In support of educational opportunities for Tanzanian girls
Shop at our Tanzanian marketplace for colourful, genuine items
Guest Speakers on TEMBO’S work on behalf of girls

Support Education for Women and Girls in Tanzania!

Cost $40.00 (Charitable receipt, less costs)
For tickets, contact
Kathryn Wilkinson at wilkinsons@rogers.com (416-985-5792) or
Joan Barrett at maryjoanbarrett@rogers.com (905-403-0169).

TEMBO Canada is a registered Canadian charitable organization dedicated to supporting educational and micro-business opportunities for women and girls in northern Tanzania.

The Tembo founders, Jo Marchant and Marian Roks, first travelled to Kimokouwa, a village near Longido in northern Tanzania, in 1998 to visit a young girl they were sponsoring. On return visits, they met with community leaders, teachers and local residents in Longido and Kimokouwa, and formalized a commitment to the people in Longido and Kimokouwa by establishing the Tanzania Education and Micro-Business Opportunity (TEMBO.)

The Longido area is known for its heavy concentration Maasai people still living a very traditional way of life. They are easily the most recognizable group of people in East Africa and many continue to live in extended family groups in “manyattas” or mud huts scattered throughout the countryside where they graze cattle.  Many of the women and girls are the first in their families to have any formal education.

Prior to starting Form 1 (first year secondary school), TEMBO outfits each girl with a school uniform, trunk, mattress, toiletries and school supplies. The cost of outfitting a girl for school is approximately $350 Cdn (January 2018). In addition to financial support, all TEMBO-sponsored girls receive ongoing academic support from TEMBO during the long school break.

The theme of this year’s UNCSW (Commission on the Status of Women) was Empowering Rural Women and Girls.  According to UNESCO (2011), “Poor rural girls face the worst access conditions, and disparities tend to broaden at of the end of primary (for every 100 rich urban boys completing primary, only 53 poor rural girls do). Poor rural girls have virtually no opportunities to pursue secondary education.”.  TEMBO’s commitment to secondary school education for girls is one of its basic principles.

As of 2018, TEMBO has sponsored more than 270 girls to attend secondary school. In 2018 alone donors are sponsoring 117 girls to achieve their dream of acquiring a secondary school education.

Promoting Rights of the Girl Child in the Village – International Day of the Girl Child 2017

Post-Secondary Education

 In Tanzania, students who have completed four years of secondary school have the option of continuing their studies through vocational or teacher training programs.

Since 2007, TEMBO has sponsored 26 young women to attend a two-year training program to become primary school teachers. Today, all of these young women are working in schools in villages throughout Tanzania.

TEMBO has also supported 68 young women for vocational training programs. The programs vary in length from 12-36 months, many of which include a comprehensive field placement component. Many of the TEMBO sponsored students have opted to study community development and they are now working with local community-based organizations, while others have studied hotel management and have found work as hotel receptionists, cooks and housekeepers.

There is so much more that TEMBO does and for more information, check out the website. http://www.projectembo.org/project-tembo/