Chipua: Institute for Social Transformation

 
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Iddy Yange's Story

Thursday, 19 August 2010 12:14
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Iddy YangeAt 17, Iddy Yange had no home. His family members had either passed away or refused to take responsibility for him. Unable to gain access to secondary school because of his poor academic performance, he had completely dropped out of Tanzania's education system. Iddy was destined to become another statistic, one more hopeless and aimless youth wandering the streets of Dar es Salaam. He was destined to enter the informal economy and make very little money (perhaps not even enough to make ends meet), much less enough to support himself and a family. Iddy may have even turned to a life of crime or entered into a gang for support and protection. But Iddy was lucky. Iddy found Chipua two years ago.

When he entered Chipua, Iddy's situation was desperate. A Chipua staff member arranged for accommodation and food for him in exchange for assistance with small tasks. He was enrolled in the Second Chance program, and he hoped to be able to pass the Qualifying Test and receive his high school diploma. But despite his best efforts, Iddy did not pass the Qualifying Test. Once again his future looked dim and gloomy; his hopes had been shattered, and he was not looking forward to returning to a life of desperation.

But this time, things were different for Iddy. Although he was suffering a repeat of his academic failure, Iddy was a more resilient person. He had picked up quite a few valuable skills at Chipua: a hardworking ethic, self-confidence, hope and optimism. He was down but not out for the count! Armed with his new skills and assisted by Chipua, he located a skilled and successful carpenter who agreed to take him on as an apprentice. The apprenticeship was strenuous but in the end it paid off: after helping his boss for a couple of months, Iddy is now gainfully employed as a happy, skilled carpenter who is making a contribution to his community.

Iddy is just one of the many participants who have been socially and economically transformed by Chipua's programs. If you'd like to contribute to the success of others like Iddy, consider getting involved with Chipua.
 

Chipua Summer 2010 Update

Thursday, 01 July 2010 00:00
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Chipua is a special place of learning for the children and youth of Dar es Salaam for a number of reasons. All of our projects and training are offered to free of charge. Participants are not obligated to attend simply to get their money's worth; rather, they come willingly and happily because they love to participate in our programs and find them rewarding and enriching. The most important aspect that attracts the hearts of those 150 participants who come to Chipua on a daily basis is the over ruling spirit of caring and concern, a rare and much needed characteristic in the developing world. This is then reflected in the way the training on various themes are offered and the participants are treated.

On a normal day as you enter the training centre you find a big group of girls from different background diligently working with their trainer, assisting each other in learning, carrying on with their tasks joyfully.  Another small group of girls are preparing the break snacks and tea for their classmates while quietly whispering to each other.  On the other side of the yard in a dark classroom, a group of mixed youth pay attention to their teacher and once in a while the sound of their laughter fills up the air.  In the adjacent classroom, the afternoon session early birds work together learning English with limited supervision.  Inside, the coordinator and the director attend to many overwhelming issues including sick participants who should be escorted home, water and power outages, evacuation notices, hungry girls and boys, parents who beg for their children to be enrolled, rain pouring into the classroom due to porous thatch roof causing havoc and therefore stranded participants, lack of human resources to help, no telephone or Internet, hot and humid weather and no fan or air-conditioning to make it easier,  limited space to deal with all, and finally but not least people who drop in to request new projects to address their needs.

One might ask what really makes Chipua a special place? Despite the rigors of working in the developing world, our staff remain committed to our programs and, more importantly, to our participants. Encouragement is the corner stone of any training at Chipua. Staff members work with participants to develop an upright character that encourages the participant to become an active member of society who behaves in such a way that others want to work with them and spend time with them. After attending Chipua for only a few months, all the participants interact with each other differently and feel they are part of one human family.

