s story, hopes, challenges, strengths, and dreams. She celebrates their victories and stands beside them when the road is hard, lovingly-yet-powerfully holding them to the highest standards. Her belief in their potential is steady and unwavering, and she models the integrity, resilience, and commitment to excellence we hope to see in each of them. I am deeply grateful for her leadership and the care she brings to our Unite family every single day.”

— Anne Wells, Unite Founder & Executive Director

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Joan’s journey with Unite has been shaped by both professional growth and personal loss. In March 2021, she lost her mother to COVID-19 after spending a week in the ICU. In 2024, her father also passed away. During these difficult periods, the Unite team and scholars provided consistent emotional and practical support, reinforcing the organization’s values of community, compassion, and solidarity.

Through her work with Unite, Joan has gained extensive experience in program coordination, event planning, budgeting, and stakeholder engagement. She has traveled to nearly every region of Tanzania through Unite activities and home visits. She even experienced her first airplane ride through work-related travel. (Joan is now a confident and seasoned flyer.)

In October 2025, Joan was honored with Unite’s most competitive and prestigious Exemplary Performance Recognition Award for her tireless hard work and commitment to excellence.

Joan draws strength from her faith, brother Peter, extended family members, and many beloved friends.

Joan with one of her 100+ mentees, Unite Scholar Asia Daudi.

Joan with Unite teammates (left to right): Richard Munisi, Hosiana Thomas, Anty Marche, Anne Wells, Clara Wilson Ngowi and Imani Faustine. June 2025

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Seeking sponsors for our new 2026 class of Unite Scholars

Dear Friends,

2025 was a year of great progress and deepening impact for Unite. Our purpose — to identify, educate, nurture, mentor, guide, train, and launch young professionals and leaders into the East African and global community — guides everything we do. That work begins after a scholar completes Form 4 (~10th grade) and continues in countless detailed, hands-on ways until they step into independent, purposeful adulthood.

We keep our cohort of active Unite Scholars intentionally small, capping at 100 at any given time. This is so that we can truly know our scholars: their talents, needs, challenges, and aspirations. Our job is to meet them where they are; love, respect, and guide them; and walk hand-in-hand to a better, brighter future for all.

To date we have reached 113 scholars with support and all of our university/college graduates are now either gainfully employed or engaged in professional internships, agribusiness, advanced studies and/or entrepreneurship. These extraordinary outcomes are the result of tireless teamwork, exceptionally high standards, and principles of personal responsibility, honesty, and integrity. In 2025 we launched an Ethics Committee to further highlight honesty and trust as the bedrock of all relationships and to engage scholars in hard conversations about choices and consequences.

One moment from 2025 that I cherish came from the parents of two brothers in our program (now in Form 5 and Form 6). They asked Program Director Anty Marche what Unite had “done” to their sons. Before Unite, the boys had been a bit wayward and disengaged; since joining Unite they’ve become the hardest workers in their village — polite, respectful, and eager to help at home. They now assist with all chores and cooking, and neighbors and church members have noticed the change. This kind of transformation — where families and communities share in the pride of a young person’s growth — is exactly why we do this work.

We are now accepting 22 new scholars for our entry class of 2026. We remain focused on top academic promise, extreme demonstrable need, and — critically — resilient belief in oneself. That inner confidence is often the single most predictive factor of long-term success, and it’s what we aim to cultivate alongside knowledge and skills. In the year ahead we will continue refining our programming, expanding mentorship, and strengthening systems that support ethical decision-making, professional success, and sustained independence.

None of this would be possible without our scholars’ grit; our devoted staff, mentors, advisors, and volunteers; the generosity of donors; and the tireless commitment and support our incredible Board of Directors. Thank you to all of you who believe in these extraordinary young people and help Unite to invest in their futures. Together, we are proving that with opportunity, guidance, and high expectations, lives and communities can indeed... change for the better.

We are now seeking sponsors for our new class of A-level scholars. Please see a few bios and sponsorship details below. We humble request your help — either in sponsoring yourself and/or in sharing these bios with your community to help us find the support we need.

Bless you. Asante Sana. Thank you so much. Onward.

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WHY SPONSORSHIP MATTERS?

Tanzania is facing a learning crisis: 7% complete higher secondary, and less than 3% complete tertiary-level (college/university) education.*

Our Unite Scholars Program provides comprehensive sponsorship through higher secondary and beyond into university as well as one-on-one mentorship, big brother/big sister support, extensive soft skills and leadership trainings, entrepreneurship support to develop small businesses, paid internships, professional development, family support, healthcare, access to an engaged global network, pathways to employment, and so much more.  To learn more about all that is included in a comprehensive annual sponsorship ($3,000), please review our 2025 Annual Report. To DONATE now, click HERE.

Amina Hussein Juma, 19, is the 1st born of 6 children. She has lived with her aunt and grandparents in Kigoma, western Tanzania, since she was young after her parents, who are peasant farmers, were unable to care for her. From an early age, Amina attended school hungry while being tasked with managing household responsibilities and helping to support herself as a day laborer. Throughout school, Amina struggled with limited learning materials, no electricity, long and dangerous daily walks to and from school, and lack of essential items for menstrual hygiene. Her grandfather, a subsistence farmer and her main supporter, passed away in 2024. Despite these challenges, Amina has remained disciplined, resilient, and committed to her studies. She graduated lower-secondary in 2025 with the highest results of any student in her entire school. Click HERE to see Amina’s living conditions.

Erick Cosmas Akiba, 22, lives in the Katavi Region of western Tanzania. He is the 5th born in a family of 7 children. Erick’s faced many hardships after his mother died in 2020. His father became a drunkard and squandered any money the family had, which forced them to abandon their home. The father ran away, Erick’s younger siblings went to live with their grandparents, his older siblings scattered across the country, and Erick remained alone with one brother working as a phone technician to survive. Despite his hardships, Erick has done his best to focus on his education, and thanks to the support of a dedicated teacher, he completed lower-secondary school in 2025. While in school, Erick received an Academic and Leadership Certificate for outstanding performance, and he graduated as one of 2 students in his entire school to earn Division 1. Click HERE to see Erick’s home living conditions.

Ester John Lubegwa, 18, is the 5th born in a family of 7 children living in the Kagera Region of northwestern Tanzania. Her parents survive as peasant farmers, not earning enough to even feed the family adequately. Since she was very young, Ester has work on neighbors’ farms earning just 500 TSH a day ($.19). In 2020, she moved to Dar es Salaam to live with her elder sister who was working as a house girl. In 2024, her sister began suffering from mental illness and is now unable to work, which means the burden of their survival falls on Ester. Currently, Ester sells second-hand clothes in the streets to get money. Throughout lower-secondary school, Ester faced many challenges, including lack of tuition fees, textbooks, uniforms, calculators, and long and dangerous daily walks to and from school. She also saw many of her friends dropping out of school due to pregnancy. Still, Ester excelled. She was elected to serve as class monitor because of her “discipline and hardworking spirit,”and in 2025, she completed lower-secondary as one of 8 students in her class who earned Division 1 on the Form 4 National Leaving Examination. Click HERE to see Ester’s home living conditions.

James Jackobo, 18, (pictured center above with his mother and brothers) is from the Uvinza district of Kigoma, western Tanzania. His father left the family years ago, remarried and now lives far away and offers no support. His mother ekes out a living through small-scale farming, cultivating cassava and maize on limited land using basic tools. Throughout primary and lower-secondary school James worked hard to balance his academics with his extensive family responsibilities, helping his mother with farm and tutoring his brothers. Despite such challenges as long daily walks to school and limited learning materials, James excelled academically and served as Class Monitor and Head Prefect. James was one of 10 students in his school to earn Division 1 on the 2025 National Form 4 Leaving Examination. Click HERE to see James’ home living conditions.

Maimuna Bashiru Issa, 18, is from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She is the 3rd born out of 5 children and lives with her siblings. She was raised by her grandmother following the separation of her parents due to severe domestic violence and alcoholism. Maimuna’s early life was marked by extreme hardship and fear; she and her siblings were often forced to sleep at neighbors’ homes to escape abuse. At the age of three, Maimuna moved with her older siblings into their grandmother’s small, overcrowded home, where the family struggled with deep poverty, frequent hunger, and lack of basic necessities. In order to support her household, Maimuna began washing dishes at a local restaurant at a young age, a responsibility she continued through secondary school to help pay for food, school supplies, and daily needs. In 2025, her family faced another devastating loss when her grandmother, her main caregiver and source of stability, passed away after a long illness. Despite all of her challenges, Maimuna graduated lower secondary in November 2025 earning exceptional marks on her Form 4 National Leaving Examination. Click HERE to see where Maimuna is living.

Welwel Giring Jaji, 18, is from the Manyara Region of Tanzania. He lives with his parents, who work as laborers on other people’s farms to support their family of 8 children. Welwel is the 4th born. The family does not have a proper house; they sleep in a makeshift shelter built by arranging trees around them. They own a small piece of farmland on which they rely for food, and they have one cow and four goats. Despite extreme poverty, Welwel has remained determined to pursue his education and create a better future for himself and his family. In the face of domestic violence at home and having to engage in manual labor to earn money for food (he often eats just one meal of porridge a day), Welwel has excelled. He served as Academic Prefect, was elected Vice Chairperson of the Science Club, and was one of 5 students in his school to earn Division 1 on the Form 4 National Leaving Examination. Click HERE to see Welwel’s living conditions.

Lilian Vasco Kipara, 17, is from the Mwanza Region of northwestern Tanzania. She is the 6th of 8 children and was born as a twin with her brother. Lilian lives with her mother, as her father passed away when she was in nursery school. Her mother works hard to support the family despite limited resources. Growing up in a large family presented many challenges, but Lilian remained focused on her education and personal development. Her sister Rose is a Unite Scholar and her support has been instrumental in helping Lilian and her siblings overcome difficulties such as limited electricity as Unitte provided the family a solar panel so the children can study during the night.

