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.
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.