Gap Year Girls: collaborate, intern, train, teach, and volunteer
Our Gap Year Program provides unique learning experiences outside of a typical Tanzanian classroom. Our students completed a 6-week internship, participated in three workshops, led a Peer to Peer workshop on sexual health at two schools, completed a computer course, volunteered in classrooms in a primary school and marched on International Women’s Day! We are keeping our teenagers busy!
During their internships the students were introduced to the real working world. Four students interned at Total Care, an excellent health care clinic. They learned how to take vital signs of patients, clean wounds, remove stitches, record information on children’s vaccines in the computer system, finding and printing files of patients for nurses and doctors, and cleaning the hospital environment.
Two students interned at Nanofilter- Gongali Model, founded by Dr. Askwar Hilonga, an entrepreneur and Tanzanian professor at Nelson Mandela Institute. The students learned how the water filters work, how to maintain them, and sold water at kiosks to customers, to teachers at schools and soldiers in soldiers’ camps.
During their Peer to Peer Sexual Health Training our students discussed the menstrual cycle, HIV/AIDS and STI's to both girls and boys in 8th - 11th grades at Orkeeswa and Ganako schools. There were lively discussions with many questions which the Gap Year girls answered with examples and accurate information.
Students volunteered in classrooms at Silverleaf Academy, an innovative primary school which has integrated student centered learning approaches with tablet computers in their classrooms.
On International Women's Day our students were invited to march at a rally and attend a conference of HER Voice, which collaborates with organizations who empower adolescent girls and young women.
During their Gap Program our students gained self-confidence and a strong sense of purpose by giving back to their community and passing forward what they've learned. With each of these authentic experiences, our students are now better prepared to be more engaged and empowered as student leaders when they begin high school in July.