Lilian completed primary school with As in all of her subjects. During her lower-secondary school years, she continued to excel, achieving Division 1.7 in her national assessments and becoming the best student in her region, and earning recognition as one of only three girls to achieve this high mark. She also received the Mathematics Queen medal in her school for outstanding performance in the subject. Click HERE to see where Lilian is living.

Isaya Makoye Josephat, 19, lives in the Geita Region of Tanzania with his father, stepmother, and 3 younger siblings. The family survives as subsistence farmers. In primary school, Isaya was appointed as the school librarian, which helped develop his love of reading, and academic prefect, which launched his leadership experiences. He completed primary school as the best student in his district and 5th best-performing student among government school candidates nationwide. Before Isaya could begin secondary school, his father fell seriously ill and had to undergo surgery. To cover medical expenses, their crops and family assets were sold. This situation almost ended his hope of continuing his education. Fortunately, his primary school teachers pooled resources to help him carry on and attend lower-secondary at Tabora Boys School. While at Tabora, Isaya served as treasurer of the Young Scientists Tanzania Club, Class Coordinator of the Unite Club, Head of Biology Department in the Science Club, Captain of the Regional Baseball Team, and a member of the Maadili (Ethics and Moral) Club. He also taught himself computer graphics and animation, software development, multimedia production, guitar playing, and public speaking. Isaya completed lower-secondary in November 2025 earning Division 1 on his leaving examination. He dreams of becoming a computer engineer. Click HERE to see where Isaya lives.

Aisha Yahaya Buu, 20, is from the Manyara Region of Tanzania. She is the 1st born in a family of 8 children. She lives with her siblings and comes from a family that has faced prolonged health and economic challenges. Her father has been seriously ill since 2020 (which has drained all the family resources and property) and was later involved in an accident that resulted in a broken leg, requiring long-term medical treatment in Tanga. During this period, Aisha’s mother traveled to care for him, leaving Aisha with the responsibility of caring for her 7 younger siblings. To support the household, Aisha worked by washing clothes for neighbors and doing farm labor while continuing her education. Despite these hardships, Aisha demonstrated academic excellence and strong discipline and leadership in school, serving as Discipline Leader, and actively participated in the Environmental Club. In November 2025, she successfully completed her lower-secondary education earning excellent marks on her leaving examinations. Click HERE to see Aisha’s home place.

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With your help, these new young scholars can one day become university graduates (like a few of our Unite graduates pictured below), successful entrepreneurs, and productive employees with businesses and organizations across East Africa.

* National Bureau of Statistics

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Happy Holidays and a news update from Unite

Dear Friends,

On behalf of our entire Unite family around the world, Happy Holidays! We wish you joy, peace, safety, hope, and opportunity.

Over the past few months, we have experienced extraordinary joys, learnings, adventures, and connections, and we’ve celebrated many milestones that were once dreams. However, in more recent weeks, we’ve also faced extreme and unexpected tensions and challenges.*

Thankfully, everyone is safe. Our mentors have stayed close to our scholars—listening, supporting, encouraging, and giving them what they need to cope, navigate, and keep moving forward. I am inspired daily by our team’s and scholars’ resilience: their grace under pressure, courage, ability to stay focused on studies and work, and unwavering commitment to showing up for one another.

I am also grateful for the ongoing support of our Unite community. Your belief in the importance of cultivating strong young global leaders is what enables us to continue to offer stability, education, and opportunity. Thank you for being part of our mission to educate, uplift, and transform the lives of those living in greatest need.

Recent News highlights

From the Unite Summit for University Scholars, October 2025. Usa River, Arusha, Tanzania.

A Summit for Unite University Scholars

In October, nearly 70 scholars and teammates gathered for five days of trainings and activities. We covered a full range of essential topics — health and wellness (mind, body, spirit), AI & digital literacy, transitioning to university, securing internships and jobs, how to succeed in the workplace and embody professional excellence, financial literacy, and more. We were honored to have Dr. Leonard Malasa, founder of Tanzania Better Health and medical educator at Kairuki University, and Dr. Eshaan Williams of Besta Clinic lead our health workshops with exceptional insights and care. We were also thankful to welcome international guests: Board members Debbie Wiley, Nicole Gerber and Kim Merriman; advisor Doug Crisman; and sponsors Nina Evison and Lele Bitting.

Throughout the week, scholars and teammates were recognized for their strengths—consistency, commitment, and determination; leadership, mentorship, and advocacy; creative excellence, accountability, and integrity; outstanding internship performance; persistence in securing new opportunities; and more. These awards marked character, growth, and achievement.

Our scholars embody confidence, wisdom, and grace, and they demonstrate all that is possible with education, grit, and purpose. They will be the leaders who guide their country toward a brighter, more equitable and just future for all.

Video Links

Please click HERE to watch a two-minute video of the event highlights.
Scholar introductions: Emmanuel Mkulati; Jackline Vincent; Vaileth Komba

To see images of the event, click on the gallery below.

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Celebrating Unite’s 2025 University graduates

This month, we celebrate the graduation of 19 of our university scholars. These remarkable young men and women have successfully earned degrees in finance, engineering, health sciences, actuarial sciences, tourism, tax administration, social work, psychology & counseling, business, and accounting from such leading institutions across Tanzania as the University of Dar es Salaam, University of Dodoma, Institute of Finance Management, Jordan University, Mbeya University of Science and Technology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science, Mwenge Catholic University, Institute of Tax Administration and Mzumbe University.

Nearly all of these graduates are already gainfully employed—working in hospitals and dental clinics; film, hospitality, steel, and food industries; non-governmental organizations; and more. Several have also launched their own businesses, diversifying their income and expanding their impact within their communities.

After graduation, they continue to serve as Unite ambassadors. When possible, our graduates are invited to support trainings and events and help develop advanced curricula. They are actively building our alumni network—opening doors for one another, sharing advice, creating opportunities, and living out Unite’s core values of service, leadership, and community.

More than half of our 2025 graduates are the 1st members of their families — and three are first in their clans — to earn a Bachelor’s degree.

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Unite’s new university scholars of 2025

Last June, we celebrated the high-school (Form 6) graduations of 18 scholars. Over their long breaks, each one was placed in a professional internship with such partners as Power Providers Solar Company, Bethsaida Girls School, White Lake High School, Apro Visuals, Kibogoji Experiential Center, Cardinal Rugambwa Hospital, and the Unite Food Program.

Today, each of our 2025 Unite high-school graduates is now enrolled in university pursuing fields as wide-ranging as medicine; biomedical, mechanical, and civil engineering; clinical dentistry; occupational therapy; diplomacy and military history; human resources; financial management; social work; aquatic sciences; agribusiness; health systems monitoring and evaluation; information technology; medical laboratory science; economics & statistics; and computer science. Four scholars have been awarded the prestigious Presidential Scholarship; and many others have been supported by generous Unite donors. Currently, Unite has 38 scholars studying in colleges and universities across Tanzania.

Unite high school graduate Leni Mlajile has now started her university studies in biomedical engineering in Dar es Salaam.

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Unite documentary wins international film award

In November, our short film “Nurturing Unrecognized Potential: The Unite Scholars Program” was awarded best foreign documentary by Meliora Film Festival in New York City.

Elisha, the star of the film, lost his eyes to cancer as a small child. After performing well in lower-secondary school, Elisha was selected to join the Unite Scholars Program in 2022. In 2024, he successfully graduated from high school/A-levels and enrolled in the University of Dar es Salaam to study Mass Communications. Last month, Elisha was invited to attend a workshop on assistive technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership for the visually impaired organized by SLOAM International. There, Elisha was named Best University Student among all Tanzania’s Visually Impaired Students and received a certificate of excellence and cash award.

Today, we are in discussions with Hadley Helps for the Blind to see how Elisha and other Unite scholars can serve as ambassadors to help extend Hadley’s essential services, which include Seeing AI, an application that audibly describes settings and recognizes faces, identifying people and places in the lives of individuals living with visual impairments.

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IN Other RECENT NEWS

(Click on gallery of images below.)

• All of Unite’s 39 A-Level scholars are now home from their respective boarding schools for the holidays and each has been paired with a Unite university scholar who is serving as a Big Brother/Sister to provide emotional support, academic tutoring, and school-related advice. (December)
  

• In partnership with the Unite Food Program, Unite has provided extensive food relief to our scholars, teammates, and key partners to assist during the holiday season. (November - December)
  

• Unite A-level scholar Mussa Soumare was selected to participate as a model in the Swahili Fashion Week in Dar es Salaam. (December)
  

• Unite medical student Zainabu Seiph interned for three months at FAME hospital and was selected to join a neurology team from the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (July - October)
  

• University graduates Stella Mosha and Ashura Kaaya have kicked off Unite’s new partnership with Greenmanjaro Foundation by training their volunteers in Goal Setting & Planning. (December)
  

• Unite scholar Bernard Kicheleri has been invited by the Embassy of Sweden to speak about his journey as a cancer survivor and to serve as a Global Youth Ambassador for Education. (December)
  

• Unite university scholar Lazaro Frederick was selected to attend the Tanzania Robotics Day, an international event designed to support talented youth and encourage interest in technical disciplines. (December)
  

• Advisor Doug Crisman is now leading weekly entrepreneurship training seminars for Unite scholars. Our students’ enterprises include social media management, video creation, and multimedia storytelling; the creation of a mental health AI avatar; and sales of business stationeries, second-hand technology and clothing.
  

