The Girl Making her Dream a Reality

Children & Youth

Apr 20

Asnath’s Story

Once, Asnath Baruani Yusuph thought her story had already been written. After finishing Primary school with high hopes, she transitioned to secondary education, only for her life to take a sharp turn in Form Two. A pregnancy led to her dropping out, and the support she desperately needed from home never came. Instead of encouragement, her father offered an ultimatum to marry the man who had impregnated her.

But Asnath had a different dream for herself. Knowing she wasn't ready to trade her future for a forced marriage, she fled to Dar es Salaam to join her mother. Life in the city was a struggle, and the two eventually moved to Bagamoyo, where Asnath spent her days helping her mother run a small food vending business.

One day, while working at the stall, she spotted a street advertisement that changed everything. It was from the Organization for Community Development (OCODE), looking for girls who had dropped out of school and wanted to return back to school.

Asnath didn’t wait. She followed the lead, found Jupiter Open School, and soon realized this was her bridge back to the classroom. With OCODE providing school fees and materials, the girl who once sold food on the street became a student again this time with a fierce focus of becoming an Accountant.

The marvellous news just arrived: Asnath passed her Form Four final examinations, she is now awaiting government selection for Advanced Level education, her dream closer than ever.

Asnath is one of many. With the support from Grieg Foundation, Strømme Foundation and our local partner OCODE are proving that a "dropout" is not a dead end it’s an opportunity for a new beginning.