Wilfred, Our Godson in Tanzania

We recently received this update on Wilfred, our Godson in Tanzania.  Godparents for Tanzania provides scholarships for fifty young Tanzanians to attend secondary school, vocational training, college, and university. Through this program, we are sponsoring Wilfred. We have also received a letter from Wilfred, posted on the bulletin board at church.

Wilfred is 19 years old. He is a Form 6 student at Vunjo Secondary School, a Lutheran boarding school on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, near Moshi.

In his advanced level secondary studies (Forms 5 and 6), Wilfred is focusing on three subjects: history, geography, and English. English is Wilfred’s third language. His first two languages are Iraqw (the language of his tribe) and Swahili (the national lanugage of Tanzania). When we met with Wilfred in June, we were impressed with the improvement in his English over the past year.

Wilfred really enjoyed his first year at Vunjo Secondary School. He told us that the campus is nice, the dormitory is comfortable, and the food is good. He likes his teachers, and he enjoys studying and playing soccer with his classmates.

In May 2019, Wilfred will finish Form 6 and sit for the ACSEE (Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education Examination). This national examination will determine Wilfred’s eligibility to continue his education at college or university. In order to prepare for this important exam, Wilfred and seven of his classmates have formed a study group that meets each day to review their lessons.

Wilfred hopes that his exam results will qualify him to join university and study law. He comes from a remote area, where many people are not educated and do not understand their legal rights. Wilfred has observed that poor people in the rural villages can be easily exploited by people who can afford to hire a lawyer. As a lawyer, Wilfred would like to level the playing field by representing poor people. Wilfred and his family are so grateful that he can continue his education at a good school. Thank you for giving him this amazing opportunity!