• Unite university scholar computer engineer Aneth Seleli is one of three women to be chosen to design a comprehensive IT management system for the Mbeya University of Science and Technology. (July to present)
  

• Unite medical students Nicholaus Makenza and Onesmo Shedrack assisted with the deliveries of 26 babies during their internships at Ngarenaro Medical Center, and Unite nursing student Pili Bida delivered her 42nd baby under supervision during her third-year internship placement at Maternity Africa. (July - October)
  

• 6 Unite university scholars led a discussion for the Vavagaa Podcast at Soma Book Cafe covering such issues as young adult relationships, business creation, and how youth can earn incomes and balance their lives. (December)
  

• 13 Unite scholars attended Gather & Grow events in Dar es Salaam, engaging with professionals through storytelling, book discussions, and mentorship. (October-November)
  

• 100 trees were planted by our newest Unite Club at Gidea Girls School in northwestern Kenya, bringing the total of trees planted by Unite to combat deforestation and provide access to shade and fruits to 1,974. (November)
  

• 6 Unite scholars participated in the Tanzania Better Health (TBH) Outreach Mission in Monduli where 2,217 vulnerable women, children, elderly and impoverished community members received free health education, screenings, and medications. (September)
  

• Unite scholar Elina Green traveled to the U.S. to represent Tanzania at the Greenheart Global Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., and later to work at Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. (Summer 2025)
  

• 3 Unite scholars were chosen to attend the TIMUN (Tanzania Model UN) Conference, which covered such issues as gender equality and youth engagement in global affairs. (August)
  

• 3 Unite scholars were selected to participate in the United Nations Association of Tanzania’s Youth Expo at the University of Dar es Salaam. (August)
  

• 5 Unite scholars conducted STEM Trainings at Elite Dignity Primary School, cultivating a foundational understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics for students in grades 1 to 7. (August)
  

• Through Unite’s Warrior for Change Program, $1,266 in new interest-free loans have been awarded to 10 Unite scholars, teammates, and Brave Widows since July.
  

• 23 Unite medical scholars volunteered at a public health day at Cardinal Rugambwa Hospital to help provide a warm welcome to the public and deliver critical information concerning proper nutrition, mental health, personal care, and HIV/AIDS. (July)

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* For those seeking more information about the “chaotic aftermath of Tanzania’s presidential election” on October 29, 2025, please click HERE for the CNN report from November 25, 2025.

NOTE: I have been asked what the recent events in Tanzania mean for our scholars and teammates and their futures. My honest response is, "I do not know.” However, I do know that as long as Unite can provide access to quality education where there once was none; impactful mentorship; life-saving family support; a loving, supportive global network and community; professional development; and a pathway to gainful employment to achieve independence and self-sufficiency… we will.

If you haven’t yet included Unite in your charitable giving this year, please click the link above or send a tax-deductible donation to: Unite the World with Africa Foundation, 154 Arlington Avenue, Providence, RI 02906. Asante. Thank you.

Follow us on Instagram @unitetnz @unitescholarsprogram

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Here, the release of a new short Unite film: "Nurturing Unrecognized Potential"

Click here to watch a 15-minute film about Unite Scholar Elisha John George.

Elisha, a blind young man from the Nyalugusu village of Kigoma, Tanzania, joined our Unite Scholars Program in 2022. He completed his A-levels at Tabora Boys Secondary School in 2023 and is now studying Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Dar es Salaam.

This is his story.

Elisha with fellow Unite Scholar Onesmo Shedrack hiking in the Uluguru Mountains during a Unite training event in Morogoro, Tanzania, in June 2025.

Elisha is one of nine children born to his father, a village pastor and peasant farmer, and mother, also a peasant. Elisha is blind. When he was just seven years old, Elisha was diagnosed with retinoblastoma (eye cancer) and underwent surgery to have both eyes removed. His parents didn’t have the money to pay for the surgery so they collected donations from fellow church members and the doctors at the local hospital paid the balance of fees due.

Community members told Elisha’s parents that blind children are not meant to go to school, but his parents persevered and sent him far from home to a primary boarding school designed for children living with disabilities. It was the first time Elisha had ever been away from his parents, and he relied on the kindness of his peers to get around, manage his studies, and wash his clothes. Elisha finished primary school in 2017 and was chosen to attend a top government school for his O-levels (lower secondary school). Classmates held his hand to guide him around the school for the first three months, after which time he could move on his own as he had memorized the campus. Elisha was awarded a certificate of recognition for his “high performance in academics despite his disability.”

In 2022, Elisha was enrolled in our highly competitive and selective Unite Scholars Program. From that point on, he has received comprehensive care and support from Unite, meeting all of his needs in and beyond the classroom. Additionally, Unite has provided Elisha with advanced braille technology as well as internships with various companies and organizations across the country. Please watch this short film to learn all about Elisha’s journey with Unite.

Elisha working at the TBC International Radio (left) and studying in his classroom at the University of Dar es Salaam (right).

Elisha and fellow Unite Scholar Sajo Mathias working as interns at the African School of Storytelling in Arusha, Tanzania.

Elisha during a Unite Summit for university scholars in Usa River, Tanzania, October 2024.

Elisha receiving his Form 6 graduation certificate from Unite the World With Africa Foundation, June 2023.

Off to Work They Go!

With our Unite Scholars Program, our mission is to cultivate brilliant, hardworking, and trusted young professionals who not only exceed expectations but also deliver innovative solutions to their employers and future enterprises. At the core of our work is a commitment to self-sufficiency, integrity, creativity, and leadership.

This summer, 21 of our Unite Scholars graduated from universities across Tanzania; 25 successfully completed another year of their university studies; and 16 graduated from Form 6 (A Levels) and will begin their university studies in November. Today, every one of these scholars is either employed full-time with respected companies and organizations across Tanzania; participating in discipline-specific field work; or engaged in internships that provide vital professional experience and hands-on training.

In a region where jobs are scarce and competition is fierce, this is no small feat. We are overjoyed and immensely proud—not only of our scholars, who continue to perform in excellence, but also of our dedicated team, whose tireless efforts have forged key introductions and partnerships.

Unite University Graduate Stella Mosha is pictured above left at an international conference in Tanzania. (August, 2025)

“Through my work with Maisha Outreach Therapy Organization (MOTO), I recently attended an international conference on the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities, which not only expanded my network but also exposed me to diverse professional perspectives and strengthened my commitment to promoting inclusion and mental health.”

—Unite Scholar Stella Mosha who recently completed a degree in psychology and counseling from Jordan University in Tanzania.

At Apro Visuals in Dar es Salaam: Patrick Dennis, Video Editor & Photographer; Revocatus Projestus, Unite Scholar Intern; and Richard Munisi, Unite Filmmaker & Photographer

“Revocatus is a fast learner who consistently completes every task on time. He has successfully handled new assignments that no one in the organization had ever done before, delivering them with outstanding quality.”

— Michael Loy, Director of Apro Visuals, speaking about Unite Scholar Revocatus Projestus, a Form 6 graduate who will begin his university studies in November.

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Organizations where our Unite Scholars are now working or engaged in internships:

• African School of Storytelling, AFRISOS (Arusha)

• Apro Visuals (Dar es Salaam)

• Bethsaida Girls Secondary School (Dar es Salaam)

• Cardinal Rugambwa Hospital (Dar es Salaam)

• FAMDALLY Events Company (Dar es Salaam)

• FAME Hospital (Karatu)

• Greenheart Global (USA)

• Kamal Steel Group (Dar es Salaam)

• Kibogoji Experimental Learning (Morogoro)

• Kiswahili na Utamanduni, KIU (Dar es Salaam)

• Kivulini Maternity Hospital (Arusha)

• Konsalt Primary School (Dar es Salaam)

• Maisha Outreach Therapy Organization, MOTO (Moshi)

• Ngarenaro Hospital (Arusha)

• Philomena Crafts (Zanzibar)

• Power Providers (Arusha)

• Sakapalla Community Center (Dar es Salaam)

• Sinoni Medical Center (Arusha)

• Smile Dental Clinic (Dar es Salaam)

• SOMA (Dar es Salaam)

• TBC International (Dar es Salaam)

• The Kafika House (Arusha)

• Unite Food Program (Dar es Salaam)

• Unite the World with Africa Foundation (Dar es Salaam)

• White Lake High School (Dar es Salaam)

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“This internship has been an incredibly enriching and significant learning experience. Not only have I grown my practical skills in graphic design and content creation, I've had the invaluable opportunity to connect with interesting people from all around the world.”

— Unite Scholar Katunzi Baraka, a Form 6 graduate who is working as a social media and communications intern at White Lake High School in Dar es Salaam before he starting university in November.

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Asante sana! A very special thanks to every company and organization that has welcomed our Unite Scholars and provided them with meaningful opportunities to learn, thrive, excel, and grow—both professionally and personally. By opening your doors to our young talent, you are helping to shape and secure their successful futures.

** We continue to seek partnerships with companies and organizations across Tanzania and around the world to secure professional opportunities for our scholars. Please contact anne@uniteafricafoundation.org with any ideas and/or introductions.**

NOTE: Internships for our Unite Scholars are — initially as necessary — financially supported by Unite.

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Congratulations to our 2025 class of Unite high school graduates in Tanzania!

In June, 80 members of our Unite family came together in the lush foothills of the Uluguru Mountains to celebrate the successful Form 6 graduation of our 5th class of Unite Scholars. Watch a one-minute highlight video of the celebration here.

In addition to hosting the dance- and award-filled graduation ceremony, we conducted extensive trainings covering such topics as:

• Transitioning to university (for our high school graduates);

• Transitioning to A-levels (for our newest class of Unite Scholars);

• The responsible use of social media;

• Self confidence, self awareness, & emotional intelligence;

• Sexual harassment & bullying;

• Conflict resolution & teamwork;

• Honesty & integrity; and

• Business & entrepreneurship.

We also took everyone on a field trip to SUGECO at Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro to learn about best practices in agribusiness and hiked to swim in the most amazing waterfalls. It was a uniquely powerful time together — full of learning, laughter, and love — and we all cried (well, I did!) when it was time to say goodbye.

With our 2025 Form 6 graduates, Unite Program Director Anty Marche, and special guest — my brother-in-law — Jeff Wells.

Watch highlights from our june summit

Form 6 Graduation Celebration: See the joy and pride as we honor our 5th graduating class of Unite Scholars.

Hiking the Uluguru Mountains: Watch our Scholars climb, laugh, and swim in the stunning waterfalls of the Uluguru Mountains.

Field Trip to SUGECO: Join us on a journey to Sokoine University in Morogoro, Tanzania, to learn about agribusiness and innovation.

Anne on Integrity: Hear Anne speak about why honesty and integrity must guide everything we do.

