In the dry, thorny plains of Naberera, Tanzania, where baobab trees stretch toward the sky and families walk hours for water, twelve-year-old Sarah stood at a crossroads. Her future, like the cracked earth beneath her feet, seemed predetermined: marriage, motherhood, and silence.
But Sarah had other plans.
She wanted to go to school.
“I felt hopeless. I was crying most of the time and I said, ‘I need to be educated as well, like my brothers. Do not deny me. Do not deny my rights.’”
Sarah lives with her five siblings, grandparents and parents, Anna and Issaya. It is a large family, and making ends meet is a constant struggle.
Anna is the family's main source of income, earning what she can from a small snack stall in town. Issaya, now 70, is no longer able to work. With so many mouths to feed, every day is a balancing act.
When Sarah reached school age, Anna kept her at home to help care for her younger siblings while she worked. At the time, it felt like the only option. But as Sarah watched her younger brothers go off to school while she remained at home, she began to question why her future should be any different.
At ten years old, Sarah made a brave decision. She walked to the home of Hashim, a village leader and family friend, and told him what she had been trying to tell her parents for years: she wanted the same chance as her brothers.
Hashim listened.
He met with the ward executive and summoned Sarah’s parents. Her father had wanted her to marry young, to bring in a dowry. But Hashim had a different vision. Sarah was enrolled in school. She moved into Hashim’s home and began her studies. Within a year, Sarah was top of her class. Her teachers promoted her straight to grade four.
Anna's own childhood helps explain the challenges her daughter faced. As a girl, Anna was married off by her father to a man she had never met. She had little say in the course of her own life and few opportunities to pursue an education.
Looking back, Anna can see things differently. Witnessing Sarah's determination to attend school has reinforced her belief in the power of education and the opportunities it can create for girls.
Sarah has returned home from Hashim’s house. She helps her mother after school - cooking, washing, and caring for her siblings. But her dream remains clear. She knows what’s at stake. In her community, girls are often married off young. Education is not seen as necessary. But Sarah is determined to change that.
“I wish I succeed in my studies and be able to help my parents. If I get my income, I might be a teacher or become a scout officer or ward executive.”
In October 2023, World Vision began child sponsorship in Naberera. The programme is already making strides:
- Nine savings groups have been formed to help families manage money and support children.
- Training in sustainable agriculture and income diversification is underway.
- Nutrition counselling groups and school feeding programmes are planned to improve child health.
- Community Health Workers and case workers will monitor and support vulnerable children.
- Empowered World View trainings will help families identify local resources and build resilience.
Right now, 100 girls like Sarah are denied an education and forced into marriage as children, just because they are girls. Will you stand with them?
With your monthly sponsorship gift, you can help a girl and her community build a future where every child lives free from fear.
