IEFT operates Orkeeswa School, a top-performing secondary school located in an under-resourced Maasai village in rural Tanzania. Orkeeswa creates opportunities for students to become strong voices for change in their communities by offering high-quality, holistic education that promotes creativity, emphasizes community service, and nurtures students’ leadership capacity. Support from The School Fund allows IEFT to provide this high quality education at no cost to students.
Sereti’s parents are both subsistence farmers — cultivating crops and raising livestock. Sereti helps her family on their farm during the weekend. Her father has three wives and many children. Sereti is the youngest of five, having one brother and three sisters. None of Sereti’s other siblings were given the opportunity to go to secondary school. Instead, they were all married immediately after finishing primary school. Sereti hopes to be able to contribute to her family and make them proud by becoming the first in her family to complete secondary school.
School Year 2018
Melubo resides in Lashaine Village with his large family. His father works as a security guard and his family has a small farm that grows maize and beans. His father is also a the chair of Orkeeswa School's parents' committee. After school he hopes to teach history and English, two of his favorite subjects, to secondary school students. When he's not studying, Melubo enjoys playing basketball.
School Year 2016
A quiet leader, Papaa is initially shy but often steps up to take the initiative and motivate his peers. He is curious and calm, and his determination to continue his education is unwavering. Pappa is a natural athlete, and most enjoys playing football and dancing. To support their three children, Papaa’s father works as an accountant and his mother works as a primary school teacher.
School Year 2022
Padre excelled in primary school and was ranked number four in his class. However, with six children to take care of, his family struggles to make ends meet. There are very few resources at home and they often do not have enough food to feed their children. Since none of Padre’s older siblings had the opportunity to go to secondary school, he hopes to be the first in his family to graduate so that he can give back to his family and his community.
School Year 2022
Baraka, along with his 3 other siblings, is supported by his mother who works as a subsistence farmer. His father is a retired teacher, however he left the family and is no longer in Baraka’s life. In addition to single-handedly supporting her own children, she also took in her brother’s children when he died. Neither of Baraka’s two older siblings had the opportunity to go to secondary school. Baraka hopes to be the first in his family to graduate secondary school and set a good example for his younger brother who will soon finish primary school.
School Year 2019
Having grown up with her siblings and cousins under one roof after the passing of her uncle, Sarah knows the importance of family and kindness. Sarah is confident and well-spoken, and she is always ready to lend a helping-hand to others. As a true helper and lover of Biology, Sarah hopes to continue to take care of others by becoming a nurse.
School Year 2022