By Olivia Grandy
On June 1, five cyclists journeyed from Ashton to the Westboro Farmers Market on Byron Avenue. But they weren’t riding just for pleasure. Instead, the group raised over $15,000 to support equal education and economic opportunity for women and girls in Tanzania.
Tanzania Education and Micro-Business Opportunity (TEMBO) is a local volunteer-run Ottawa-based charity that has enabled over 500 girls to attend secondary school in the Longido District of Tanzania. TEMBO also provides micro-finance loans, allowing some women to begin small businesses to support their families or receive goats as life-sustaining livestock.
Each cyclist rode 100 kilometres, accumulating 500 kilometres, representing the total number of girls the charity has supported to attend secondary school. With the help of donors, TEMBO surpassed its fundraising goal by almost $3,000. Currently, TEMBO is sponsoring 173 girls.
The Ottawa cycling team consisted of David Chernushenko, Gabriel Brideau, Joel Harden, Joel Downham and Nancy Arbogast. They were joined by virtual participant Hashim Kareemi, who cycled in Vancouver, and David Batchelor and Jack Tannett, who walked the challenge in Perth.
Chernushenko, a former city councillor for Capital Ward, highlighted the feeling of cycling toward a collective goal, made even better by a day of “perfect” weather.
“It felt like we were part of a team doing something bigger than just me going out for a fun bike ride,” he said.
Chernushenko also praised TEMBO for its targeted, community-based efforts.
“This is an organization that’s doing something very specific in a specific place, not just lobbying in a general sense. It’s actually targeting specific girls and women with this need and helping them by providing them with the resources,” he said.
Bridging gaps in education
Arbogast, a retired teacher who chairs TEMBO’s Fundraising Committee, emphasized the organization’s mission to bridge the gap between primary and secondary education — a period when girls transition from receiving instruction in Swahili to instruction in English. She said that if language skills are not acquired during this time, girls may get married or become mothers instead.
“We work very closely with our Tanzania partners. We’re not telling them what to do. We’re asking them what they need and how we can support them,” Arbogast said.
Arbogast has taught English in Tanzania three times and plans to return this fall. She has been surprised by the girls’ gratitude for resources and eagerness to learn each time. Arbogast was a part of TEMBO’s most recent trip this past January.
“[In Canada,] when we get to summer break, our students are thrilled to be out of school … In Tanzania, the TEMBO-sponsored girls get to come to an English camp … They can’t wait to get there,” she explained.
On the fundraising side, community advocate Katie Hession also contributed to the momentum of the TEMBO 500 challenge. Hession, a spin instructor at Where I Thrive, ran a charity class to raise money for TEMBO, a cause that became close to her heart in 2008 when she visited Tanzania with her mother.
Hession said she is still in touch with a student named Namelock, whom she sponsored on her trip. Recently, Namelock opened a gym where she also organizes fundraising.
Sandra Hession, Katie’s mother and Carlingwood resident, is also an active giver to TEMBO. Sandra has been to Tanzania four times and describes the experience as “life-changing.”
Canning for a cause
Sandra runs a canning project where she donates her time and all profits to TEMBO. She is partnered with two vendors who help her get her preserves to roadside stands and markets. Although not trademarked, Sandra refers to her project as “canning for a cause.”
Melissa Clark, the President of TEMBO’s board, credits the success of the TEMBO 500 challenge to the generosity of each rider’s friends and colleagues in their donations.
Still, with past experience working for a charity where donations stayed local, Clark said it is relatively difficult to garner support for TEMBO. She wishes more people understood how far a few Canadian dollars can go abroad.
“A small amount of money changes lives, not only the single life – like the girl who went to school or the woman we gave the loan to – but it changes so many lives,” Clark said. “We’ve been there for twenty years, and now the community values education.”
Clark said that $150 — about the cost of a fancy dinner — is about enough to help a woman start a small business that can support her and her family.
TEMBO’s next fundraising events include an online auction scheduled from Oct. 18 to 26 and a friendship tea in April 2025. You can learn more about TEMBO at projecttembo.org.
