PATHFind Your Direction Teaching Tanzania A childhood dream of becoming Mother Earth leads one young woman to an East African classroom AUGUST 2013
Teaching Tanzania Some kids dream of becoming doctors, firefighters or astronauts, but not Marisa Ranieri. She grew up dreaming of becoming Mother Earth. This dream led her to East Africa where she spent the last year teaching English in a rural Tanzanian village while simultaneously starting her own nonprofit organization, The Nyota Fund. Story: Megan Cahill Photographs: Marisa Ranieri
Ranieri, a 23-year-old native of Singapore, spent her summers in Auburn, N.Y., a small city in central New York s Finger Lakes region, until her family moved there permanently in 2003. Growing up as an American citizen overseas cultivated her interest in other parts of the world. I never saw my home as being just one place. I would live in Auburn for the summer and travel all over Asia for vacations, Ranieri explained. Singapore was my home, but it s unique because it s a melting pot. I grew up in a very international scene, and, because of that, I was invested in other places. It made my world larger. Her knowledge of other regions caused Ranieri to become interested in a variety of topics, including animal causes and environmental and human rights issues. This led her to set a specific life goal. When I was really little, I decided that for the world to be better, I should become Mother Earth, said Ranieri. I was going to be like Mother Theresa plus Gandhi plus God and tell everyone how to peacefully solve everything. With this goal in mind, Ranieri needed a place to start. She looked to her parents for advice. I remember vividly we were driving in Auburn, and I asked my dad, If I m going to save the world, where should I start? He said, Everyone needs to start in Africa because the world only moves as far ahead as the last person in the race. Ranieri didn t act on this suggestion until she began her undergraduate studies at The George Washington University (GW) in Washington, D.C., in 2009. As an International Affairs major, she was required to concentrate on a specific region. Remembering her dad s advice, she decided to focus on Africa, specifically East Africa. She worked to become proficient in Swahili and visited the country for the first time in the spring of 2011 when she studied abroad in Kenya. After my first visit, I knew I wanted to go back, said Ranieri. I loved it and just became so passionate about East Africa. As Ranieri prepared to graduate from GW in 2012, she decided to pursue the opportunity to return to East Africa through a program with WorldTeach. She began a project entitled Tanzania 365. This project, which was recognized by President Bill Clinton s Clinton Global Initiative University, helped Ranieri fundraise and cover the program fee, allowing her to teach English in a government secondary school in Tanzania s rural Ngara District. In order to get to Tanzania, I had to pay almost $6,000, which covered things like my insurance, housing, food stipend and flight, Ranieri explained. I began fundraising to pay this, but I also wanted to raise an extra $500 to bring school supplies over for my kids. Ranieri departed for Tanzania in August 2012, where she spent 10 months. This experience exposed Ranieri to the difficulties of life in East Africa, especially for children. It s one thing to watch commercials about these children who are starving and to actually see it, Ranieri said. I had students who are orphans because their parents died from AIDS. They eat once a day only at school, and they get beat because their shirt has a stain, but they can t afford soap because they are trying to buy beans to eat. Despite the arduous circumstances, these children still pursued an education. In Tanzania, students must pay a fee equivalent to $50 US for one year of schooling. This is a financial strain for many families. The students desire to attend school inspired Ranieri to start The Nyota Fund, a nonprofit that gives Ngara District students full academic scholarships. The fund currently gives 70 full academic scholarships to students in seven schools, but Ranieri is hoping to expand this number.
It was unbelievable how far my students would push themselves just to get an education, said Ranieri. They would walk over five miles both ways on an empty stomach with no water. Parents would work in the fields all day to be able to give kids the opportunity to attend school. My students didn t know how disadvantaged they are compared to other people. They just tried to live their lives. They are smart and should have the opportunity be educated. While Ranieri is working hard to change the world, she maintains a humble air about her. She doesn t strive to receive recognition but to make a difference in students lives. Elizabeth Martin, Ranieri s roommate in Tanzania and fellow WorldTeach participant, considered herself blessed to have spent the past year with Ranieri. Marisa is one of the most passionate, driven, confident and fun-loving women I have ever had the privilege to meet, said Martin. Living in a remote village of 200 people without water, electricity, English-speakers, frequent access to food or cell phone service is by no means easy, but she embraced our circumstances and simply soared. Her dedication to improving education and empowering all youth to attend school is inspiring, and her ability to launch The Nyota Fund from our humble abode in the bush was no small feat. Ranieri will be pursing a master s degree in social and cultural analysis from New York University starting this fall, but she is dedicated to maintaining her focus on East Africa. She will continue aiding students through The Nyota Fund as she works to expand the fund and make it a certified Non-governmental Organization. With each step Ranieri takes, it seems she is moving closer towards becomming the embodiment of Mother Earth, at least in the eyes of East African students. For more information on The Nyota Fund or to donate, visit thenyotafund.org. If you are interest in contacting Ranieri, no matter where she is in the world, you can always reach her at tcmtgc@gmail.com. Meet the Scholars Below are the Muyenzi Secondary School Scholars. Muyenzi Sec. is one of seven schools the Nyota Fund supports. Tap on each scholar to learn more about the student. Tap the scholar again to return to the full picture.
