In her school hostel, Desderia, a 17-year-old Camfed scholar from Tanzania, prepares for class. (Photo: Eliza Powell/Camfed)

Education is a light, showing me how to build my future and pursue my goals

By DESDERIA, Camfed secondary scholar, Tanzania

On International Day of the Girl, we celebrate the incredible courage and determination of millions of girls from vulnerable backgrounds, who, like Desderia, will do almost anything to get an education. And we thank the teachers and community activists in our movement, who step up to address their unique challenges. Together let’s make sure that every girl counts.

I’m 17 years old. My favorite subject is Swahili as it’s my mother tongue, but I also love English, math, physics and geography. I enjoy history too, but I haven’t yet mastered it well. Still, I like it very much.

Education is so important to me because it enables me to gain knowledge and discover new things. There’s a huge difference between those who have been educated and those who have not. For me, education is a light, showing me how to build for my future and pursue my goals. It is this education that will save me in future…

…continue reading on camfed.org