Blog: A day in the life of Mary

When Mary was in primary school, her father passed away, leaving her mother to raise seven children by herself on her wages of $8 a week. In 2003, her house burned to the ground, and the family lost everything. Consequently, when Mary passed the exams to move up to secondary school, her widowed mother did not have the funds to send her. Mary was overjoyed when Camfed stepped in last year to provide her with all the support she needed to continue her education, including a uniform, stationery and exercise books.

Without Camfed’s support, Mary says she would probably have ended up in Tanzania’s capital looking for work as a housegirl, a fate that befalls many young women in rural Tanzania, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Instead, she is now fourth in her class of 53 students, as well as being a school prefect. Camfed will continue to support Mary for the next four years, until she has finished secondary school.

Here, in the first of several installments, Mary gives us a glimpse into her daily life in her Tanzania.

Without Camfed’s support, Mary says she would probably have ended up in Tanzania’s capital looking for work as a housegirl, a fate that befalls many young women in rural Tanzania, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Instead, she is now fourth in her class of 53 students, as well as being a school prefect. Camfed will continue to support Mary for the next four years, until she has finished secondary school.

Here, in the first of several installments, Mary gives us a glimpse into her daily life in her Tanzania.

I found out that I was going to be supported by Camfed in February 2006; my friend Mary Kennedy came home to tell me about it. At first I was surprised, then I was happy. At that time, I was just finding firewood to sell in order to buy an exercise book or pens. I want to be an eye doctor because I’ve got an eye problem myself. I know how much people with eye problems suffer, so I want to help people solve these problems.

Here is a diary of my typical day:

5am: I get up at 5am exactly. I do my personal cleaning and I also clean the house, because my mother is very busy working two jobs, from 5 in the morning until 8 in the evening. I get ready for school and I arrive at school at 8am. There, I carry on with studies until 2pm, then I walk home, which takes an hour.

3pm: I arrive home and the house is empty, as my mother is still at work. So I go and find leafy vegetables to eat with ugali [made from maize flour and water]. I cook and eat on my own before my mother comes back. After this, I carry water and wash my clothes.

7pm: I do homework from about 7pm until 8pm, when my mother returns from work.

9pm: My mother and I go to bed.

Last week, the school timetable was a bit different as we were doing exams. We did 10 exams in a week. I liked the way they planned the timetable, putting the arts subjects together and the science subjects; it gave us time to study in between exams. I don’t really know how I did, but I’m confident.

We took the exams at a nearby school; we all walked there from home. The most difficult thing was the timing. I normally sing in the church choir, but this week I didn’t have time because I was busy studying.

Now I’ve finished my exams and I’m staying with my sister for the holidays. Life is a bit easier on holiday because I have more time. I get up at 5am as normal, and we go out with my brother-in-law to do exercises then come back to get washed. I leave to go for extra tutoring at 8am until 12. Then I come back to help my sister with work at home until about 2 or 3pm. Then I have lots of time to study.

My sister didn’t go to school. It’s been very nice to change the environment, to have lots of time to study and also to get tutoring from teachers with different experience.

I’m looking forward to the start of the new term in January and meeting up with my friends. We normally do group study, with 10 of us in a group. I’m excited to shared what I’ve learnt from the different teachers with my friends.

Hear Mary singing in an audio slideshow created by Financial Times journalist Caroline Daniel.

Read Mary’s story, which featured in the Financial Times to launch the 2007 Seasonal Appeal in support of Camfed.

It costs just $13 per month to give girls like Mary the gift of education. Make an online donation today.