Helping Kids Succeed All Over the World

Juma’s earliest experiences with school weren’t positive.

The 13-year-old lives in a small, remote village in Morogoro, Tanzania. The poverty rate is high, and many people in his community don’t have access to necessary resources.

“It’s hard to learn when we don’t have enough textbooks to go around,” Juma explains. “Sometimes we had to share one book with the whole class, and we couldn’t take them home to study. We had to drink dirty water from the river, because there was no clean water at school.”

Not being able to study left Juma feeling stuck. The water sometimes made him sick. But despite all the impediments, “I still love going to school,” Juma says. “I love learning new things.”

Juma’s mother, Maua, watched her son with a mixture of pride and heartache. He’d accomplished so much despite having so little, standing out as one of the most dedicated students his age. He was a kind, considerate child who rarely complained, even when Maua had to send him off to class hungry. But she also knew that he was being held back from his full potential.

“My financial constraint was the biggest reason I could not give my son a better education,” she says. “I had no money to buy textbooks or give him a nutritious meal.”

Your support for Feed the Children has made one thing clear: you believe that children like Juma should have opportunities to learn and achieve their dreams, no matter where they are or their family’s financial status.

And so, Feed the Children created a program in Morogoro designed to support families, their communities and, most importantly, the children. Thanks to you, the building where Juma goes to school was repaired, expanded and stocked with books, supplies, and desks. Tanks for clean drinking water were added to the village. Juma and his classmates won’t need to rely on dirty river water anymore.

Feed the Children also helped create a school vegetable garden, from which nutritious meals can be made for students. One of Juma’s favorite chores in school is helping water it. He can take pride in knowing that he is growing the foundation for his own success.

Today, Juma is 9th in his class of 57 students. He’s discovered a particular interest in science and math – an interest he’s able to pursue, thanks to the educational resources provided.

“Now I can even borrow books to use at home!” he says excitedly. And to everyone whose gifts helped make this possible: “Thank you for making our school a better place.”