When Felista’s father passed away when she was still in primary school, she was forced to drop out of school and begin work in a bar. Her mother soon remarried, and sadly she was then kicked out of the house. Luckily, the Headmaster of the nearby Mkundi Primary School, learned of Felister’s situation and told her about SEGA. She applied, was accepted, and received full financial support.

When Agnes was 16, she had no knowledge of English when she began secondary school. In Tanzania, primary school classes are taught in Kiswahili and in secondary school, all classes are taught in English. This made school very challenging for Agnes. To add to her language and academic struggles, she became pregnant in that first year of secondary school. At that time and, unfortunately today, it is against the law to return to a government school if a girl is pregnant or has had a child.

In Tanzania, there are powerful barriers that prevent girls from succeeding and staying in school—gender dynamics, poverty, teen pregnancy, and gender-based violence. Girls are burdened with heavy domestic chores, subjected to early marriage, and generally have lower social expectations and status. They are rarely encouraged academically or professionally.

Nurturing Minds and SEGA are dedicated to educating and nurturing each girl toward being an empowered young woman, capable of planning and shaping her own future. Students admitted to SEGA are bright and talented and come from very challenging backgrounds—half are orphans and many would be forced into child labor as house girls and face risky choices, like trading sex for food or transport to school, and would not be in school were it not for SEGA.

While delivering a high-quality education, in a safe, nurturing environment, SEGA recognizes that secondary school diplomas are not enough to lift girls out of poverty. SEGA’s Education for Life Program (EFL) is delivered through all five years of its on-campus curriculum and helps build skills and confidence so that SEGA students can go on to higher levels of education, get good paying jobs, and become future leaders in their homes, professions, and communities. SEGA strives to ensure that its students are exposed to many career opportunities by bringing in speakers of various professions and organizing field trips to different companies, particularly because most of the students do not have parents or siblings who have gone on to higher-level schooling or gotten professional jobs.

During their final year of secondary school (Form IV), all students in Tanzania take the national exam that determines whether students can go on to the next level of education. SEGA has seen a steady rise in the number of its students who pass the national exam and are eligible for continuing their education beyond Form IV. In just 10 years, SEGA has graduated six classes of students with very high pass levels (SEGA has a 97-100% pass rate vs. the national pass rate which is just 70%). Last year 88% of SEGA graduates went on to continuing education programs while only about 2% of Tanzanians nationally go to school beyond high school. Seven SEGA graduates are attending university this year. This is incredibly exciting and a testament to SEGA’s academic rigor, but barriers to advancement remain, especially lack of funds. SEGA is also addressing these issues through EFL’s Career Preparedness Program and Continuing Education Scholarships, which, thanks to Newman’s Own Foundation, and other generous supporters, provide support for students after they graduate from SEGA.

At SEGA, Felista studied Business and did well in her Commerce and Bookkeeping classes. Agnes took advantage of all SEGA had to offer in academics and entrepreneurship and took particular interest in the Business Club. After graduation, Felista and Agnes met with SEGA Career Counselors who helped them determine next steps based on their exam results (as do all SEGA graduates). Career Counselors assist students with applying for Continuing Education certificates or diplomas (Teacher Training or Advanced-Level High School which leads to University), place students in internships for on-the-job training, and help students with job placement, starting their own business, or direct employment. This program is critical to the success of students making a smooth transition from SEGA to further education, entrepreneurial learning, and employment.

Scholarships enable SEGA’s graduating students to continue their education beyond high school and attain certificates in fields such as nursing, business, teaching, social services, and A-levels, giving them the skillset necessary to get jobs and become self-sufficient. That is why SEGA’s Continuing Education Scholarships are so critical to ensuring SEGA graduates can be successful—they already have the skills and education, but financial support is key.

Felista graduated in 2013 with the financial backing of a SEGA Continuing Education Scholarship. She attended the Tanzania Institute of Accountancy (TIA), attaining a Certificate and Diploma in Accounting, and is now employed as an accountant with YH Malundo and Company in Dar es Salaam. She loves the challenges of her work and aspires to further her accounting career in tax issues.

After graduating from SEGA, Career Counselors encouraged Agnes to pursue a vocational track. She trained in tailoring and beading, skills at which she excelled. Today, Agnes has a thriving tailoring business that creates bags with local fabrics that are sold throughout Arusha. She has been successful in securing steady streams of business from several NGOs and businesses who distribute and sell her goods at international conferences and events. Agnes has diversified her skill set, trains and employs others, and has grown her business through the addition of new sewing machines, designs, and products. She has been able to build a house for her daughter and herself, and is a well-respected member of her community.

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The mission of Nurturing Minds, a US-based non-profit, is to provide financial and technical assistance to programs improving access to quality education and life skills for girls in Tanzania, with an emphasis on girls who are poor and at risk of exploitative forms of child labor. Nurturing Minds works with its implementing partner SEGA in Tanzania.

SEGA boards and provides a quality education to over 267 highly vulnerable students per year, supports 86 graduates who are enrolled in continuing education at other colleges and degree programs, and serves another 450 girls off the campus in 16 communities through a community outreach program.

Career Development and Continuing Education Scholarships at SEGA

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