About Us - Foundation DART

Dorocella Reuben – Founder of Foundation DART

My name is Dorocella Reuben Vermue. I was born in the land of rare beauty, Tanzania. I grew up in Bukoba and Mwanza in Tanzania. This is also where I was educated. I finished my secondary education in Mwanza.

After this I was trained by Air Tanzania Cooperation and studied for an Advanced Diploma in International Air Transport with the Association (IATA/UFTAA) in the year 1982-1984. There I was taught how to associate and deal with many different types of people, both young and old. In 1984 I became employed with the same company ATC for 3 years.

After leaving my country to live in the Netherlands and having my own daughters, I see the way their life and schooling is. This life, the possibilities for their future is very different than the life girls in Tanzania can have.

When I return to Tanzania, I see the way it still is for these young girls, they have no voice. And after returning to my Country every year, I know that nothing will change for these young girls that they can’t choose their own future. Until somebody does something. I choose to do something.

Together with a great team Foundation DART works on creating a better future for our girls.

Achievements

2012 – Foundation DART started – Dorocella’s first visit to Tanzania as fouder of Foundation DART – Girls could register to attend the Foundation DART programme – Official opening of the DART house in Mwanza – At the DART house the English classes start – Fundraising events were held to raise money and awareness.

2013 – Once more than 40 girls were attending the DART house we had to stop accepting more girls, because Foundation DART is a small organisation and just starting we are limited in our possibilities to help more that 40 girls at the DART house, this was difficult but necessary. Our aim is to help as many girls as possible, when we are able to raise more funds and awareness we will be able to take on more girls. – The DART house moves to a new, better and safe location in Mwanza – The first reading marathon is held – Foundation DART wins the Tanzania Diaspora Achievement Award in the category Women and Girl Empowerment – Not only English lessen are provided at the DART house but the girls are also learning skills such as agriculture and sewing, teaching the girls to provide for themselves.

2014 – This year we also start sending young girls to primary school with the funds raised and after school they attend the DART house – The second reading marathon is held – We have a special visitor at the DART house. Darleana McHenry, CEO at St. Carries, has developed a girls only tour to mentor our girls at the DART house. St. Carries Classroom promotes education for all children world wide.

2015 – In 2015 we developed our agriculture and sewing programme even further. – Our girls open their first piggy banks – Foundation DART gave back to the community by providing food harvested by our girls – Fontys Academy students visited Foundation DART and educated our girls in a creative way using music – Foundation DART received two letters of recognition on the Internation Day of the African Child – The Foundation DART restaurant at the Buzuruga Hospital, where our girls learn cooking and small business skills was opened!

2016 – Due to a lot of rain in December 2015 we were able to harvest a lot of beans, mais and peanuts. It was a great year for our agriculture programme. Our first student, who joined DART in 2012, passed Form 4 and will be going to High School. This is the first year that all of our girls that are supposed to attend primary school are now able to because the new president has made primary education free. All the girls need are uniforms, stationary and books. Foundation DART provides this so that the girls can go to school.

2017 –This year more of the Foundation DART girls started our sewing programme. A reading marathon was organised on international women’s day. This year we were supported by Tanzanian university students in the Sant’egidio community of Mwanza. The students support Foundation DART by donating food and clothes. They also volunteer and teach extra classes on Saturday like Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math. With these after school classes our girls can expand their education which is fantastic. The students also share nice and happy moments with our girls like eating, dancing and playing together.

2018 – In 2018 Foundation DART started receiving more volunteers. Each volunteer helps in different disciplines for example volunteers with medical background checking our girls, a volunteer was teaching them self defence and others help around the DART house. After hearing about our girls cooking skills EQWIP HUBs (an organisation that provides international volunteer opportunities or Canadians, currently volunteering at Chuo Cha Mipango in Mwanza) asked Foundation DART to cook for 300 people during one of their events. This year we had the opportunity to visit the Nane Nane (Eight Eight) Exhibition. We are grateful that our girls could learn more about farming during the exhibition. The Nane Nane Exhibitions are the largest agricultural events in Tanzania, organised regionally throughout Tanzania. Also our Teddy who was our first DART girl to go to High School is now going to attend University, what an achievement!

2019 –In 2019 we started a sports programme and expanded our sewing programme making bags.