PATHFind Your Direction Teaching Tanzania A childhood dream of becoming Mother Earth leads one young woman to an East African classroom AUGUST 2013
Teaching Tanzania Story: Megan Cahill Photographs: Marisa Ranieri Some kids dream of becoming doctors, firefighters or astronauts, but not Marisa Ranieri. She grew up dreaming of becoming Mother Earth. This dream led her to East Africa where she spent the last year teaching English in a rural Tanzanian village while simultaneously starting her own nonprofit organization, The Nyota Fund.
Ranieri, a 23-year-old native of Singapore, spent her summers in Auburn, N.Y., a small city in central New York s Finger Lakes region, until her family moved there permanently in 2003. Growing up as an American citizen overseas cultivated her interest in other parts of the world. I never saw my home as being just one place. I would live in Auburn for the summer and travel all over Asia for vacations, Ranieri explained. Singapore was my home, but it s unique because it s a melting pot. I grew up in a very international scene, and, because of that, I was invested in other places. It made my world larger. Her knowledge of other regions caused Ranieri to become interested in a variety of topics, including animal causes and environmental and human rights issues. This led her to set a specific life goal. When I was really little, I decided that for the world to be better, I should become Mother Earth, said Ranieri. I was going to be like Mother Theresa plus Gandhi plus God and tell everyone how to peacefully solve everything. With this goal in mind, Ranieri needed a place to start. She looked to her parents for advice. I remember vividly we were driving in Auburn, and I asked my dad, If I m going to save the world, where should I start? He said, Everyone needs to start in Africa because the world only moves as far ahead as the last person in the race. Ranieri didn t act on this suggestion until she began her undergraduate studies at The George Washington University (GW) in Washington, D.C., in 2009. As an International Affairs major, she was required to concentrate on a specific region. Remembering her dad s advice, she decided to focus on Africa, specifically East Africa. She worked to become proficient in Swahili and visited the country for the first time in the spring of 2011 when she studied abroad in Kenya. After my first visit, I knew I wanted to go back, said Ranieri. I loved it and just became so passionate about East Africa. As Ranieri prepared to graduate from GW in 2012, she decided to pursue the opportunity to return to East Africa through a program with WorldTeach. She began a project entitled Tanzania 365. This project, which was recognized by President Bill Clinton s Clinton Global Initiative University, helped Ranieri fundraise and cover the program fee, allowing her to teach English in a government secondary school in Tanzania s rural Ngara District. In order to get to Tanzania, I had to pay almost $6,000, which covered things like my insurance, housing, food stipend and flight, Ranieri explained. I began fundraising to pay this, but I also wanted to raise an extra $500 to bring school supplies over for my kids. Ranieri departed for Tanzania in August 2012, where she spent 10 months. This experience exposed Ranieri to the difficulties of life in East Africa, especially for children. It s one thing to watch commercials about these children who are starving and to actually see it, Ranieri said. I had students who are orphans because their parents died from AIDS. They eat once a day only at school, and they get beat because their shirt has a stain, but they can t afford soap because they are trying to buy beans to eat. Despite the arduous circumstances, these children still pursued an education. In Tanzania, students must pay a fee equivalent to $50 US for one year of schooling. This is a financial strain for many families. The students desire to attend school inspired Ranieri to start The Nyota Fund, a nonprofit that gives Ngara District students full academic scholarships. The fund currently gives 70 full academic scholarships to students in seven schools, but Ranieri is hoping to expand this number.
It was unbelievable how far my students would push themselves just to get an education, said Ranieri. They would walk over five miles both ways on an empty stomach with no water. Parents would work in the fields all day to be able to give kids the opportunity to attend school. My students didn t know how disadvantaged they are compared to other people. They just tried to live their lives. They are smart and should have the opportunity be educated. While Ranieri is working hard to change the world, she maintains a humble air about her. She doesn t strive to receive recognition but to make a difference in students lives. Elizabeth Martin, Ranieri s roommate in Tanzania and fellow WorldTeach participant, considered herself blessed to have spent the past year with Ranieri. Marisa is one of the most passionate, driven, confident and fun-loving women I have ever had the privilege to meet, said Martin. Living in a remote village of 200 people without water, electricity, Englishspeakers, frequent access to food or cell phone service is by no means easy, but she embraced our circumstances and simply soared. Her dedication to improving education and empowering all youth to attend school is inspiring, and her ability to launch The Nyota Fund from our humble abode in the bush was no small feat. Ranieri will be pursing a master s degree in social and cultural analysis from New York University starting this fall, but she is dedicated to maintaining her focus on East Africa. She will continue aiding students through The Nyota Fund as she works to expand the fund and make it a certified Non-governmental Organization. With each step Ranieri takes, it seems she is moving closer towards becomming the embodiment of Mother Earth, at least in the eyes of East African students. For more information on The Nyota Fund or to donate, visit thenyotafund.org. If you are interest in contacting Ranieri, no matter where she is in the world, you can always reach her at tcmtgc@gmail.com. Meet the Scholars Below are the Muyenzi Secondary School Scholars. Muyenzi Sec. is one of seven schools The the Nyota Nyota Fund Fund supports. supports. Tap Tap on on each the scholars to to learn more about each the student. student. Tap Tap the the scholar banner again to return to return to the to full the picture. full picture.