Our lovely Form 6 graduates (left to right, back to front): Oliva, Veronica, Angela, Leni, Glory, Simpoliana, Crispin, Omary, Masoud, Katunzi, Revocatus, Elizabeth, Jackline, Mercy, Leni, Neema and Swaumu. (Missing Emmanuel Mkulati who is enrolled in three months of national service military training for the Tanzanian government.)

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

In Tanzania, there's a four-month break between A-level graduation and the start of university. During this time, nearly all of our graduates are engaged in paid professional internships while also preparing their university applications. Last week, 10 of our graduates currently staying in Dar es Salaam joined 15 other Unite Scholars and teammates to volunteer at a health education and screening event at Cardinal Rugambwa Hospital. Our medical scholars led sessions on critical topics including hypertension, diabetes, women’s health, mental health awareness, and the importance of a balanced diet. Other scholars provided hands-on support—assisting elderly individuals, helping those in need of wheelchairs, conducting BMI (Body Mass Index) assessments, and checking sugar levels. Watch highlights from their experience here.

In October, they’ll participate in our Unite University-Scholar Summit — a powerful, week-long gathering where we’ll explore:

• AI and digital literacy;

• Professional preparedness and workplace best practices;

• Career guidance and international diplomacy; and

• Mind-body health and wellness.

Our Form 6 Unite Graduate Scholar Spotlight

• Masoud Selehe earned the highest possible score (Division 1.3) on the National Form 6 Leaving Exams and received a prestigious presidential scholarship in data science and AI.

• Seven are interning at Bethsaida Secondary School — mentoring students, supporting school leadership, and launching a new Unite Club where they’re teaching soft skills, leadership, and emotional well-being.

• Three are managing and growing social media accounts, driving marketing campaigns with local organizations.

• Two are in Zanzibar, working in the tourism industry, building skills in hospitality and cultural engagement.

• One has been awarded a scholarship with Rafiki Global Scholars and is applying for international university placements.

• One is enrolled in National Service for military training.

• One is working at a film production company, gaining hands-on experience in media and storytelling.

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Katunzi and Glory lead their Unite classmates in their graduation dance.

To all our sponsors who help make these miracles possible: THANK YOU. Your belief in our scholars is life-changing.

We are still seeking sponsorship support for many of our 103 Unite Scholars, from Form 5 through university. If you'd like to learn more or get involved, please email anne@uniteafricafoundation.org or make a tax-deductible donation through our secure website using the link below.

Follow us on social media to learn more about our scholars and programs and see our impact and growth in action.
Instagram: @unitetnz, @unitescholarsprogram

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A New Short Film about Unite Medical Student Zainabu Seiph

We are thrilled to release our newest short film called “A CANDLE IN THE DARK,” which focuses on the life of one of Unite’s Medical Student, Zainabu Seiph. Zainabu is now a 4th year medical student at KCMC University in Tanzania. Born with albinism in a remote village along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Zainabu faced extreme dangers and challenges prior to joining our Unite Scholars Program in 2018.

Since joining Unite and receiving our comprehensive support (academic, health, social-emotional, family support, etc), Zainabu has emerged as a leader amongst her peers and in her field. Zainabu serves as the advisor to the CEO of Tanzania Better Health, and she has held such positions as the Commissioner for Students with Special Needs under Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions; the Vice Chairperson for Tanzania Medical Students Association; and a member of the Federation of Africa Medical Students Association, where she worked in a technical group addressing HIV/AIDS.

With Unite’s support, Zainabu has completed internships with Tanzania Better Health, the Kagungu Private Dispensary, and The Nature Conservancy where she provided health education to community members as well as hand-on care to patients. (In the film, you will see a celebration in Kagunga after Zainabu delivered a baby girl!). Zainabu has also completed a leadership course with Harvard Business School and is regularly invited to speak about health topics and rights for people living with disabilities on Tanzanian radio shows and TV channels.

Her story is truly inspirational. Please take 14 minutes to watch the film and let us know your thoughts and feedback. And please help support Zainabu and Unite by sharing this film with everyone you know. Asante sana. Thank you!

Zainabu assisting with a surgery at KCMC in Moshi, Tanzania.

“A message to my fellow youth and girls who have passed through different challenges like me. Believe in yourself. If you know you can do something, work hard and do it. Sometimes you may feel like people are discriminating against you. But more often we discriminate against ourselves by keeping our eyes away from others and isolating. Keep pushing yourself. Interact with others whenever possible, and be on the lookout for all opportunities to succeed. God created you with purpose.”

— Zainabu Seiph

Each year we accept new classes of Form 4 graduates (~10th graders). To learn more about the program, email anne@uniteafricafoundation.org or click HERE.

Follow us on Instagram @unitetnz & @unitescholarsprogram

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Follow our Tanzanian filmmakers Richard Munisi (@r_munisi), Hans Charlz (@hanscharlz), Amin Suwedi (@aminsuwedi), and Peter Mnzava (@petermnzavas).

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Seeking sponsors for our newest class of Unite Scholars

We are thrilled to welcome 18 new brilliant young people to our Unite Scholars Program. Earlier this month, our team and this talented class convened in Dar es Salaam for a week-long “kick off” event. Activities included introductions and contract reviews and signings; extensive trainings from our Unite curriculum (including personal branding, sexual harassment and bullying, time management, and presentation skills); field trips (to Unite Food Program to be trained in small business operations and entrepreneurship and to a local bank to open savings accounts and learn about financial systems); the distribution of technology (everyone is most excited about their Unite smart phones!); talent shows; and more.

Our leadership team is now traversing the country conducting home visits to meet these scholars’ families, assess need, build trust, and cultivate critical community-based relationships. We are still in need of sponsors for many of these scholars. If you are interested in sponsoring, please email anne@uniteafricafoundation.org or click DONATE.

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Why SPONSORSHIP matters?

Tanzania is facing a learning crisis: ~15% of students complete lower secondary school, 6% complete higher secondary, and less than 1% complete tertiary-level (college/university) education. *

Our Unite Scholars program provides comprehensive sponsorship through higher secondary and beyond into university (as needed) as well as one-on-one mentorship, big brother/big sister support, extensive soft skills and leadership trainings, entrepreneurship support to develop small businesses, paid internships, professional development, family support, healthcare, access to an engaged global network, and so much more. To learn more about all that is included in an annual sponsorship ($3,000), click HERE.

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Meet two of our new scholars: Beby & Amos

(To receive bios, photos, and videos of Unite Scholars in need of sponsorship, please email anne@uniteafricafoundation.org.)

Baby Mawazo Kagoma, 20, with her father and new stepmother in Tabora region, Tanzania.

Beby, 19, is the third born in a family of five children. Her father is a peasant farmer and also sells charcoal. When Beby was 14, her mother left due to a conflict with her father. Her mother hasn’t be seen since. Following her mother’s departure, Beby’s father’s behavior changed. He starting bringing home women and stopped supporting his children financially and emotionally. Beby’s sister was married off at age 16, and Beby’s father wanted Beby to drop from school as well. Beby was left to fend for herself to continue her education. Beby’s older brother dropped out of school to work as a day laborer on neighbors’ farms and as a mason to help feed his siblings. And, to get through school, Baby would drop out for long periods of time to work as a house girl and/or day laborer to earn money to pay for school fees and supplies in order to return to the classroom. Her brother’s encouragement kept her focused on her studies.

Despite always arriving late to school (not able to afford bus fare) and with limited supplies (not even pads, soap, or pocket money), Beby somehow was able to perform extremely well. Her female teachers recognized her potential and banded together to provide her with the essentials she needed. Despite so many challenges and obstacles, Beby earned top scores throughout lower-secondary school and served as chairperson of the school’s Young Scientist Club. Now as a Unite Scholar, Beby will continue her studies fully supported and pursue her dream of one day working in the field of biochemical engineering.

“I am grateful for everyone who has supported me on this journey, including my brother and teachers. Their encouragement has kept me moving forward, and I am determined to achieve my dreams.” ~Beby Kagoma

Amos Saguda, 18, with his mother and two sisters at their rented home in Morogoro region, Tanzania.

Amos is the second of three children born to peasant farmers. Sadly, when Amos was 7, his father died leaving his mother alone to care for the family. As members of the Sukuma tribe, Amos’ mother was not allowed to inherit anything from her husband (her home, land and possessions all went to her husband’s brothers). Amos’ mother is a rice farmer who works as a day laborer on other people’s farms to earn money. She also rents an acre of land (a 30-minute walk to and from their home) to farm for food for herself and her children. Her income is not enough to meet even their most basic needs, which means Amos has often gone without food as well as school supplies, transport money, uniforms, etc. Life has been so challenging that Amos’ mother even sent Amos and his sister to live with an aunt in the Songea region of Tanzania, so the aunt could provide better care, nutrition, and support. However, sadly,his aunt could not afford to care for them either, and Amos went to work in a mine as a child laborer to earn mother for himself and his sister. Somehow, Amos made it through primary school and performed so well that he was given a spot at the prestigious government Tabora Boys School for his lower-secondary education. While there, he was an active member of the school’s Unite Club and served as class coordinator and music coordinator of a religious club.

As a Unite Scholar, Amos will now continue with his education, fully supported in all ways. His dream is to pursue work in the field of medicine after his aunt (who had tried to care for him) and her baby recently died during childbirth due to a lack of medical professionals to provide proper care.

When Amos is home, he farms rice, raises chickens, and tutors other students to help earn money to support his family. As a Unite scholar, he will receive a grant to grow his small poultry business.

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Source: World Bank.

Unite travels across America to showcase new documentary films

We are thrilled to announce the release of two new short documentary films, each created by Tanzanian filmmakers, featuring the lives of two Unite Scholars: Zainabu Seiph and Elisha George John. The films are being released privately through a series of events in communities across the United States. Please see our calendar below.

If you are interested in attending an event and/or hosting an event/film screening (anywhere in the country), please email anne@uniteafricafoundation.org. Our goal is to spread the word as far and wide as possible to grow our base of supporters and ensure we can meet the needs of talented youth and women in need across Tanzania, East Africa, and beyond for years to come.

