Computer Lab Program Created My Employment
Maria Michael Mashila is an adolescent girl enrolled in DREAMS program under EpiC project in Chambo ward which is found in Ushetu district council in Shinyanga region Tanzania. Maria is18 years old, she went to Chambo secondary school for 4 years ended with division four on her form four national examination results, she didn’t proceed for further studies due to poor pass division and economic challenge from her parents.
Like other girls who missed education opportunity as well as economic, Maria was in difficult situation to depend on herself economically, she passed through number of challenges because her parents were no longer continue taking care of her life, she lived depending on boyfriends and casual works, she lived mannerlessly.
The implementation of EpiC project in Ushetu district council touches many adolescent girls and young women lives, especially for those who missed education opportunity because of different reasons of their lives background. DREAMS program under EpiC project has been implementing economic strengthening program for AGYW across Ushetu district council’s wards. The economic strengthening program delivers its services through computer sessions, tailoring course, and other handcraft skills like knitting, basket making, entrepreneurship and among others. Maria has benefited through computer sessions as she narrated to the photographer who visited her at her office where she has been employed.
Maria in adorable smile when she was with welcoming the photographer Zainab Mbele at Chambo ward center
The interesting news is the fact that despite being struggling for getting capital to from my casual work and boyfriends, I had no mentor who could help me to think beyond my mindset. I kept staying home the whole time conducting domestic activities, while I was idle my parents were forcing me to get married to a certain boy at our village but I was not ready to be in marriage at that age,but later I asked myself in a sense that for how long I will be engaging in these casual works without any activity which can help me to get money for starting my own business, in fact it was abstruse.
I remember it was early in October 2022, I got a sudden fortune from EpiC project whereby a young woman visited me at home, she introduced herself to me that her name is Amina Edward she came from HUHESO Foundation as a mentor under DREAMS program which is one of the components of EpiC project, her intention was to engage me in the program. She made an introduction about EpiC project and HUHESO Foundation, the introduction of both HUHESO Foundation and EpiC project was very interesting to me, becase it comprised computer skills learning, I was grateful to my God for exposing me to such opportunities. On 12th October 2022, I joined in WORTH360 group which later we named it as WAPAMANAJI GROUP, there we used to meet weekly on every Sunday at the evening time around 4:00pm. We learnt about financial issues and other techniques of starting business.
On the second day visit, Maria narrated her journey to the employment, the photo here captured during her narration at her office. The photo taken by Zainab Mbele the Chambo computer Lab Attendant
A journey to my employment
Our mentor talked to us about what the EpiC project intends to us, where she generally promised us to be taught Social Behavioral Changes and economic strengthening. Later on I became a beneficiary of DREAMS Program under EpiC project. In the group we were taught various topics; Loans and savings inclusive. On the middle of sessions, we were told that there were computer programs learning at our ward center, the computer sessions are free of charge, it is just a matter of time to go and keeping attending there. I didn’t want to miss that opportunity, two days later I started attending there where I met a small girl like me who introduced herself as Zainab Denis a computer lab attendant, she instructed us the learning modality at key sessions to be covered. We agreed with her to be meeting during evening hours instead of morning hours. She learnt basic computer skills on MC-word, excel, internet, designing, printing and scanning but when I get employed I also learned on lamination, binding and passport size photo taking but out secretarial skills by boss also taught me on running mobile money transactional shop for different mobile networks like Tigo-Pesa, M-pesa, Airtel money and Halopesa.
Maria continues narrating while working on the computer, the photo was taken by Zainab Mbele the Chambo computer Lab attendant
Before get employed, I stayed for only one month after completion of computer sessions then few days later I met with someone who was looking for a good girl who is computer literate, so it was luck to me, I contracted with her on being paid Tsh. 100,000/= monthly. Now I earn 100000 Tanzanian shillings per month.
It should be well known that I still a member of WAPAMNAJI group and I continue attending our group programs because our meeting day is Sunday during evening hours. Yes, now I live my life no man who is behind my struggles all in all I have only one boyfriend whom I wish to marry to him in 2025 if God wishes.
A journey towards my dream
“My dream was to be a woman with Cash from big business, so to time I am in a good motion as I have already started the work of earning money, I thank God for that and I still hope for more advancement from this work. As apart from reaching my dream, I have a plan on my future for being big agent for mobile money transaction at our center here, I can see there is big demand of mobile money transaction
Maria’s Advice to Fellow AGYW.
I would kindly like to advise AGYW that if it happens again that enrolment comes, let them join and thereafter they shall see the fruits of the DREAMS programs in EpiC project”.
Lastly, I would like to thank my mentor Amina Edward, my trainer Zainab Denis, from the HUHESO foundation who came and revealed to me where I was struggling on my own, but also EpiC project and fhi360 who brought this project to our Ward.
This is how Maria Michael benefited from the DREAMS program under the EpiC project since she joined in WORTH360 group in October 2022
