Blog — Nurturing Minds

Meet the "Kit Girls"

Meet the "Kit Girls"

As students in Tanzania begin to return to school following the government mandated closures due to COVID-19, many of SEGA's 2019 graduating class are arriving at their A-Level programs. We are excited to share this blog from Anne Wells, former advisor to Nurturing Minds and the Founder and Director of Unite the World with Africa Foundation.

In early 2020, 12 SEGA students were selected to receive scholarships from the Unite Scholars & Mentorship Program, which provides comprehensive support for two years of Advanced secondary-level education (A-Levels).

Matthew PlourdeAugust 18, 2020Comment

SEGA Reopens!

SEGA Reopens!

After a three month government mandated closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are thrilled to announce that SEGA welcomed students back to campus on June 29th. According to the Tanzanian government, the situation has improved and schools all across the country reopened at the end of June.

Guest UserAugust 5, 2020 Comment

Thank You for Your Support of Our COVID-19 Response

Thank You for Your Support of Our COVID-19 Response

On behalf of the SEGA Girls’ School, the teachers, students, graduates, as well as the Nurturing Minds board and staff, we would like to give a BIG THANK YOU to all of our dedicated donors who rallied to help us respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shanna KeownJuly 13, 2020Comment

What It Was Like Redesigning the Nurturing Minds Logo

About a year ago, Nurturing Minds’ Executive Director Laura DeDominicis called me up to ask if I’d be interested in working with the communications committee to develop a new logo. Nurturing Minds had recently wrapped up its 10th anniversary celebrations, and I had just finished my last year of college and was about to spend three months as a volunteer at SEGA.

Matthew PlourdeJune 30, 2020 Comments

Have You Heard Peggy’s Story?

Have You Heard Peggy’s Story?

"Peggy” is not her real name but her story is real. Peggy’s story is probably very different from yours, especially during this ongoing global pandemic. While most of us are fairly comfortable in our homes with running water, air-conditioning, electricity, access to quality medical care and Wi-Fi so we can communicate and be entertained with several computer devices, Peggy now has none of that back in her village.

Matthew PlourdeMay 29, 2020Comment

Nurturing Minds and SEGA's Response to COVID-19

Nurturing Minds and SEGA's Response to COVID-19

When the Tanzanian government announced that all schools had to close, SEGA had about a day to get all the girls home. That meant there was no time to send the girls with any homework. The students live in many regions of Tanzania from 20 miles to 200 miles away from the school. SEGA ensured all the girls made it home safely, including those who had a seven-hour bus ride and a motorcycle ride to get home.

Shanna KeownMay 20, 2020Comment

Grassroots School Fundraisers Are Busy Making a Difference

Grassroots School Fundraisers Are Busy Making a Difference

Coronavirus has turned our world and our lives upside-down. Our students at SEGA are feeling these consequences particularly acutely. To help raise funds five of our partner high schools have been busy making a difference. One silver lining of this time is that leaders of all these clubs have connected and are uniting their efforts. Together through their brainstorming and collective fundraising efforts, they are going to make a significant difference for our SEGA students!

Guest UserMay 1, 2020 Comment

I'll Find Myself at SEGA Again - Peace Corps Volunteer or Not

I'll Find Myself at SEGA Again - Peace Corps Volunteer or Not

As a Peace Corps volunteer, I didn’t know where my 2-year home was going to be until the day before I visited SEGA for the first time. On the seven-hour bus ride from Korogwe (my training town) to Morogoro, I was anxious to see what I had gotten myself into.

Matthew PlourdeApril 9, 2020 Comments

Celebrating Outstanding Exam Results

Celebrating Outstanding Exam Results

January is the start of the academic year in Tanzania. For SEGA, it was the beginning of its 12th academic year. Students returned to class and we learned the exciting news that all of SEGA’s Form IV graduates passed their national exams!

Guest UserMarch 3, 2020 Comment

The East Africa Girls Leadership Summit

The East Africa Girls Leadership Summit

Last year from December 9-13, five lucky Form Two SEGA students had the opportunity to attend EAGLS (East African Girls Leadership Summit). EAGLS is an annual summit in Nairobi that brings together youth and their mentors from throughout East Africa to develop creative leadership and build a strong regional network of empowered women and girls.

Guest UserFebruary 4, 2020 Comments

Caroline and Stella's Study Abroad Experience

Caroline and Stella's Study Abroad Experience

Each fall two SEGA students are selected through a competitive application process to participate in the 5-week cultural exchange we call our Study Abroad Program. This year for the first time the two visiting SEGA students, Stella and Caroline, headed to Madison, Wisconsin for the first two weeks of their US adventure to stay with two amazing host families and study English at the Wisconsin English as a Second Language Institute (WESLI).

Matthew PlourdeDecember 31, 2019Comment

English Fluency Program: A True Cultural Exchange Experience

English Fluency Program: A True Cultural Exchange Experience

Your senses are renewed by participating in Nurturing Minds’ annual English Fluency program! Your eyes marvel at the beauty of the students’ genuine, gracious smiles. Your taste buds are delighted when eating sweet mangoes every day. Your nose breathes deeply to take in the scent of the everywhere-blooming flowers. Your ears perk up listening to the girls sing traditional songs. And…your heart feels so much love for the girls it is ready to burst!

Matthew PlourdeDecember 12, 2019Comment

SEGA's 7th Graduation

SEGA's 7th Graduation

The 7th class at SEGA graduated from Form Four on October 29th this year. The sixty-three girls in this class were delighted and proud to reach this very exciting milestone in their education and in their lives after being at SEGA for 4 or 5 years. This year’s graduating class was particularly noteworthy because it was one of the biggest graduating classes from SEGA ever.

Guest UserNovember 25, 2019Comment

SEGA's Planting Science Program

SEGA's Planting Science Program

It’s planting time at SEGA. This year, 45 Form 1 students are participating in the Planting Science Program. The program is designed to teach girls the scientific method and the building blocks of how to perform a controlled scientific experiment, how to develop hypotheses,and how to determine independent and dependent variables, and set up an experiment.

Shanna KeownNovember 14, 2019Comment

Career Development and Continuing Education Scholarships at SEGA

Career Development and Continuing Education Scholarships at 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.

Shanna KeownOctober 17, 2019Comment

The Mentorship Program at SEGA

The Mentorship Program at SEGA

The SEGA Mentorship Program has been in effect since 2011 and is one of the many reasons why SEGA is unlike any other educational institution of its kind. The Program was started by Pauline, a teacher at SEGA. She wanted to find a way to create support systems for students by helping them forge deeper connections. So she came up with the idea to start a mentor program that matched older students with new ones entering SEGA to guide them through the transition into life at their new school.

Guest UserAugust 30, 2019Comment

10th Anniversary Dreams Campaign 10 Question Series - Ginny Carroll

10th Anniversary Dreams Campaign 10 Question Series - Ginny Carroll

What is a piece of advice you have for the SEGA girls?

As you search for meaning, know that the journey will not be clear. Be a good student, always look for new opportunities, take chances, and explore many subjects. While doing that, you will find what it is that makes you proud or happy or fulfilled. You will know and understand your strengths and you too will always be happy while making the world a better place for all.

General NewsMatthew PlourdeAugust 15, 2019Comment

Partnerships and Sisterhood

Partnerships and Sisterhood

In June, a group of eleven girls and four chaperones from Powerful Beyond Measure (PBM) visited SEGA. PBM educates and empowers underrepresented girls from the San Francisco Bay Area to become leaders in their communities.

Guest UserAugust 2, 2019Comment