UNA Harrogate: SDG4: education in Tanzania - the Memusi Foundation

When Matthew Norton and his wife Sally visited in Kenya and Tanzania in 2006, they had no idea that the trip would change their lives forever. The mechanical breakdown of the bus taking them back to Nairobi airport and a chance encounter with a 6-year old boy on the roadside provoked Matthew to look further into education in Africa and created a determination to pursue a vision of change.

Matthew discovered that, according to UN figures, an estimated 45 million children in Africa do not go to school. Over 120 million children in the world have not set foot in a classroom. Although primary education in many African countries is free, it is free if you can take your own pencil or uniform. It is free if you can actually get to school. Sometimes the cost of a pencil, uniform or transport is simply too much and sending pencils to children in Kenya was in some cases a passport to education.

From initially sending pencils, Memusi Foundation was formed and now supports three schools in Kenya and Tanzania. Memusi has undertaken some spectacular and creative fund raising initiatives and organizes teams of volunteers to assist in the schools at regular intervals across each year. Memusi makes sure that each student receives a mosquito net, provides health, food and nutritional advice. Memusi works with and supports the communities to ensure long lasting impact beyond the schools. Memusi has also introduced a farming programme to provide employment and across the schools farm 24 acres of maize and grain. The harvest provides food for the schools and any excess is sold to allow re-investment and to cover costs.

Above all, Memusi believes passionately in education and in the right that every person has to a free education. It is through equality and free education that every child has the opportunity to escape poverty in their own lifetime, providing a path of hope'.

For further information - see the website http://www.memusifoundation.org.uk or video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX_35IcOLZ0 

Matthew and Sally would like to see how they can profile and engage more people in the Memusi cause to build more schools in Kenya.