It’s hard to imagine a more committed partner than Stephen Marwa, Executive Director of Hope Revival Children’s Organization. A dedicated advocate for women’s empowerment and community development, Stephen is a stand-out when it comes to technology, communication and international engagement. His past projects have focused on social entrepreneurship (including the poultry project pictured below), agriculture, and education all in an effort to improve the lives and opportunities of women and girls in this underdeveloped region of northern Tanzania.
In an effort to further strengthen our collaboration, we gave Stephen a new computer tablet courtesy of Bak USA during our last study abroad trip in July 2018. Through his effortless mastery of this new technology, he has shared countless videos, social media posts and communications detailing his progress and seeking opportunities to do more for his community, and for our students. When Danielle became interested in the relationship between girls’ menstruation and educational achievement, Stephen immediately committed his full support and volunteered to travel to Arusha for a full week of training hosted by Dare Women’s Foundation, a non-profit engaged in a reusable pad sewing project. Since the visit, he has mobilized women and community leaders in Musoma, convening trainings and conducting preliminary research in collaboration with our partners at Buhare Community Development Training Institute (CDTI), readying the community for the new initiative. Stephen is also a champion for clean water, working with Friendly Water for the World out of Olympia Washington to bring water filtration to the Musoma community. He looks forward to working with Matthew on sanitation and filtration efforts while also supporting Danielle and Lyndsey’s interest in women’s health and empowerment.
Learn more about Stephen’s efforts by friending him on Facebook (Stephen Marwa) or emailing him at stephen_chacha@yahoo.com This post is part of a crowdfunding campaign to send UB students back to Tanzania to engage in community projects mentored by our partners, including Stephen. Visit https://crowdfunding.buffalo.edu/project/8959 to support the initiative and please consider sharing with your networks. Thank You!- Mara
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