Chipua is currently operating five projects under the Girls in Crisis and Second Chance programs:

  • Supported by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) under its Africa Regional Small Activities Scheme (ARSAS), the first project under the Girls in Crisis program is training 50 girls at the Chipua Training Centre in the Kinondoni neighborhood of Dar es Salaam. The project began in April 2010 and it will conclude in November 2010.
  • The second Girls in Crisis project is supported by the Diplomatic Spouses Group of Dar es Salaam. The project targets vulnerable girls in the Yombobuza slum on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. 20 participants have been selected, and Chipua is in the process of constructing a banda (temporary shelter) and preparing the training area.
  • The Second Chance program is currently supporting three projects: one morning session and two afternoon sessions at the Chipua Training Centre in the Kinondoni neighborhood of Dar es Salaam. The morning session was started in January 2010 and it will be completed by October 2010. The two afternoon sessions were started in January 2010 and they will be completed by October 2011.
 

A Day at Chipua – by Isabel (Volunteer)

Tuesday, 01 June 2010 00:00
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A Day at ChipuaDays at Chipua begin at eight am kamili. Kamili in Swahili means exactly, and is the perfect word to use in this circumstance.  At 8am Chipua closes its doors and only students who were on time will study for the day. Thus as you walk to Chipua you often see students outside the gates, studying their notes or pleading the different volunteers for forgiveness. The tactic seems severe to many of the students, however, the next day they come twenty minutes earlier than before.

The morning Second Chance project students study Geography, Civics, History and Swahili. They also study English diligently for two hours a day.  They are responsible and dedicated students who are expecting to resit for the QT (Qualifying Test) in November, in hopes of continuing on to form three (grade 9). Ravi, a Canadian volunteer is their teacher and keeps the class enthused and disciplined at all times, he is back on his feet and as healthy as ever after suffering from Malaria and typhoid just one week ago. He also makes a constant effort to learn Swahili, a language which only five weeks ago he had never studied before.

George, Omari, Khadija and a few others study English in the mornings with Hoda, an Australian volunteer, before their afternoon classes. They recognize they need to study before and after class to learn English quickly. Their limited knowledge of English and Swahili respectively often make for interesting interactions.

The girl’s project, also begins at 8am, there is a group of over 40 girls, many of whom have dropped out of school at primary level and would otherwise not have a chance to receive some sort of vocational education. They are currently learning to sow, and the more experienced girls are already making bags, and tapestry items that they will be able to sell in the future. In addition, they study life skills, civics and topics of their own interest. They often help Isabel, one of the new volunteers with her Swahili and read easy children’s books about various subjects such as, AIDS and birds to her. The girls get along well, and find a network of support among themselves. Tea time is everyday at around 11am, and the girls take a rest and eat delicious maandazi  (a local variety of fried bread) and biscuits with their tea.

12:30pm is transition time, the morning QT students (Second Chance project) are done for the day and afternoon students begin to arrive. Afternoon students have very limited knowledge of English. As a result, they will be at Chipua for two years. The first year, they will study Englsih exclusively for three hours every afternoon. The afternoon group is divided into two groups of about 25 - 30 students each. Currently, the two groups are taught by Abduli, a former student of Chipua and Isabel. As you observe the classrooms, you can hear the students repeat, hair, eye and ear, terms they often confuse while they learn body parts. At another moment, students moan and complain because Isabel has asked them to write their new vocabulary words 10 times. They do not understand the task but the teacher knows there is value behind repetition.

Afternoons are also dedicated to cleaning and maintenance. Ravi fixes a desk in the office, while Mudy and Idy, two former Chipua students, help clean and clear out the storage room. Ravi’s belief in turning nothing into something is dramatically changing the appearance of Chipua in a few short weeks. Students that have recently passed the QT examination come and go while they keep Chipua informed of their future plans and search among their family members for support to continue on to secondary school. Students are given homework for the next day and reminded that they will never learn English if they do not study at home.

Thus a day at Chipua culminates at about 4pm. Days are sometimes hectic, or affected by the rain but all in all old and new projects continue, and there are many students who throughout the years are grateful to Chipua for the education and second opportunities they received there.
 


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.