UNITE TALKS & FILM SCREENINGS 2025

• Little Compton, RI (February 23rd, St. Andrews by the Sea, 11:15 AM)

• New York City (March 11th, Church of Heavenly Rest, 5:30 PM)

• Vero Beach, FL (Rio Mar, April 11th)

• Freemont, CA (April 27th)

• Carlsbad, CA (May 4th)

• Providence, RI (May 6th, The Wheeler School, 1:30 PM)

• St. Louis, MO (May 8th)

• Providence, RI (May 14th, The Hope Club, 5:30 PM)

• Washington, DC (May 15th)

• Houston, TX (TBD)

• Boston (TBD)

• Palm Beach, FL (TBD)

• Westerly, RI (The Westerly Theater, Summer 2025)

• Westport, CT (The Westport Playhouse Theater, September 2025)

• Southport, NC (November 9th, St Peter Lutheran Church)

Filmmaker Hans Chalrz filming Unite Scholar Zainabu Seiph in her home village of Kigunga, Tanzania, along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Click HERE and HERE for outtake clips from Kigunga.

Zainabu Seiph (front left wearing glasses) and her family in Kigunga village. Zainabu is now a 4th-year medical student at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania. Click HERE for 1-minute of scenes from Kigunga.

Scene from a film about Elisha George John, a Unite Scholar who lost his sight as a toddler. Elisha (second from right) is with his father (a pastor), grandmother, mother, and sister outside their family home. Click HERE, HERE and HERE to watch mini-clips from the film.

Elisha is now at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania studying journalism and mass communications. Click HERE to see Elisha share how disabilities do not define him.

Elisha’s father holds a picture of Elisha as a toddler before his eyes were removed. Click HERE to see him talk about this tragedy.

Note: The documentary about Elisha George John (“Nurturing Unrecognized Potential: Unite the World with Africa Foundation”) was filmed, directed, and edited by a team from AFRISOS (The African School of Storytelling) includingMichael Ndosi and Angela Mukajanga, writer Megan Brownrigg in Arusha, Tanzania, and produced by Doug Crisman, VGI, and Unite. The film about Zainabu Seiph (“A Candle in the Dark”) was filmed, directed, and edited by Unite’s photographer and filmmaker Richard Munisi, Tanzanian filmmaker/storyteller Hans Charlz, and Peter Mnzava and produced by Unite the World with Africa Foundation.

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Unite Team Member Spotlight

HOSIANA THOMAS LAITAYOKI: Unite Food Program Stock Controller & Warrior for Change Program Manager

A 27-year-old single mother, Hosiana is the last-born in a polygamous Maasai family. She grew up in the rural village of Mkuru in the Arusha district of northern Tanzania in a traditional Maasai community. Her home was a circular structure hand constructed using wood and clay and topped with a thatched grass roof. Her father has two wives (Hosiana’s mother being the second and lesser valued position) and eight children. In keeping with tradition, Hosiana’s family relies on their goats and cattle for food (milk) and income (sales of the animals).

Hosiana faced many challenges growing up, including extreme poverty and a bias against educating girls. However, thanks to her mother’s persistence, Hosiana enrolled in a village government primary school in 2005, walking 12 kilometers from home back and forth every day. While in school, Hosiana excelled in her studies and was named Head Girl; however, it wasn’t easy as in Maasai culture girls and women are rarely allowed leadership positions of any kind. Between 2009 and 2011, a devastating drought wiped out her family’s cattle—their primary source of income—which meant her father had no more funds for her education.

In 2017, with a newborn baby in tow, Hosiana met Anne Wells at a Unite-sponsored women’s health training for Maasai women in Mkuru. The two began corresponding, and in 2018, Anne returned to Mkuru to request Hosiana’s father’s permission for Unite to sponsor her continued education. Once permission was granted, Hosiana enrolled in Tengeru Institute of Community Development, and following her successful graduation, Unite secured for her a year-long posting with a maternity hospital in Arusha, Tanzania. While there, Hosiana worked with an outreach team teaching young women and mothers the critical importance of pre- and post-natal care. Later, in 2021, during the time of COVID, Hosiana returned to Mkuru to execute Unite’s Boma-2-Boma health education initiative, teaching Maasai community members about the importance of hygiene, sanitation, and disease control measures.

Once the COVID crisis passed in Tanzania in late 2021, Hosiana was hired to join the Unite Food Program team in Dar es Salaam. Since then, her roles have evolved and multiplied. Hosiana is extremely talented, trustworthy, strategic, and hardworking. She brings an exceptional attention to detail and superior accounting and project management skills to our team. Hosiana is respected and admired by all, and she and her young daughter Happiness (pictured right with UFP’s newest product, cassava flour) are beloved and cherished members of our Unite family.

Back in Mkuru, Hosiana’s success is evident to all. She has earned enough funds to send Happiness to a quality school; to purchase cattle of her own; and even to build a modern home for her mother outfitted with glass windows, cement walls and floors, and a roof made with iron sheets. Her father is proud and, according to Hosiana, he now sees the value of educating a girl.

Unite showed me love and kindness when I felt like I had lost everything. From having no education and no opportunities, I now have a career, experience, and people who believe in me. I am proud of what I have achieved.

—Hosiana Thomas Laitayoki

Click on the image below for a gallery of photos of Hosiana over her years with Unite.

Reporting contributed to by Esuvath Daniel.

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2024 Was a Record Year for the Unite Food Program

Unite Food Program (UFP) provides small-scale farmers across Tanzania with a secure market for their crops at fair market prices as well as healthy, tasty, and affordable staple food options for the Tanzanian people.

Since UFP’s inception in 2021, the team has purchased nearly 2,500 TONS of maize. In 2023, UFP began fortifying its maize flour by installing a SANKU dossier on the mill through which essential micronutrients are infused into the flour. In 2024, maize and rice production jumped from an average of 50 tons a month to 100 tons a month further penetrating the market across Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, and — in December — UFP added cassava flour to the product line. This year, the goal is to continue to penetrate new markets and increase sales to 150 tons monthly. This team is on fire!

Unite Food Program’s Stock Manager Hosiana Thomas and her daughter Happiness with Unite Food Program’s new cassava flour, December 2024.

While Unite Food Program is now providing full-time employment to six, part-time employment to three, and performance-based employment to seven, it also serves as a professional training ground for our ~100 Unite Scholars. The Unite Scholars are invited to engage in various level training workshops at Unite Food Program through which they learn all the details of entrepreneurship and really what it takes to envision, launch, operate, sustain, and grow a successful, thriving business. The Unite Scholars are also welcomed to engage in paid internships at UFP during which they are taught the day-ins and day-outs of procurement, production, operations, sales, marketing, stock management, accounting, compliance, and more. Our Unite Scholars intern at UFP HQ in Dar es Salaam as well as at the UFP office in Zanzibar and the outpost in Sumbawanga.

Unite University-level Scholars at UFP HQ during a 2024 training event.

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'Tis the Season for Giving: Unite's Holiday Wish List

To all of you who have supported our work in 2024, asante sana! Thank you! To those of you who haven’t yet had the chance, please see our Holiday Wish List and consider a gift of any size to help us over the finish line.

Click HERE or on the photo above.

Unite the World with Africa Foundation provides quality education, leadership & business development programs to talented, marginalized youth and women across East Africa.

• Unite Scholars Program: Sponsoring 100 scholars through high school and university.

• Unite Club Program: Reaching more than 2,000 students across Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda & Nigeria.

• Unite Food Program: Sold more than 2,500 tons of staple food items since June 2021.

Happy Holidays & prayers for peace, health, education, opportunity and dignity for all.

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A sad farewell to Unite Brave Widow Margreth Urassa

In a lesser known initiative, Unite operates the Brave Widow’s Program in service to impoverished widows in Tanzania. Last week, we very sadly lost one of our beloved members, Margreth Urassa. Margreth was just 52 years old. She was widowed 26 years ago and has since struggled to raise her two surviving sons on her own. A victim of extreme domestic violence and HIV, Margreth was the epitome of courage, grace, faith, resilience, hard work, hope, and determination. She was a beloved member of our Unite community. To Margreth — as we do with every member of our Brave Widow Program — we provided business grants, interest-free loans, and financial support; entrepreneurship and professional development trainings; one-to-one mentorship; medical care; monthly food relief; and more. But perhaps most importantly, we provided Margreth a safe and loving Unite “family” in which she was always welcomed, always cherished, and always respected.

Margreth was a true entrepreneur… She saw opportunities everywhere. She was always very optimistic and even at the very end of her life, she was planning projects. Margreth made and sold organic juices and pastries at all Unite events. She grew a garden from which she self-harvested maize, beans, vegetables (spinach & pumpkin), and fruits (papaya & mango). She was a skilled tailor who also embroidered bed-sheets and fabrics. Margreth even received custom orders for hand-made batiks, face masks (during the time of COVID), hand bags, and stuffed animal inserts from clients overseas in America. For years, Margreth served as Secretary of the Unite Brave Widow group.

“Mama Urassa’s greatest life mission was to educate people with HIV/AIDS and counsel them with a message of love and hope. She also always worked to support her fellow Brave Widows by teaching them how to sew and doing whatever she could to help them succeed in their small businesses. She was a fighter.”

— Hosiana Thomas, Unite Brave Widow Program Manager (pictured below 2nd from right)

Above: The Brave Widows gathered together on International Women’s Day in March 2024. Click HERE for a 1-minute video of that event. Margreth is standing in front of Unite Founder Anne Wells. 

Across Tanzania, hundreds of thousands of women have lost their husbands to HIV/AIDS, disease, and accidents. Oftentimes, after a man dies, his surviving wife and children face extreme challenges including economic hardships, social stigmatization, and abuse and mistreatment from the husband/father’s extended family. Relatives of the deceased often take back the husband’s properties, leaving the surviving wife and children with little to nothing. Othertimes women are forced to marry one of her husband’s brothers to keep his “property” within the family. Children are particularly at risk as they are often forced to drop from school and are left uniquely vulnerable to physical and sexual violence as well as teen marriage and slave labor.

Unite is committed to empowering impoverished-yet-entrepreneurial widows with grants and loans, mentorship, legal and medical support, food relief, and more to not only help them survive but to thrive and achieve independence, dignity, self-respect and self-reliance.

