Dreams of Girls' Education are Never One-Sided

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Japan and Tanzania — two countries located worlds apart on the map. Yet, as fellow women of the same generation, the students of Showa Women's University and Sakura Girls Secondary School have spent the past four years learning from and inspiring one another. Our project, the "Tanzania Sakura Girls Secondary School Support Project," focuses on supporting female education in Tanzania from a university student's perspective.

In addition to donating all proceeds from our bazaars directly toward their education, raising awareness about our activities and expanding our circle of connection are also vital goals for us. However, with only one online cultural exchange a year, it has never been easy to truly know the students for who they are. "What kind of daily life exists beyond the support we send?" we wondered.

Driven by the desire to find that answer, and after two and a half years of dedication to the project, several teammates and I decided to travel to Tanzania.

"I want to meet them in person; I want to feel the local breeze." Fueled by this single-minded passion, we dove into a one-week journey to Tanzania. From hosting Japanese culture classes and nutrition sessions with curry to attending the junior high graduation and the high school completion ceremony, the time we spent there was far more intense and enriching than we could have ever imagined. Moreover, it presented us with an opportunity for profound personal growth.

The bursting smiles and pure energy were things we could never have experienced through a screen. Now it is my absolute privilege to share the full story of my journey with you, our readers.

Third in a series

The Showa Women's University SGSS Project

At Showa Women's University, our primary goal is to raise awareness while donating all of our proceeds to support the education of students at Sakura Girls Secondary School (SGSS). We do this through our activities at bazaars, school festivals, and workshops. Although we hold an annual online cultural workshop, it doesn’t allow for in-depth, one-on-one conversations or face-to-face interaction with our counterparts at SGSS. Even after years of dedication, there was still so much we couldn't know — such as how our donations were actually being used, or what the students attending Sakura Girls Secondary School were truly like.

After being involved in this project for about two and a half years, a strong desire grew within us: "I want to connect with them offline! I want to experience Tanzanian culture firsthand!" This passion led to our decision to travel to Tanzania.

During our stay, we participated in a Japanese culture workshop, a curry-focused nutrition education program, the junior high school graduation ceremony, and the high school completion ceremony. Though it was a short one-week trip, it was an incredibly rich and intense experience that truly helped each of us grow. I am excited to share the highlights of this journey and activities with all of you.

What left the strongest impression on me through my interactions with the SGSS girls was the graduation ceremony and the curry food education event.

Making Curry with the Girls: A Thrilling Challenge

At last, the long-awaited curry food education day arrived!

From Japan, we brought seven boxes of S&B Japanese Halal curry roux with absolutely no animal products.

When we arrived at the kitchen, the students taught us how to wash chicken by hand. Since it was my first time doing this, I was a little nervous, but I carefully cleaned off the slimy texture. The students were incredibly skillful and quickly cut the vegetables and curry roux in no time.

While waiting for the curry to finish cooking, we had a nice chat with our counterparts, took photos together, and even had our hair braided. The girls were full of curiosity and asked us many questions about life in Japan, our families, and what we study at university. We were so happy that they showed such interest in us, and we had a wonderful time getting to know each other through conversation. They were also very talented at braiding hair and created many different hairstyles for us.

Before we knew it, the curry was ready. We transferred it into large pots and moved to the classroom. The girls served generous portions onto our plates and into the lunch boxes they had brought with them.

We sat together at each table, said “Itadakimasu!” together, and enjoyed the meal.

To our surprise, it was actually their first time ever eating curry!

We were excited and nervous to see how they would react.

Everyone said it was delicious and finished every last bite. Knowing that their first curry experience became such a happy memory made us feel truly happy as well.

Let’s eat together again someday!! ✨

Shopping at the Maasai Market

In addition, we sourced new products for our bazaars, which is one of our primary fundraising activities. We acquired items that have a strong fan base among coffee lovers, such as Tanzanian coffee, nuts, and various miscellaneous goods. Instead of just buying the same items every time, we chose products based on insights gained from my experience at past bazaars, fulfilled specific requests from our customers, and even trusted my intuition on items we felt would be absolute hits.

At the Maasai Market, prices aren't fixed per item; instead, total prices are usually negotiated based on the bulk quantity you buy. Because of this, mastering the art of effective negotiation became essential.

A personal "must-have" item was the beaded bracelets. We discovered them at the Maasai Market and we started stocking them for the first time on this trip. What makes them so charming is that they are entirely handmade, meaning no two color combinations are exactly alike. We sourced 20 of them, and they sold out instantly at both the school festival and the bazaar. Seeing products that we strategically selected based on our own experiences become such a big hit was incredibly rewarding and gave us a great sense of accomplishment.

Graduation Ceremony 

Sakura Girls Secondary School’s graduation ceremony was the complete opposite of a typical Japanese graduation ceremony. The atmosphere was lively and festive, like a celebration, as the students sang and danced to mark this important milestone in their lives.

They even performed "Best Friend" by Kiroro, a well-known Japanese song. I heard that the students had practiced over and over again for this special day, and their clear, beautiful voices filled the entire schoolyard, creating a heartwarming and unforgettable moment for everyone present.

What It Means to Learn and Dream Together

Through our interactions with them, we realized that support is never one-sided. What truly matters is learning from one another and inspiring each other to grow. I also sincerely hope for a world where every child, no matter their circumstances, has access to education and the opportunity to dream big. We will continue to cheer on these girls, who approach everything with sincerity and are full of hope and dreams. I hope that one day we will meet again in Japan.

Asante sana! 🥰

Our Partnership

Our connection with Sakura began in 2022 as a Project-based Learning initiative led by Professor Akiko Imai’s seminar at Showa Women's University. 

Thank you to our partners, DAIHATSU TOKYO SALES CO, LTD, THE SEIBU SHINKIN BANK, Group Kilimanjaro Inc, and Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc, for their support and advice.

To learn more about the Japan Showa Women's University Sakura project or to help support it, please follow the project on Instagram, see the Sakura Vision website, and join Sakura Girls Secondary School YouTube. 

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• In Tanzania, Empowering Girls with Education for Life
• Education of the Girls, by the Girls, for the Girls
• The Pioneering Women Who Became the First Licensed Female Doctors in Their Countries

Author: Maya Okubo
Senior, Japan Showa Women’s University

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