The Jacqueline Kaphipa Scholarship Fund
School fees and school-related costs are a major barrier to continued education for children in rural areas of Tanzania... particularly for girls. Most families cannot afford to send their kids to school outside of their village, so education opportunities (and therefore employment options) are extremely limited.
One day, our friend Jackie Kaphipa was telling us about her own educational experiences. She had received a scholarship that allowed her to go to school outside of her village, and that opportunity, she told us, completely changed the trajectory of her life. She now holds a certificate in filmmaking and costume design from TaSuBa College of Art and owns a successful business, Timiza Designs, which she founded. A career in art and design would have been unfathomable to her had it not been for the scholarship she received. We immediately knew we wanted to provide that same opportunity to more children.
So, we created The Jacqueline Kaphipa Scholarship Fund.
The scholarship fund helps families ease the pressure of school-related expenses. We communicated this to Patrick and Asha Sanga (of The Humanity Project), and asked if they would like their daughter Joyce to be the first recipient. Like many families in Mloka, the Sangas are agriculturalists who survive solely on the fruits of their farming. School-related costs for Joyce were a constant challenge.
Those familiar with The Humanity Project will know that Joyce is the surviving twin from Asha's horrific night of childbirth that inspired us to launch The Humanity Project in the first place. Joyce was the obvious choice.
Joyce wants to be a teacher and will need to attend college in Dar es Salaam to achieve this dream.
As of 2024, Joyce’s education is fully funded, thanks to the generosity of our donors. She is now heading into Form IV, which is the equivalent of 10th grade. She is 2nd in her class, and the headmaster tells us she is a star student. She'll have 2 more years before college, and has started expressing interest in coming to study in the U.S.
Tatu is our second scholarship student, and is from the same village as Joyce - they're neighbors actually. She is now in her 3rd year of "middle school" and doing very well. Next year she will have the opportunity to go away to private school and start the same journey Joyce has been on for 6 years.
Donald is the oldest child of Samwel, our Humanity Project partner, and is now -starting this year - our third scholarship student. Donald is 14 and starting "high school" this year. He was ranked #1 in the 2023 national exams, with A's across the board.
We are still fundraising for Donald’s education. Our long term plan is to expand the scholarship to include funding for the children born at the Mloka Labor Clinic, offering not just an opportunity for life, but also for an education.