TEKUA NGO
Usa River, Arusha, Tanzania East Africa
website: www.tekua.com
Elimu Africa Grant Amount: $4,000.00
Purpose: To purchase equipment and supplies needed for students to create art for the art gallery. TEKUA students create beautiful artwork that is sold to help sustain the various educational programs offered.
Description of TEKUA NGO
Written by Chris Kariz, Co-founder
Our mission is to empower the lives of underprivileged youths in our community through education, business and life skills. Three Tanzanian men established the TEKUA center in June 2003. The objectives of starting TEKUA were to educate the community and the society as a whole in an empowerment struggle against poverty, illiteracy, mental slavery, and the dangers of the deadly HIV virus. Other goals include increasing knowledge of gender-based violence and reducing its prevalence in the community.
Background
TEKUA offers daily educational and skill building programs for youth in subjects such as English language, arts & handicrafts, tourism, catering, HIV/AIDS, filmmaking, computer studies and peer education skills. Courses are also available to adult learners. Many TEKUA graduates go on to secure employment and sustainable livelihoods.
The Tanzanian population suffers from a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and TEKUA strives to educate the society through prevention and behavior change programs. Additionally, outreach programs educate and inform students on the prevention of and on living with HIV/AIDS. TEKUA offers additional comprehensive training to students who wish to become HIV/AIDS peer educators in their villages.
Students are selected through local village authorities, civil society, charitable organizations, churches and mosques. Approximately 70 youth (half girls and half boys)) between ages 15-25 years attended in the 2009-2010 school year. The students are either orphaned, infected by HIV/AIDS and/or come from underprivileged families.
Sponsorship Program
Disadvantaged students are supported through a sponsorship program that assists students from the least privileged families. In 2009, 45 students were being sponsored. All programs are offered at very low cost or free of charge. TEKUA partners with other organizations that provide sponsorships for exemplary students to go on to attend institutions of higher learning.
Sustainability
To sustain TEKUA’s educational programs, students and staff produce and sell a variety of art and handicrafts, including paintings, carvings, batiks, beadwork, banana fiber art and manila cards. Plans are being made to start other income generating projects such as tailoring and joinery.
