ANTON

Today we have the pleasure of introducing you to Anton Asukile, our new Partnership Development Manager. In this new role, Anton will work with our partner organizations (schools, orphanages and child care centers, and other local NGOs), forge new community, corporate, and government partnerships to support TFFT’s work, and help host any 3rd party visitors to see TFFT’s work (supporters who travel for safari, collaborative work with international organizations, etc).

To get to know him, read his personal introduction below. We are so grateful to have Anton on our team!

 

Anton-Scholar

I was born and raised in Iringa region (Southern Highlands of Tanzania). I spent most of my secondary studies in boarding schools. It was one of the greatest moments of my life, making a lot of friends from different areas of Tanzania. This cultivated in me the understanding of people with different backgrounds and an attitude of valuing every kind of people.

I love meeting and making friends of new people, and it has been one of may greatest joy to be among friends, to the extent that sometime I think I am more connected to friends than some of my family members! But don’t worry I am working on balancing it.

I love music and singing, I normally don’t get tired at music practices in my church wishing to keep it on even 24 hours. Also I like swimming but I am imagining the cold water in Arusha swimming pools!!!

Well, one morning sometime in May this year when I just opened my email, I just noticed among other emails, an email from one of famous vacancies adverting websites. The email was notifying me personally that there was a vacancy related to my skills. The vacancy was from TFFT.

I was very inspired by a statement on the second paragraph on the job description sheet. The statement stated: TFFT believes in the power of education and that geography should not dictate an individual’s potential.

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I felt, wow! This is what should be in the mind of every child in Tanzania. I thought that if all children in Africa should be installed with such understanding that geography should not dictate their potentials, they would be very inspired and put maximum efforts on their studies and developing their talents, regardless economic status of their families, their schools or their countries.

I was inspired because I am a personal testimony of this reality. I grew up without knowing any of my parents, I never experienced the love and life with father and mother and I don’t know them at all….!! (Don’t feel sorry of me, I have enjoyed a lot of ‘supernatural grace’ in turn!)

But regardless of the many challenges I have been facing, I recognized one thing which I took a hold of it in school, “I was smart, a quick learner.” I took it as a shield against any challenge I would face. I would put more effort on my studies so that I pass. Through that, occupying a number 1 in classes was my culture since primary school to some of my courses at college. Leading in pass mark was my greatest happiness and comforter. My point is that, regardless of all the hardships, a child enabled to invest in his/her own inborn potential, will fly on eagles wings.

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So I took a hold of the job description, going through it and was so moved that this should be my next place to be. I had all the requirements listed and also I was in need of a room to do more on what I am capable of. I felt that TFFT will be the right place for me to contribute my skills and participate to enable more lives transformed.

I believe there are more than enough of resources in Tanzania; I believe Tanzanians has enough ability to contribute to solve their own challenges. Only they need is being strategically mobilized to do so. And that’s what we are going to do. We will focus on funds contributed by Tanzanians in our coming year to support to our programs.

Everyone has something to give and has the ability to help another, though the level differs. And with giving you prosper even more, it’s a natural principle just like gravitation force! I wish African leaders would embrace this fact and we would also begin sending charities to poorer nations, would come out of dependence shortly!

Anton-Chloe

Though we are still a small team of staff but we are the one to make the foundation for greater impacts, change more lives of our OVC and hence transform the society. I feel great to be a part of those who are making such an impact we see ahead.

Photo credit: The beautiful portraits of TFFT scholars in the post are by Nate Kaiser of Image Is Found.

2014-09-02T12:46:16+00:00