In September 2016, the GLK Student Fund trustees asked
“What would your life have been like without the scholarship you received from GLK?”
The reaction was usually a shocked look, followed by a comment on how hard life would have been as a peasant farmer or without the chance to earn an adequate living. We will tell these stories with you in the coming year, but today we share a few words from Bertha. She received a partial GLK scholarship to help her attend an excellent High School. Sponsors Pete and Deb Johnson encouraged her to study the major of her interest even though there were few female engineering students.
Bertha
In Bertha’s own words her response was:
“I am a 23 year old lady, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Mbeya University of Science and Technology… I also happen to have been awarded “Best Female Graduating Student” at Tanzania’s Annual Engineers’ Day on September 1, 2016 in Dar-es-Salaam.
Deb and Pete Johnson through the GLK Student Fund helped fund my high school education at Kajumulo Alexander Girls’ High School in Bukoba which to a big percent I owe my excellent academic foundation
. Had it not been for studying at this high school, who knows which university would have admitted me or if I would meet admission requirements at all. So having come across such funding and people, my family and I have had a beautiful story to tell about GLK and Deb and Pete (Johnson).
Having received this, I also intend to give back to the society…… I dream of starting up an auto-workshop and a clothing line here in Bukoba where I would love to employ people from difficult living environments; I dream of training them and taking them to schools something not far different from the GLK foundation (Fund). The GLK foundation helped me learn that what we may/can become is not necessarily achieved through our own efforts; we live in a village, we help each other, and it is a beautiful thing. So no matter where we come from, we could be the best.
So, thanks to the GLK foundation (GLK Student Fund) and to Deb and Pete Johnson for so much more than just financial support, but also for the inspiration and motivation. God bless.”