Chipua: Institute for Social Transformation

 
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Chipua: Institute for Social Transformation

"Second Chance" Project Students Take National Exam

Friday, 09 October 2009 00:00
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DAR ES SALAAM, 9 October 2009 -- To many people today was an ordinary day but not for the 46 youth who took part in the “Second Chance” project at Chipua. Many of the participants have been with the program for a year or more of study, and today marked the culmination of their efforts. It truly marked a “second chance” for them, a chance they were denied when they failed at standard seven, a chance for education.

Today, 46 of Chipua’s participants sat for the Qualifying Test (QT) national exam.  The QT exam is designed to test their knowledge in five subject areas: Civics, History, Geography, Swahili and English. A passing grade will allow the students to continue in their studies through alternative education programs. The final weeks leading up to the test were extremely intense, spent diligently reviewing all the material that they had learned throughout the year, and the students endured many practice tests in order to make sure that they were as prepared as they could be.

The students were registered with the Examination Council in May and seats for 46 students were reserved and paid for at Biafraa High School. 

On the assigned day the students walked together to Biafraa High School to sit for the test. Their faces showed a mixture of confidence, nerves, anxiety, and relief that the day had finally come. 

“The pressure is too much,” sighed Saidi Ebrahi as he waited in front of the examination hall to be called in.

The test results will take several weeks/months to arrive but we are hopeful that many students will be successful.  We are proud of the forty six students who showed that commitment and the dedication necessary to sit for the QT, and we wish them the best of luck!

 

Chipua Opens New Training Facility, Plans for Expansion

Monday, 03 August 2009 00:00
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DAR ES SALAAM, 3 August 2009 – Chipua officially opened its new facility in the Block 41/Biafra area of Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam today. Its previous office in Mikocheni was vacated following a decision to not renew the lease.

The new facility allows Chipua to greatly expand its operations. The compound includes a main building with a room for the girls’ project and space for the equipment for their vocational training; offices for the staff of the girls’ and Qualifying Test project; offices for non-programme staff; and an office for volunteers.

A separate annex building provides a large classroom space for the Qualifying Test project and a room for the girls’ project to use during their vocational training on batik-making, tie dye and food preparation. A portion of the annex will also be used for storage of materials, freeing up office space in the main building.

When first acquired in June, the new facility was in dire need of repairs and renovation. Chipua staff, including non-programme staff and volunteers, banded together with project participants to overhaul the buildings. Through the winter break in June and July, staff and participants worked with one another to clear rubble and make preparations for extensive renovation.

After reinforcing and preparing the walls of the annex building, a new roof was constructed for the Qualifying Test classroom and girls’ project vocational training area. The roof was made out of locally sourced "makuti" – thatched roof panels made from the fronds of certain palm trees – by local specialists.

With the help of the Executive Director, non-programme staff and volunteers worked to remove old paint and damaged portions of the walls inside the main building, repair the damaged areas with plaster and then prepare the walls for painting. Project participants joined them in painting the interior of the main building; cleaning the floors; and moving furniture and office equipment into the appropriate offices.

Professional carpenters, plumbers and electricians were called in to assist with repairing window frames and the plumbing and electrical systems; installing new lights, fans and windows; expanding the electrical system to the annex building; and constructing new restroom facilities for the use of project participants. Boys from the Qualifying Test project were encouraged to assist the professional craftsmen and volunteers in their work in order to learn some of the skills being used in making the repairs and renovations.

Participants from the Qualifying Test project were able to move into their new classroom in July but the facility itself officially opened with the completion of the renovations on the main building and the resumption of the girls’ project at the beginning of August.

Earlier in the winter, Chipua also concluded negotiations to purchase a plot of land in Dar es Salaam's Mbagala suburb. The land was purchased in anticipation of implementing the organisation's long-term strategic plans, which call for the expansion of programmes into the outer suburbs of the city.

Some of the most disadvantaged participants come from Dar es Salaam's outer suburbs, pushed into the area by high real estate costs nearer to the city centre. Because they are unable to afford transport to Chipua's new Block 41/Biafra training centre in Kinondoni, the long-term strategic plan highlights the need to build training facilities in the outer suburbs where they are most needed.

The Mbagala location will focus primarily on replicating Chipua's successful girls' projects in the outer suburbs. The facility will also be home to a new pilot project for boys, which will use curriculum similar to that used in the girls' project. The boys will receive instruction on character development; life skills, such as health information and leadership skills; gender equality; and vocational skills, including carpentry, plumbing and electrical repair.

The $20,000 facility will feature office space, dormitories for participants, workspace for vocational training and classrooms for traditional instruction.

Fundraising for the new facility has begun with the goal to construct the main facility within the next two years. If you're interested in supporting our efforts, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

 

NIU Study Abroad Comes to Chipua

Thursday, 04 June 2009 00:00
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 DAR ES SALAAM, 4 June 2009 – Students from Northern Illinois University (NIU), led by Dr. Kurt Thurmaier, visited Chipua today as part of their Tanzanian study abroad program.

The students were greeted by Chipua's Executive Director at the Mikocheni office and given a tour of the facility. They were briefly introduced to the Girls' Project and the Qualifying Test Project before receiving a more detailed introduction to the work of the organization by the Development Director, which included an outline of the purpose behind the projects, past projects and the direction of the organization.

An extensive question and answer session was provided which allowed the students to become better acquainted with the way non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operate in Tanzania. They asked questions concerning fundraising and financing; organizational structure; successes and challenges; development, quality and delivery of projects; interaction between the organization and the grassroots, as well as with other NGOs; and details regarding the projects currently operating.

The students will be visiting Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Mara regions as part of a program which introduces them to the workings of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Tanzania. They will also help in building a high school dormitory for girls at a secondary school outside Musoma.

More information on their activities can be found through their supporting organization, Tanzania Development Support.

 

Mission Statement

Chipua seeks to advance the social development of underprivileged, at risk and vulnerable youth, especially girls, through a holistic program that focuses on technical, artistic, social and moral education. Participants are empowered to lead meaningful lives and become agents of positive social change in their community by:

Developing technical skills to assist them in becoming financially self-sufficient;

Reinforcing the positive character attributes necessary to boost their self-esteem and confidence through artistic expression and traditional curriculum; and

Learning appropriate fundamental moral attitudes to become responsible and contributing citizens of the global community.

Partnerships
We partner with the Boona-Baana Center for Children’s Rights, a small, grass-roots organization located in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. Their aim is to create a series of local, sustainable projects which will assist vulnerable children.
We partner with TrustAfrica, an independent foundation that strives to secure the conditions for democracy and equitable development throughout the continent. Led by Africans, they convene dialogues, catalyze ideas, and provide grants and technical assistance to organizations working to advance these goals.
We partner with the Global Fund for Women, an international network of women and men committed to a world of equality and social justice. They advocate for and defend women's human rights by making grants to support women's groups around the world.