Melina's 2017 school year has been fully funded! Click here to support a similar student.

Raised $200 from 1 donor Needs $0

About

Class rank: 40/162 I live with my parents, but our life is difficult because we are very poor. My parents failed to pay school fee and to give us basic needs of food, clothes and education. My father is a farmer who grows tomatoes, maize, and vegetables. My mother sells tea to help the family. I want to study hard to change the life of my family and to make my life better and to help other people who have difficult lives like my parents. I pay God to help me. I thank The School Fund for supporting me and helping me to fulfill my dream to become a teacher.

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Total $200
  • Tuition, Exams, Uniform
    $200

Melina's Funding history

Year Grade Receipt Status
2017 Form 6
2016 Form 5

Journal

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Hi School fund students

How are you? How is school?

I enjoy reading your journal. I would love to learn about your life. You can write back to tell me about your family, like how many brothers and sister do you have? Do you have good friends? What do you do with your friends? Do you like music? Do you like to sing or dance? Do you like sports? What makes you happy? What do you do when you are out of school? What do you do to help your families? See, I have so many questions. Please write back to tell me your stories.

Thank you and hope you have a new school year.

Regards,
Indy
Hi School Fund Students

Sorry it took me a while to write to you. For those of you who is receiving my journal the first time, let me introduce myself.

My name is Indy. I am currently living at the same town as Ms Judy. She and I went to high school together. I am so happy to have this opportunity to get to know you.

I used to work with computers for many many years. Do you like to use computers?

Yesterday I met with some of my old school friends for lunch. These are the friends I have for almost 50 years. We talked about our school days when we were 12 years old.
It brought many happy memories.

Do you enjoy your school? Now is the time to form good friendship with your classmates? What do you do with your classmates? Do you study together? Do you talk and share secrets? I know you have a lot of study to do. Hopefully you can find some time to do some fun stuff with your friends.

Please write back to let me know what interests you.

Until next time,
your friend,
Indy
Hi Students

How are you? How was your time off?

I enjoyed reading your journal very much. You mentioned quite a bit of your time at school. I am a bit curious about your time outside of school.

What do you do when you are home? Do you need to help taking care of family members? Do you need to work in the field? Do you need to help with cooking the food? Do you spend time with your friends? Do you like to sing? Do you like to dance? Do you like to play ball games?

It will be great if you can let me know what your life is like.

Now you are back at school, I hope you have a successful term.

Please write back.

Until next time

Indy
Hello Melina,

My name is Karen and I live and work in California, close to Madam Judy in fact!

I hope you are well and I would like to read about how your classes are going and what your favorite subject is.

I am reading a book right now about ancient Rome of 2,055 years ago, I like it a lot.

Be well, until next time, here a reconstruction of ancient Rome in a drawing.
Karen
Dear Students,

This week, the US celebrated one of our largest holidays: Thanksgiving.
In the United States, Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is a public holiday on the fourth Thursday in November. On this day, people remember the first American Thanksgiving, when the first European settlers had been taught how to grow food by the NativeAmericans, and they celebrated the successful harvest together.

For many of us, the meaning of Thanksgiving usually includes feasting, four-day weekends, football games, floats, family reunions, or a forerunner to Christmas festivities. The “first Thanksgiving,” however, was neither a feast nor a holiday, but a simple gathering. Following the Mayflower’s arrival at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620, the Pilgrims suffered the loss of 46 of their original 102 colonists. With the help of 91 Indians, the remaining Pilgrims survived the bitter winter and yielded a bountiful harvest in 1621. In celebration, a traditional English harvest festival, lasting three days brought the Pilgrims and natives to unite in a “thanksgiving” observance.

This year, I celebrated Thanksgiving with a very nice dinner with my family with traditional food such as Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, etc..

Do you have a tradition similar to ours in your country? I’d love to hear about it.

Best,
Jonathan
Hello Young Ladies of the Iringa Girls School,

I hope you are all well. My name is Karen, and some time ago I was known to some of you, because we wrote to each other on The School Fund journal system.

If you have the chance to write to me I would like that very much. I promise to write back to you.

I am an older lady with one married son name Chris, and whose wife is named Jenny, and a granddaughter who is named Sheena and who is 15 years old.

