The Buffalo-Tanzania Education Project

I wanted to share with all of you a wonderful project that is currently underway. The Buffalo-Tanzania Education Project (BTEP) is a community initiative supporting social and economic reform in the Mara region of Tanzania Africa through the development of schools for girls.

The Mara region of Tanzania is located in the far north of the country, on the eastern shores of Lake Victoria and the southern border of Kenya. Within this traditional agricultural culture, girls are treated as commodities, often forced to marry at 12 or 13 years of age and left to endure unspeakable abuse and hardship. Also beleaguered with HIV-AIDS, poor nutrition and sanitation, Tanzanian girls and women are left with few options for upward mobility.
Education provides a pathway to a promising future. However, within rural regions of Tanzania like Mara, few schools are available. And since schooling for girls is not valued by most of the traditional families, it is not an option for many. Through the promotion and development of schools for girls, we can begin to address the complex and multifaceted needs of this region.

Despite its challenges, the Mara region of Tanzania is rich in resources, making it uniquely suited for a comprehensive school. Key assets include

• The Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa (IHSA), a community of nuns who have successfully developed and managed schools in Tanzania, are committed to developing a comprehensive school for girls in the Mara region.
• 1000 acres of land that have been given to the IHSA for the development of a comprehensive school for girls.
• Official support for external partnerships resulting in the development of schools.

Ways to get involved:

• Make a donation-every dollar helps!
• Come to a community meeting. This Friday, October 10th, there will be a meeting in the Community Room at Allen Hall (South Campus, directly across from the Tim Horton's on Main Street) at noon (please bring a lunch). At this meeting, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the project and talk to the Immaculate Heart Sisters. You can also join a committee to help plan fund raising events, or join the steering committee and help leverage resources for the Project.
• Spread the word!!! Tell your students, friends, family, and colleagues about this wonderful opportunity to change the world (literally).

At this point, the website the for BTEP is currently being created. But if you would like to get involved immediately, and cannot attend Friday's meeting, please email Mara Huber, co-founder of this project, at BTEPgirls@gmail.com. I have worked as the nanny for Mara's 4 children for over 3 years-she is a wonderful, strong woman dedicated to making this project a reality. Please get involved!!!!!

Kama Ukimwelimisha Msichana, Unaelimisha Taifa
"If you educate a girl, you educate a nation"