On November 21, 2019, Kit Merriman died of metastatic breast cancer. In her honor, loving friends and family donated to a “Kit Merriman Scholarship Fund for Girls.” The combined donations of nearly $60,000 were 100% applied towards the sponsorship of 12 extremely talented yet impoverished and at-risk teenage girls in Tanzania for our Unite Scholars & Mentorship Program. (Click HERE to read the first blog post introducing these “Kit Girls.”) Today I am thrilled to report that all 12 of these talented and hard-working young women have successfully graduated from higher secondary school — A Levels, Form 5 & Form 6 — or the rough equivalent of high school in the United States. This huge accomplishment can be claimed by just ~3% of all Tanzanian students. Each of these young women is now — thanks to every generous donor who supported the Kit Merriman Scholarship Fund — well on her way towards achieving independence and fulfilling her dreams.
Reflections from a few of the Kit Girls
THE TOTAL ALL-INCLUSIVE* COST OF SPONSORING THESE 12 KIT GIRLS FOR TWO YEARS IS ~$75,000, OR ABOUT $3,000 PER SCHOLAR PER YEAR.
This spring we welcomed 13 new Unite Scholars into the program and invite your continued support. Checks can be sent to Unite the World with Africa Foundation, 74 Leighton Road, Wellesley, MA 02482 or donations can be made here, online.
Where does the money go?
Elements of the two-year sponsorship package for these 12 Kit Girls (and their 17 additional Unite Scholar classmates) include:
School fees & all school-related expenses including tuition fees, books, tutoring support, transportation and personal items - soap, shampoo, sanitary items, etc., sheets, mattresses, mosquito netting, trunks and padlocks, buckets and cleaning tools, and more.
Medical care for all Unite Scholars and for family members, as needed and as possible.
Creation of Unite Clubs at the Scholars’ schools. The Unite Club program includes weekly lessons covering Unite’s "Soft Skills of Professionalism” curriculum, the Unite Passion Project video-career-discovery program, the building and maintenance of Unite-sponsored organic gardens, and extensive tree planting campaigns; volunteer opportunities, and more.
Intensive trainings with Unite Mentors and international guest speakers over school holidays.
Application assistance, fees, and support for participation in international workshops including the Yale Young African Leaders Summit in 2021, the Yale Young African Scholars Online Training Program in 2022, and a STEM Bootcamp with PROJEKT INSPIRE.
Grants to launch small businesses. Each Unite Scholar received a grant during the time of COVID-19 to launch a small business. Businesses included small bakeries; sewing & tailoring services; small shops & restaurants; rabbit, chicken, and avocado farming; and others.
Unite Warrior For Change interest-free loans to further grow and develop their businesses.
Participation in the Unite Youth Ambassador Program. Click HERE to read the blog post introducing the program in 2020.
Participation in the Unite Blessing Campaign. Click HERE to read a blog post about the Blessing campaign.
A final Unite Scholar graduation ceremony and three-day training in July 2022. Click HERE to see the scholars dancing at the ceremony.
Paid internships at Unite Food Program Headquarters in Dar es Salaam and at Unite Food Program Outpost in Western Tanzania. Additionally, many of our graduates are now working in paid internships in the fields of accounting, teaching, sales and marketing, retail shop management, and farming.
University application support. Now is the time to apply for university loans and scholarships in Tanzania. Our Unite Mentors continue to work closely with our graduates assisting them with their applications (essay writing, CV creation, letters of recommendation, etc.).
Unite knows that our scholars’ success is directly linked to their family’s stability. To this end, Unite provides extensive support to their families. For these Kit Girl families, the support we have provided over the past two years includes:
Bicycles for safe and convenient transport
Home solar panels for power
COVID-19 relief items including sanitizers, masks, and food relief
Home renovations, beds, furniture, kitchen supplies, food, and school fees for all siblings for a scholar who lost her mother
Food gifts for Christmas, Ramadan, Mother’s Day, Easter, and birthdays.
THANK YOU!
*All items noted above include Unite mentor and program director support.