I have worked with books my whole life, in bookstores and for a large publishing company in the United States. I live in the San Francisco bay area close to where Madam Judy lives.

I look forward to meeting you and reading about your school, and family, and friends, and activities, and what you are learning and thinking.

be well,
Karen
Dear Students,

I love to collect wisdom from different sources that are meaningful to me.
Below are a few of my favorites that I would like to share with you:

1) When you master your emotions, you master your life
Anger. This is one emotion that is sure to pop up sometime during the day. How you deal with your anger says a lot about who you are as a person. How well do you manage your emotions? Do you have a harsh reaction if someone says something insulting to you? Anger can be a destructive emotion if not managed properly.

2) Respect other people’s opinions even when they differ from your own.

Conflict. It’s rare that two people agree on most topics. Conflict is everywhere. It happens at work, home, with family and friends. Disagreeing isn’t the problem (although most people think it is). The problem is not giving value to the opinions of others.

3) Experience The Joy Of Learning
Each time you learn something new you gain more knowledge and with more knowledge come more confidence. Learning helps us become more adaptable and flexible to new situations. Learning encourages us to be more creative and innovative in our thinking and we are therefore more comfortable with the unknown.
Reading books is a great way for us to learn. To fully embrace the joy of learning, never stop reading and searching for more knowledge.

4) Touch someone’s soul with your kindness
Random Acts of Kindness. It’s the little things in life that matter most. Hold a door, smile at people. Kindness does not cost much and it touches the soul of another person.

5) Speech is a powerful tool.
Your words. Watch your words carefully. They can be daggers or building blocks. You can crush the spirit of someone or make them feel like they can conquer the world. Taste your words before you spit them out. Words are your thoughts coming to life. It’s your choice.

What are your favorite quotes and wisdom to live by? I’d love to hear your thought on that.
Cheers,
Jonathan Gilbert
Hello madam Judy.In my side i continue well .Thank you for your cooperation and come to visit us we enjoy .Also thank your for gift God help you in your life and your family .Now i prepare for mock examinations so i study had in order to pass it and also i prepare for final exams in order to go university .I wish good life
Hello students,

I finally got back to the US last week.
It has been a very long trip to Tanzania this year total three weeks.

I was very happy to meet all of you and know everyone better.

My trip started from Karatu. I visited 5 schools in Karatu and I learn where do you go to school every day.

I am very happy to know all of you are doing well and every of you has a dream that you want to be successful one day. I encourage all of you to try your best to reach you own destination.

The get together was so well prepared and done by each of you. I am very happy to saw all your science presentations and poems you wrote to TSF and me. I will treasure them all my life.

I can say I am very proud to all of you. Keep up the good work I want to see each of you one day get to
good University/College to reach your own dream.

After Karatu, I went to ARUSHA attended the TED Global conference and visited couple schools in ARUSHA.
I enjoyed the TED conference this year. It was focused on the Africa, specially in agriculture, health and education.

Mr. Amos was a volunteer there, he had great experience being this Global conference and met people from around the world.
He had a life experience at the conference, where he was able to meet a group of bright inventive and talented group of people.

Later I went to Iringa. Iringa almost the second hometown for me. I have been there six times.
I visited all 8 schools in Iringa and meet all of you in person. I was very happy to meet you.

I had a great time at the get together party. All of you did a wonderful presentation. I am very happy to know all of you had fun that night.

My this year Tanzania trip was set MMM computer center for most of the 13 TSF schools.
At Iringa, We build total 5 new computer center in Iringa girls, Klerruu, Lugalo, Ebenezer, Miyomgoni and Update one MMM center at Ummusalama. We build one new computer center at Karatu Secondary School and update one MMM center at Ganako.

I am very proud of building the MMM computer center in most of the TSF schools. I really want all of you to go to the computer center to learn every subject you are interested from the RACHEL PLUS.
In the future everyone work will be on the computer. I hope that every single of you tell me what do you learn from the RACHEL PLUS.
I would like you could to start the debate team in your school so you all could practice how to speak in the public. Have the Math Club and challenge each other on the Math.

They will all benefit your long-term confidence.

I hope I will hear from all of you soon.
Dear Students,

I ran across a very interesting article about 15 life lessons. I like it a lot and thought that you might enjoy reading it also. So here it is ..