Click here to watch a 2-minute memorial video for Margreth Urassa.

A few Unite Brave Widows pictured together at Unite Food Program HQ in Dar es Salaam (Margreth Urassa is 4th from the right).

Below is a gallery of images from Margreth Urassa’s funeral, which was held last week Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and sponsored by Unite.

A special thanks to Unite photographer, filmmaker, and marketing manager Richard Munisi.

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Unite Scholar is Voted one of Tanzania's Top 100 Global Citizens

Unite Scholar Michael Charles Shoide, 22, is now in his second year of medical school at Kairuki University in Dar es Salaam. Michael was recently chosen one of Tanzania’s Top 100 Global Citizens by the Global Leadership Awards.

“Michael Shoide is a dedicated medical student committed to public health, youth empowerment, and international advocacy.”

— Global Leadership Awards

Michael’s story is an interesting one, full of unexpected twists and turns.

In June 2022, Michael completed high school in Tanzania along with the rest of his class of Unite Scholars. Michael earned As in all of his classes and scored extremely well on his national leaving examinations. Following his Form 6 graduation, Michael enrolled in the Tanzanian National Service for three months to demonstrate his patriotism to his country. From there, he returned home and eagerly awaited his university placement from the Tanzanian government. However, as the weeks passed and Michael’s Unite classmates began receiving their university placements… Michael heard nothing. We were confused and surprised. Ultimately, Michael was not awarded a placement to study medicine in a government institution.

Heartbroken but determined, Michael decided to try again. It would take one year before he could re-sit for his national examinations and qualify again as a university candidate. Unite supported Michael with funds to live (he needed to rent a room where it was quiet), study (we provided Michael with books and tutoring support for classes), and work. (Michael found a job as a part-time waiter, and Unite paid him to work Unite STEM bonanzas at local primary schools and as an intern with the Unite Food Program and H&N Courier Express in Dar es Salaam.) Unite also included Michael in all Unite events across the country.

Left: Michael with Unite Scholars Program Manager and Lead Mentor Joan Mnzava. Right: Michael studying for his examinations in his rented room.

Finally, in May 2023, Michael re-sat for the national examinations, and, once again, he scored extremely well. However, against all odds, Michael again did not receive a medical school placement by the Tanzanian government. We all were devastated. Somehow Michael had fallen through the cracks of the system.

Thankfully, Unite’s Program Director Anty Marche was determined to find a solution. Anty called relentlessly upon her contacts across Tanzania and throughout the diaspora asking for introductions, connections, support, and advice. She pushed, and she pleaded. And finally she found a seat for Michael to study medicine at Kairuki University. However, as a private institution, Unite did not at the time have sufficient funding to make such a commitment to Michael. But then, in another miraculous turn of events, just as registration was closing, a few generous donors stepped forward to sponsor Michael, in full, throughout his medical school. Hallelujah!

So… In November 2023, Michael’s journey to becoming a doctor began. And today, one year later, Michael is an award-winning student at one of the most renowned and respected medical institutions in Tanzania and personally mentored by Unite’s partner and friend Dr. Leonard Malasa, an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health at Kairuki University and Founder of Tanzania Better Health.

Left to right: Dr. Leonard Malasa; Michael Charles; Anne Wells; Sima Kairuki, Corporate Council at Kairuki University; and Anty Marche, Unite Program Director. Pictured October 16, 2024, at Kairuki University in Dar es Salaam.

Over the past year, Michael has stacked up a pile of achievements, awards, and appointments including serving as International Campus Ambassador for the Federation of African Medical Students'​ Associations; Chairperson of the Youth Advisory Board for TAHMEF, a HealthTech non-profit; Youth Ambassador for UNIAID AFRICA’s campaign for Girls in STEM; Coordinator of the Standing Committee of Rights and Peace; and Project Coordinator for Tanzania Medical Students’ Association at Kairuki University.

And, with Unite’s support, Michael has been able to participate in a number of internships and medical outreach initiatives including Tanzania Better Health’s mission in rural Monduli, Tanzania, through which the team provided health testing, assessments, and education to more than 3,000 at-risk community members. Unite also continues to provide Michael with paid work to serve as a Big Brother and a tutor to his fellow Unite Scholars (those who are still in high school). We also engaged Michael to help write and edit a series mental health training modules that are now being used as part of our Unite Club curriculum, which has reached more than 1,500 high school students across Africa.

Michael working with Tanzania Better Health’s medical outreach mission in Monduli, Tanzania, in September 2024, under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Malasa.

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Michael’s background

Michael is the only child of Hosiana Urio. Hosiana fell pregnant with Michael when she was extremely young and still in primary school. According to Tanzanian law at that time, once a girl was found to be pregnant, she was immediately expelled from school. Sadly Hosiana’s education came to a crashing half. Michael’s father then ran away, so Hosiana was left to raise Michael on her own. Hosiana struggles to support Michael and herself by working as a cleaner (earning ~$38 a month). She and Michael live in a tiny single rented room in Dar es Salaam. (Hosiana sleeps on the bed and Michael on a small sofa.)

Left: Michael and his mother, Hosiana, in their room in Dar es Salaam. Right: Michael and his mother at the Tanzania Awards Ceremony, November 1, 2024, Dar es Salaam.

Getting Michael through primary and lower secondary school at government institutions was not easy for his mother. Michael often went without the most basic needs, food, and supplies. Hosiana couldn’t even afford bus fare for school holidays, so Michael would stay on campus, working and doing chores for the school in exchange for room and board. However, despite his challenges, Michael was always a top performing student. In fact, at the completion of Michael’s O-levels (~10th grade), his school headmistress wrote:

“Michael Charles is very hard working and responsible. He earned the near-perfect score of 1.9 on his Form 4 National Exam. Michael is one of the best students in our school’s history.”

Once Michael completed lower-secondary school in 2020, there was no chance that his mother could send him on for his A-levels. The costs were just too high and any extended family support that had once existed had ended. (Less than 3% of Tanzanian students are able to enroll in A-level/higher secondary due to such expenses and challenges).

Yet, as luck would have it, Unite had recently partnered with an online organization called Shule Direct to extend a call for applications to our Unite Scholars Program to every district of the country.

Michael stumbled across Shule Direct, applied for a position in our highly-competitive Unite Scholar Program, and was accepted. He has since received comprehensive financial, social-emotional, health, home/family, and general life support from Unite. As a fully-sponsored Unite Scholar, Michael studied Physics, Chemistry, and Biology at the Same Boys School for his A-Levels. And to further support him while in high school school, we launched a Unite Club at Same Boys through which Michael and more than 100 other boys learned about the soft skills of professionalism, emotional intelligence, environmental stewardship, public speaking, communication and presentation skills, and more. Then, to assist Michael and his mother at home, Unite provided them a grant to start and build a small business selling charcoal. During the time of COVID Michael received the opportunity to participate in our Unite Ambassador Program, during which time he was paired with a Northwestern student in America, and together they tackled academic and creative challenges and built a friendship that endures until this day.

“The presence of my Unite family in my life has wiped away my tears and removed the burden of the heavy luggage that my mother and I carried. I am grateful, and I love you so much Unite.”

— Michael Charles Shoide

Michael in medical school. Left: Working with a cadaver. Right: Working in the lab. 

“Thanks to Unite, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside inspiring individuals who share a vision of a healthier, more equitable world. I am continuously motivated by the potential for positive change in our communities.”

— Michael Charles Shoide

Unite Founder and Executive Director Anne Wells with Michael (left) at our Pathways to Success Summit in Usa River, Tanzania, in October 2024 with other Unite scholars studying in the field of medicine: Left to right: David Sichone (Microbiology), Pili Biba (Nursing), Andia Rubai (Environmental Health Science), Hawa Hamimu (Occupational Therapy), Michael, Anne, Vaileth Komba (Medicine), Zainabu Seiph (Medicine), Veronica Moses (Radiology), and Gracia Didas (Pharmacy). 

Note: Tanzania Global Awards is part of Global Leadership Awards, a global celebration of U.S. Exchange Alumni who have created a safer, more peaceful, and more prosperous world. U.S. Exchange Alumni are the next generation of global leaders working to build a better world. Their mission is to We strengthen grassroots initiatives to successfully address U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

HONGERA SANA MICHAEL! CONGRATULATIONS!

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Mark your socials... We have some exciting weeks ahead.

I am off to Tanzania again, this time traveling with one Unite advisor and two Board members. We will spend time working with our team at the Unite Food Program in Dar es Salaam, visiting the homes and families of Unite teammates and scholars, and hosting Unite’s first-of-its kind “Pathways to Success” Summit designed to help our Unite University-level Scholars realize their fullest potential in life post-graduation. More than 50 of us will be camping together just outside the Arusha National Park in an elephant corridor, and we will be updating our social media accounts and “vlogging” regularly as we go.

Make sure to follow along on…

Instagram

@unitetnz
@unite_scholars_program
@unitefoodprogram
@anne_M_Wells

Facebook

@unitetnz
@ATMWELLS

LinkedIn

Unite the World with Africa Foundation
Anne Wells

With Unite's newest class of A-Level Scholars, March 2024

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That's a wrap on our Unite Scholars' 2024 summer internships

“These Unite Scholars’ commitment to caring for the underserved during their internship was just astonishing. Indeed, their passion knows no boundaries.”

—Dr Malasa, Director of Tanzania Better Health.

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Over these past few months, Unite’s University-level Scholars have been engaged in professional internships with businesses and organizations across Tanzania. Hands-on practical work experience is critical for young people — all around the world — to achieve professional success post-academia. Our Unite leadership team works tirelessly to secure partnerships with decision makers (in business, non-profits, education, medicine, government, etc.) who will generously extend internship opportunities. We are grateful to these organizations for their investment of time, strategic training, and mentorship (and in some cases housing, transport, and food) for these talented youth.

