Christina lives with her children in Kambi ya Fisi in the Ngarenaro district and has been solely responsible for her family since her husband's death. Despite difficult circumstances, she works tirelessly to secure a future for her children.
To support her family, Christina worked in a bar for an extended period. Prostitution is commonplace in this environment. This work was very stressful for her and didn't reflect the life she wanted for herself and her family, but for a long time she saw no other way to make ends meet.
Christina has three children:
Benda Juma (born around 1991) is her eldest son. He was a good student and, after primary school, was given the opportunity to attend a state secondary school. However, due to the family's financial situation, he was unable to continue his education. Benda wants to be independent and relieve his mother of some of the financial burden. Together, they developed a plan to open up career prospects for him: He received driving lessons and successfully passed his driving test. To improve his chances of finding employment as a driver, he is also completing practical training in vehicle repair. After a lengthy search, a garage was found where he can gain practical experience under fair conditions.
Mariam (born around 1993) has finished school and is still looking for a way to build her own income and shape her own future.
Mwajuma Juma (born around 2000) attends secondary school. Financing her education has always presented a significant challenge for her family. At times, she had to leave school because she couldn't pay her outstanding fees. Thanks to support, these debts were settled, allowing her to continue her education.
Timeline & Updates
2016
Christina expressed a desire to prepare roasted fish and sell it on the street. She received the necessary materials and a small amount of start-up capital to take this step into self-employment.
2017/2018
Christina has started a small street business, just as she had hoped. She sells roasted fish and bananas. She is very happy to no longer have to do her old job.
Benda completed his driver's license and his internship in the workshop in March 2017.
Mwajuma needs a sponsor who can pay her school fees of 200,000 TSh per semester.
2019
Mwajuma has to repeat her last year of school - preferably at a boarding school - and needs a sponsor for that.
2020/2021
Christina is working in a bar again, but she isn't always paid. There was very little business this year, so she can't pay the rent for Mwajuma. Because of the difficult situation, Christina is considering leaving Arusha and returning to her village near Tanga, where her relatives still live.
Mwajuma wanted to go to secondary school, but her grades weren't good enough for us to think it was worthwhile (especially since it costs a lot of money, money we unfortunately don't have). She's now doing a course in hotel management at Savanna Bridge College.
Her brother Benda was able to start working towards getting his full driver's license last year. It took a very long time to get his paperwork, of course, but it seems to have been worth it. Benda got a trainee position at a relatively new company called Matty Pet Food and Accessories, where he has many different tasks, all related to dogs or dog supplies (driver, salesperson, trainer, etc.). Before he's hired permanently, he has a six-month probationary period. During this time, he doesn't receive a salary, only a small allowance to cover his food expenses. We're covering his rent for these six months. Once he's successfully completed his probationary period and secured a permanent position, he can pay us back some of it.
2022
Christina herself is no longer in Arusha, but decided to live with her family in their village (far away, in Tanga) after her mother died and her elderly father was left alone. Her brother has a disability, is bedridden, and requires care. Christina relies on financial support from her children. Currently, she sells local beer.
Mwajuma was given the opportunity to complete a hotel management apprenticeship at Savannah Bridge College. After a difficult period in her family life, she initially dropped out, but this year she was given one last chance to prepare specifically for her final exams, which she has now taken – she is now awaiting the results.
After his boss sold his bus last year and Benda became unemployed, he started selling second-hand clothes as a traveling salesman. We gave him the start-up capital for this.
2023
Christina is in Tanga (her home region). Mwajuma has successfully completed her training and received her certificate. Despite significant financial difficulties, she is now looking for work in the hotel industry, while her brother Benda is intensively learning English to take advantage of the opportunity to work for a safari company.