15 Life Lessons people most often learn too late in Life

1. Never compare your weaknesses to other people's strengths.
2. Own your life, or someone will own it for you.
3. We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.
4. If you accept your limitations, you go beyond them.
5. Comfort is the enemy of achievement.
6. No matter anyone says to you, you don't have to eat dinner with them, live with them or go to bed with them.
7. If you risk nothing, you risk everything.
8. Don't give others the power to control your emotions. Those are only yours and it is only for you to manipulate.
9. Victory introduces you to the world, but defeat introduces the world to you.
10. If you don't do stupid things while you are young, you will have nothing to smile about when you are old.
11. Don't waste your time with an explanation; people only hear what they want to hear.
12. Don't rest after your first victory, because if you fail the second time, more lips will be waiting to say that your first victory was just luck.
13. Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves.
14. The person that you will spend the most time with in your life is yourself, so better try to make yourself as interesting as possible.
15. The only person you can trust fully is You.
Nobody is going to stay forever.
Social media friends can like but will not likely be there for you.

Best,
Jonathan Gilbert
Hello Students!

I wanted to write to say hello to you all and to ask how your school year is going?

Almost all of the United States has been watching and reading about the hurricane that came ashore in the state of Texas last week, bringing very large amounts of rain up to 52 inches in 3 days. They had named the storm
My fellow student:

Welcome back to school! This is a new semester, it is time for new goals. new ideas and new learning.
At end of last semester, I wrote to you to write to me about the most remarkable or important thing that happened to you during your holiday! I am looking forward to reading your reply when you next write your journal.. Now while I really interested in what are you taking this year what will be your favorite subjects.

Knowledge will give you the power to be known you must read everything you can the more you know the more valuable you will be as a person and to your society.

I am coming to Tanzania at end of August and beginning the September.
I am looking forward to seeing you all.

Have fun and stay focuse! Best wish for all of you!
Hi School Fund student

How are you? How is the new school year so far?

Do you have pets? Do you love animals? I do. I am a devoted animal person. I have a 14 years old dog. Her name is Mabel. We have had her since she was 7 years old. Prior to that she lived with my daughter. My daughter was too busy to take care of her. So the dog came to live with us. She brought a lot of happiness to my husband and myself.

I have been volunteering to a cat rescue group since 2009. Because I am allergic to cats (cats make me sneeze), I cannot involve in taking care of the cats. I can only answer phone calls for this group. People will call us when they want to adopt a cat, or they need to surrender the cat When they can no longer take care of them. They also call us when they find an abandoned cat. This cat group is in Massachusetts. The winter is very cold there. The temperature can drop down below zero degree. The abandoned cat cannot survive in such cold weather. We will go and rescue these cats. We also help people to find their lost cat. I enjoy working with the volunteers in his group. They are very nice and so dedicated to helping those cats in need.

I hope you have fun studying for the school work. I will write to you next month.

Please write back.

Until next time,
Indy
Hello School Fund students!

Welcome to a new school year. I hope that your long break was full of family and friends, good work and good times.

I also hope you can reset your mind quickly back to class and lessons, learning and growing in your knowledge base.

I look forward to reading your posts this year, to learning more about you: your joys and hopes and challenges.

I also have some news! Madam Judy is coming to visit Tanzania in July and August!

This is a very good chance to meet a fine lady, a good friend of yours, and a very important person for your future.

Until soon?
Welcome back,
Karen
My fellow students, time just flew so fast. This semester is close to its end. You all must be very busy preparing for your final exams.

I hope you are all doing a great job this semester. Some of you graduated at end of the last year. You must very anxious waiting for your notification which A-level school you are assigned to.

Doesn't matter where you are going, the most important is the goals your set and your determination to accomplish your golds.

The Chinese always say 90% is hard work and only 10% is your talent. You could accomplish everything as long as you want to.

During your break, I would like you to write down what your major accomplishing and one thing which makes you proud of yourself that you would like to share with everybody. The things your did which will make me so proud of you and encourage me to continue to support you for your future school years. My goal for all of you, one day for your to go to College/University, You are somebody everybody will proud of you.

The way to do is that you set your final goal, the goal between one step a time and try reach it then go for the next goal, eventually, you will reach your final destination.

Best regards,
Judy

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