Unite Scholars (left to right) Faidha Charles (a Presidential scholarship recipient studying mechanical engineering), Hawa Hamimu (occupational therapy), Veronica Moses (radiology), Vaileth Komba (medicine), and Gaudencia Simon (pharmacy) spent two months interning at the Cambridge Institute of Tourism Management teaching Unite’s soft skills of professionalism and leadership curriculum to more than 50 students and staff. Their lessons ranged from personal branding, time management, networking, CV development, inteviewing, and emotional intelligence to presentation skills, stress management, customer care, financial literacy, effective use of social media, goal setting, and entrepreneurship.

“Our Unite interns demonstrated exceptional performance. I appreciated their commitment, positive attitudes, and punctuality. They did an outstanding job in teaching Unite’s soft skills modules. They also taught us the importance of outreach to positively impact our community.”

— Castro Sanga, Founder and Director of Cambridge Institute of Tourism Management

Unite scholars John John Mashimba (studying tax) and Ephraim Thomas (finance and business) interned with The Nature Conservancy in Kigoma and worked with community banks, public health initiatives, and the Buhingu Beach Management Unit. The boys also launched a new Unite Club at the Lagosa Secondary School, reaching ~100 students (above right) with Unite's soft skills of professionalism and leadership curriculum.

 “John John and Ephraim are self-driven, responsible, and disciplined. We are all pleased with how they have worked with our various teams as well as with the secondary school students at Lagosa. We would love to have Ephraim and John back next time.”

—Clement Mabula, The Nature Conservancy logistics coordinator

Unite Scholars Elisha John George (studying journalism and mass communications) and Sajo Mathias (industrial engineering) interned with AFRISOS, a filmmaking school that provides hands-on training in documentary filmmaking and photography to aspiring storytellers. The boys collaborated on the script development and voice over for a new documentary the AFRISOS team is making about Elisha (who lost his eyes to cancer when he was four years old) and his journey with Unite. 

“Sajo and Elisha are self-driven, highly focused, and committed to office goals. They often worked late into the night, which is quite rare among today’s youth. They had access to free Internet, which they could have easily used for social media, yet they remained disciplined. They are excellent communicators, respectful to everyone, and possess strong reasoning abilities. Additionally, they are very interactive and engaging.”

— Joseph Mbowe, AFRISOS logistics coordinator

Unite Scholars Gracia Didas (studying pharmacy) and Andia Rubai (environmental science) interned at the Queen of Peace for Girls Secondary School helping to grow the scale and impact of our Unite Club on the campus teaching Unite's soft skills of professionalism and leadership curriculum to more than 250 students. 

“We love Gracia and Andia. They have excellent performance and time management skills, arriving very early each morning and often teaching late into the nights. They are fully committed and have excellent communication skills with students and staff alike.”
—Lusajo Patrick, Queen of Peace Biology and Chemistry teacher

Unite Scholar Onesmo Amos Shedrack (in white: a Presidential scholarship recipient studying medicine), interned with Maisha Outreach Therapy Organization whose mission is to provide vulnerable Tanzanians with access to rehabilitation, speech therapy, and occupational and physiotherapy as well as to build the capacity of local health professionals.

“Onesmo is a very humble young man with a strong work ethic and integrity. He did not hesitate to offer new ideas to improve performance.”

—Johnson Dickson, MOTO Country Director

Unite Scholars David Bitaho (a Presidential scholarship recipient studying actuarial science), Hawa Hamimu (occupational therapy), and Zainabu Mnjanja (properties and facilities management) have been working at "Kiswahili na Utamaduni" in Dar es Salaam teaching Unite's soft skills of professionalism and leadership curriculum to the staff for professional development.

“David, Hawa, and Zainabu know what they are doing and are extremely competent in what they are teaching.”

—Faraji Kitonge, Director at Kiswahili na Utamaduni

Unite Student Pili Bisa Gabanza (studying nursing) has been interning (for a second extended school holiday) with Maternity Africa in Arusha at  their Kivulini Hospital where she is assisting with pre-and postpartum patient care and delivering and caring for newborn infants.  

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Other recent Unite Scholar internships and field placements include:

• Medical care (assessment and treatment) at the Katanga Medical Clinic, Kigoma district.

• Social work at the Kivulini Hospital, Arusha.

• Medical records management at Dodoma Referral Hospital.

• Counseling at Mafiga Health Center, Morogoro.

• Computer engineering at Tanzania Revenue Authority, Dodoma.

• Civil engineering at Tanroads, Mbeya.

• Actuarial work with Tanzania Reinsurance, Dar es Salaam.

• Website development and designing of training modules for Unite Scholars Program.

• Pharmacy at Muhimbili Hospital, Dar es Salaam.

• Mechanical engineering at Bagamoyo Sugar.

• Mechanical engineering at Kamal Steel & Gas, Dar es Salaam.

• Medical records management at Mt Meru Hospital, Moshi.

• Architecture with Acquies Africa, Dar es Salaam.

• Health information at Bugando Hospital.

• Aquatic science research at the Mnzazi Bay Marine Park, Mtwara.

• Administration support with SOMA, Dar es Salaam.

• Actuarial science with National Social Services, Dar es Salaam.

• Civil engineering at University of Dar es Salaam.

• Customer service and retail business development with Philomena Crafts, Zanzibar.

• Business development and customer care and cultivation with Unite Food Program, Zanzibar.

• Business administration and order fulfillment support with Unite Food Program, Dar es Salaam.

• Hotel management internship with Mloka Safari Lodge, Pwani District.

• Study of medicinal plants with Tanzania Forest Research Institute, Lushoto District.

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The Unite Food Program continues to grow and empower small-scale farmers

The Unite Food Program (UFP) is now consistently purchasing and processing an average of 120 tons of maize and rice each month. UFP’s social mission is to empower small-scale farmers across Tanzania with a fair market for their crops as well as to provide them with the Agro-Z hermetic grain bags for safe storage of their food items. Many of the small-scale farming families with whom UFP is working are the families of our Unite Scholars, who survive as subsistence farmers (relying 100% on the income they can make from selling the crops they hand cultivate on small plots of land around their homes).

Here, a quick look at one UFP farming family — the Bida family, who live and grow rice and maize in the Katavi district, northwestern Tanzania.

Pili, 21, the fifth of the Bida’s eight children, was first enrolled in our Unite Scholars Program in 2020. Pili is now a second-year nursing student at KCMC (Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center), one of the premier medical institutions in Tanzania. Prior to joining Unite, Pili had no hopes of continuing her education beyond lower-secondary, and she spent her days working in the rice fields alongside her parents and siblings.

PIli is currrently working at Maternity Africa's Kivulini Maternity Hospital in Arusha for a professional internship over her long school break between her first and second year of nursing school.

“It is difficult to imagine my life and my family's life without the presence of Unite. It was like a miracle which moved us from dark to light where dreams, ambition and life style changed. Ours is a very low income family. Prior to Unite, affording even the most basic needs was very challenging. Life was very difficult; we could only eat enough to be full, not to build our bodies. We as a family have been never seen such kind of love in action before. Unite has made us feel valued, loved, and respected, and our lives have been changed forever for the better.”

—Pili

Pili’s younger sister Elizabeth, 18, was admitted into our Unite Scholars Program in January 2024, and is now a fully-sponsored Form 5 student in A-Levels/higher secondary school. As part of her support from Unite, Elizabeth was awarded a grant to start a small food retail store in her village, which she worked until she left for school and is now being operated by her siblings. Their market is growing steadily and earning critical funds to help meet their family’s needs.

Elizabeth with Unite Founder Anne Wells, March 2024.

Bundala Bida, 25, was hired in 2022 to work as UFP’s field coordinator in Katavi. UFP has purchased more than 700kgs of rice and maize from Bundala himself (his family’s entire harvests available for sale). UFP’s fair-market purchases have empowered the family to grow their farm from two to three acres of purchased land and five additional acres of rented land. Additionally, the Bida’s have used their increased earnings to pay school fees for the children not sponsored by Unite as well as to pay for the critical needs such as food, medical care, advanced quality seeds for farming, etc.

As UFP field coordinator, Bundala has worked with more than 100 small-scale farmers to coordinate the sourcing of grains and payments, transport logistics, provision of the Agro-Z bags, and more. Bundala has used his income from UFP to buy and store hundreds of kilos of maize which he will sell over the coming months when food becomes scarce and prices rise. Bundala envisions growing this new food storage business (made possible through the use of the Agro-Z bags provided by Unite/UFP) to provide a critical service to local villagers. Using part of his earnings, Bundala recently opened his own savings account through the formal banking system with the support and guidance of Unite.

Bundala with Unite teammate Imani Faustine at UFP HQ in Dar es Salaam after the delivery of a large transport of rice and maize from Katavi, August 2024.

And lastly Lucy Bida, 22, is a beneficiary of Unite’s Warrior For Change Grant/Loan Program and Unite’s Blessing Program. Last spring, Lucy received funds to start and grow her own organic vegetable farm on her family’s expanding land. Her small enterprise is now providing nutritious food for herself and her family and creating a surplus to sell for added income. Lucy periodically receives infusions of small funds from Unite to purchase her vegetables for her to then give to villagers in her community who are living in dire need.

Lucy delivering food to an elderly man in her village as part of the Unite Blessing Campaign. 

Unite has also purchased for the Bida family a bicycle (to help transport water, crops, and supplies from long distances), a solar panel for light after dark and power to charge cell phones, and beds for safe and comfortable sleep (before Unite the family slept on mats on the ground).

Unite teammates with members of the Bida family outside their rented home in Katavi during a home visit in April 2024. Click HERE to see a video of that visit.

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UNITE FOOD PROGRAM: THE PROCESS

Through our field managers, including Bundala Bida, UFP partners with small-scale farming families across remote areas of Tanzania.

Maize, rice, ground nuts, and beans are purchased from the women (whenever possible) as UFP is committed to supporting those who will use the income to feed and educate the children.

Each small-scale farming family is awarded two 100-kg Agro-Z bags each harvest to use to: (1) hold back grains to feed their own families, and (2) store grains that can be sold later in the year when food prices skyrocket, creating a "bank" for future family needs. The Agro-Z hermetic grain bags prevent pest infestations and thus remove the need for chemical applications post-harvest.

