Maria’s story: Failing exams is not failing life

I am the fifth of seven children and my mother raised us on her own, so we were always struggling. I was never certain from one year to the next whether I would be able to go to school. But I was fortunate: In Kilombero District where I grew up in central Tanzania, there were three mothers who were passionate about education, and if they saw that a girl was unable to go to school they found it so painful that that they had to help. They supported me up to standard seven (seventh grade).

School was tough for me: I started later than the other children, so I was always behind. It was also difficult for me to find time to study. My mother worked very hard and very long, so I had to help her with cooking, cleaning, and laundry.

Nevertheless, my grades were good enough that I was admitted to secondary school. At the same time, my mother became very ill, and she was unable to give me any support financially or emotionally. I cried all the time. I worried that there was nothing I could do to succeed in my own life and later with a family of my own. But the same women who put me through primary school helped me once again. They talked to the school’s head teacher, and the three of them scraped together a small amount of money to get me started.

At the end of my first year of secondary school, I once again ran out of money. That’s when I learned that I had been selected by a government program to be supported for the remainder of secondary school. It was like I had been saved from tumbling into a deep hole.

My plan was to go to teacher training college after I finished secondary school. But when the results came out I learned that I had failed and that I didn’t qualify to continue with my studies. I went to a local government official explaining all the obstacles I had worked to overcome to get an education, and I begged him to give me a chance. He proposed a bargain: if I would have sex with him, he would write me a recommendation letter for teacher training college. I went home in such a confused state. I didn’t want to accept his offer. But what would I do about my future?

Luckily, in the midst of all this, I got a letter from Camfed inviting me to a workshop that had been organized for their alumni group, called Cama. Cama is a network of young women who come together to share advice and to provide each other with emotional support.

There were thirty other girls at the Cama seminar, all of them recent graduates who, like me, felt stuck, and didn’t know what to do next. I was hoping that the three women leading the seminar would help us find chances to go to college, but instead they asked each one of us to talk about the challenges we had overcome to go to school. Hearing the other girls’ stories made me feel proud that I had made it through secondary school, rather than being frustrated about my future. It also helped me to feel less alone. I left with my heart full of questions, but I learned one important thing that day. I learned that failing exams was not failing life.

The next day, the workshop focused on starting a small business. The leaders asked us about our skills and our interests, then divided us into groups so we could talk about how to turn our abilities and interests into a money-making enterprise. All I could think was, “Where will I get the money for such a thing?” Then a woman named Lydia got up and told the story of how she supported herself through secondary school by selling postcards and writing pads to her fellow students. Now in nursing school, Lydia was able to support her extended family on the money she earned running a photography business. Her story inspired us all. It helped us to see what was possible.

As soon as I arrived back home, I decided to start a business making doughnuts. I asked my brother if he could spare 1000 shillings to get me started. He was doubtful that that was enough capital, but he gave it to me, and with it I bought 1/4 kilogram of wheat flour, 1/4 kilogram of sugar, baking powder, spices, and cooking oil. With the ingredients, I was able to make 45 doughnuts, and I decided to sell them for 20 shillings a piece. I fretted about what I would do if the doughnuts didn’t sell. But I have been taught to persevere, so I didn’t lose heart, I just carried on, and by the end of the third day, I had sold all the doughnuts and earned 900 shillings. I used the money to buy more ingredients. This time, I sold all 45 doughnuts in just a day and a half.

Soon after that, I was summoned to attend another Cama seminar. The workshop leaders asked us for an update on our business activities. All of us had been able to get something started: some were keeping animals, others were braiding hair. The facilitator said, “That’s excellent, girls. Now let’s hear what can help you get even further when you go back home.”

The workshop leaders taught us about the qualities of a successful business person, about creative business ideas, and about making a business plan. Listening to them, I realised that I already had a good plan, I just had to continue to be courageous.

When I went home I became more ambitious. I increased my ingredients from ¼ kilo of flour a day to one kilo, and the doughnuts were still too few–the customers complained that I should increase the amount of flour! I increased the amount to 1.5 kilos and some people still missed out. I kept increasing the amount and there still weren’t enough doughnuts.

I was invited to a third Cama seminar where we learned more advanced business skills, such as marketing, which makes it much easier to sell your goods. That inspired me to get creative: I invented a doughnut shaped like an hourglass figure which makes children cry until they are bought one. Men, women, old people, young people, disabled people – everyone is amazed by these doughnuts, and said they had never seen or tasted anything like them. My fellows accused me of being a witch using potions but I didn’t care, I kept working hard to improve the quality of my doughnuts, and to make my customers happy. Now I make about 4500 doughnuts every 2 weeks.

In addition, Camfed gave us each 100,000 shillings to help develop our businesses, and I have used it to diversify. I bought three pigs, which I will breed, as well as five sacks of rice, which tends to be very profitable.

I am so thankful to everyone who helped me to be brave and to have far-sighted goals. I am no longer a dependent person who is afraid about the future. I have become a person in my community who is looked up to and copied.

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