Crops are then bagged and transported by hand, bike, and donkey to central locations on main roads where they are then loaded on the back of flatbed lorries to be transported hundreds if not thousands of miles away to UFP headquarters in Dar es Salaam on the coast of the Indian Ocean. Click HERE to see a video of the trucks unloading at UFP HQ.  

Rice and maize is unloaded at UFP HQ and safely stored in the UFP containers and storage rooms before being transported to the mills...

where the grains are cleaned and processed...

...repackaged into UFP packaging...

... and finally hand-delivered to wholesale and retail customers across Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

Members of the Unite/UFP team at HQ in Dar es Salaam, June 2024.

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First Aid & CPR Training in Tanzania

Earlier this summer, Unite hosted a series of First Aid trainings (CPR, burn care, stop the bleed, when to see a doctor, how to prevent the spread of disease, etc.) designed and led by American EMT & pre-med student Scarlett Gerber.

In Tanzania, especially throughout remote rural areas, people often have little to no education about First Aid, proper burn care, or CPR. They are unaware of key warning signs that signal it is time to take an injured or sick person to a hospital. (Millions of people live far too far from proper medical care and do not have the funds ncessary to pay for such care anyway.) So people often turn to local witchdoctors/traditional healers and use traditional remedies to deal with emergencies. Unite’s goal in providing these ongoing trainings is to share proven scientific facts and intervention methods to build a culture of awareness and preparedness that can improve outcomes and, ultimately, save lives.

“In many communities across Tanzania, there is a widespread lack of knowledge about proper emergency response that drives people to traditional healers, which can result in preventable tragedies and fatalities. These trainings have empowered participants to act confidently and effectively during emergencies.”

– Unite Scholar Michael Charles, a first-year medical student at Kairuki University in Dar es Salaam.

Examples of traditional methods used across Tanzania (as provided by Michael who is pictured above at Kairuki medical school in Dar es Salaam) include:  

·      Burns: Traditional treatments include applying cooking oil or honey to affected areas. While these methods are intended to cool the burn, they can cause infections and hinder proper healing.

·      Large wounds: Traditional remedies include applying herbal pastes or crushed leaves directly to the wound to stop bleeding and promote healing. While some herbs have medicinal properties, improper use can lead to infection or delays in getting necessary medical treatment.

·      Heart attacks: Traditional treatments include strong teas or herbal concoctions that “calm the heart.” These are given when one is not aware of the critical and timely need for appropriate medical interventions or how to administer CPR when the heart stops.

·      Strokes: For strokes, there is the belief that pricking fingers or ears to release blood can help relieve symptoms.

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“I was happy and inspired to see how quickly the Unite Scholars took to the material with both a readiness and desire to learn. We did have to shift the trainings to be more appropriate for local settings where medical supplies and doctors are not readily available. For example, we taught them how to make tourniquets and splints from such everyday materials as shirts and sticks.”

-- Scarlett Gerber, an EMT in Westport CT and a pre-med student at Wash U in St. Louis

Scarlett (center) leads a training at the Cambridge College in Usa River, Tanzania, alongside Unite teammates Katharine Wells and Constance Schmults.

“CPR trainings are extremely rare in our communities, yet they are essential to give people the confidence that they can do something to help. I myself did not learn CPR until I was in medical school, and until today I have only witnessed it used once and that was in a hospital.”

– Unite Medical Student Zainabu Seiph, a 3rd year student of surgery at KCMC in Kilimanjaro.

Zainabu Seiph was appointed (above) by the President of the Tanzanian Higher Learning Institution’s Student Organization as the Commissioner for all university students living with special needs.

Unite visitor Alicia Murphy “high 5s” Unite Food Program’s Operations Manager Stanley Arthur after he successfully bandages and sets a “broken” leg.

Unite visitor Constance Schmults teaches Unite Brave Widow Janeth Mbwilo how to check for signs that a patient is breathing.

Unite Club members at Cambridge College in Usa River, Tanzania, watch while Scarlett and her team demonstrate how to stabilize a patient.

“In Tanzania many people do not have medical insurance and are therefore hesitant to take loved ones to hospitals for fear of costs and uncertainty in the medical system. So they stay home, hope and pray, and eventually consult witchdoctors/traditional healers. Knowing CPR, wound care, First Aid, and when it is time to see a doctor is of critical importance in saving lives.”

– Unite Program Director Anty Marche (pictured above in front chair on the left)

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Another Unite Scholars Graduation in the books!

Last month we hosted another Unite Scholar graduation ceremony for our most recent class of Form 6 graduates at the Unite Food Program headquarters in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Currently there are more than 100 scholars engaged in our Unite Scholars Program; however, this year’s graduating A-Levels class was our smallest, with just 12 (one was unable to attend as he is currently enrolled in Tanzania’s national service).

Unite’s Scholars Program Manager Joan Mnzava (pictured above center with this year’s graduates) worked extremely hard with her team to bring our scholars from all across the country (our scholars now represent nearly every district of Tanzania) to Dar es Salaam for five days of trainings and workshops, celebrations and field trips, and the graduation event itself. We had the best time together dancing, sharing personal testimonies and experiences, conducting interviews, sharing speeches, engaging in CPR/First Aid/Burn Care trainings led by our international guests, and much more.

In Tanzania, students graduate from Form 6 (A-Levels) in June. Based upon the results of their National Leaving Examinations (all but one of our scholars scored high Division 1 on these exams, the other scored high Division 2 — incredible!), they apply to university and will receive their placements from the government by late October. University will then begin in early November. Over this long break before university, thanks to the generosity of a few angel donors, Unite is now sponsoring our graduates in professional paid internships with businesses and colleges across Tanzania (including The Nature Conservancy, Maternity Africa/Kivulini Hospital, Cambridge College of Tourism Management, Unite Food Program, and others). Our scholars have each also been assigned Unite “Big Brothers & Sisters” who provide them with friendship and coaching as well as social and emotional support and guidance as they navigate their professional work experiences and prepare for their new lives in university. Here at Unite, we commit to doing everything possible to support our scholars (and their families) to ensure that they are able to thrive and succeed in and beyond the classroom.

Click HERE to see a video of our Unite Scholars’ opening dance performance at the graduation.

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Unite’s “Guiding Principles” graduation speech

Anne Wells (center) with graduates (left to right, back to front) Calvin Moshy, Kassim Mkuu, Sajo Mathias, Elisha George, Onesmo Amos, Lukas Henry, Hawa Hamimu, Faidha Charles, Vaileth Komba, Veronica Moses, and Gaudencia Simon.

[An excerpt from Unite’s Founder & Executive Director Anne Wells’ graduation speech]

…Each of you sit here today filled with all kinds of talents, gifts, ambitions and dreams – none the same, all uniquely your own. Your paths will and should be different; however, the guiding principles on which you journey can – and I would advise should -- be the same. I invite you all to embrace the following principles not only to navigate the complexities of life with confidence, but also to make long lasting, positive impacts on your communities and the world at large.

1. Be honest and always act with integrity.

Your word and your actions matter. Do what you say you will do. Own up to your mistakes and shortcomings. Communicate openly, honestly, and regularly. Do not distance. Be trustworthy. Your reputation is your most valuable asset. Be vigilant in protecting this precious resource by being honest and forthcoming in all you do.

2. Commit to excellence. Strive to deliver results.

Everything in life worth fighting for requires hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Each task and assignment, no matter how small, deserves your fullest attention and greatest effort. Strive for excellence, even when you think no one is watching (someone almost always is). Along the way, you will face unforeseen challenges and setbacks. Do not be deterred. The challenges we face build our muscles – mind, body, creativity and character. We may not always have choice in what comes our way; however, we always have choice in how we respond. When we take 100% personal responsibility for how we handle, manage, and react to the circumstances of our lives – we step into the fullness of our greatness and our power.

3. Become a lifelong learner.

Learning does not stop when we complete our formal educations. Life is our greatest classroom. Be curious. Ask questions. Investigate. Dig deep. Question why things are as they are and then use your creative, innovative minds to think about how they may be improved. Challenge yourselves to think outside of the box. To collaborate with others. To look for opportunities and solutions where there may appear to be none. What’s most exciting is that new knowledge can be found anywhere and most everywhere… in conversations with friends and strangers alike, in examining the various perspectives of others, and in every new experience. When in doubt, READ READ and then READ some more. The most successful people on this planet share a few common traits, perhaps the most important being that they are voracious readers. Become a passionate student of life. It will serve you well.

4. share what you’ve learned with others. give your time, treasure, and talentsto those in need.

Volunteerism and service are foundational components of Unite. And as each of you have learned through Unite’s many outreach efforts -- we all have something of value to give to others and even the smallest acts of kindness can go a long way in uplifting lives. You are more powerful than you know, and your actions can radically change someone’s life for the better. So reach out. Assist where you can. Look for ways to serve. And spend time sharing your knowledge with others (you have been blessed with your education and all that you have learned through your many Unite trainings). Knowledge is power and not ours to keep. Families, communities, and nations alike rise up when knowledge is shared and minds are nurtured.

5. use your voices. Speak up.

I invite you all to be strong enough and courageous enough to stand up and speak up for what is right. When you witness injustice of any kind, say something. Do not be silent. People may just need to hear that there can be another way. Every human, regardless of perceived differences, is deserving of love, respect, dignity, and a life of opportunity. So please, do your best to care for one another as you would want for yourselves. We are the Unite family, and as such as much be courageous, committed, and leaders by example. Become the passionate stewards of our precious planet and caretakers of humanity. Show the world how it can be done.

Unite’s call to action:

When faced with the extreme and widespread challenges of the day, we must unite. We must band together, cross barriers and borders seen and unseen, and ask ourselves…

“What would love do?”

And then, we must act.

Thank you.

Our graduates with a number of our Unite teammates and university scholars as well as international guests (Board member) Nicole & Scarlett Gerber and Anne & Constance Schmults.

Anne, Harriett & Katharine Wells with Unite Program Director Anty Marche, Joan Mnzava, and our 2024 A-level graduates.

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NOTE: Unite is hosting a large professional development and networking event for our University-level scholars October 10-13th in northern Tanzania. If you're interested in possibly joining us, please email anne@uniteafricafoundation.org.

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