De Weekkrant De Havenloods                                Wednesday, 4 June 2008  –  Page 19

EVERYONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Rotterdam – Stella Tesha, daughter of a Tanzanian Diplomat, experienced something as a 4 year old girl, that will influence the rest of her life. It was 1977 and the Tanzanian president Julius Kambarage Nyerere came to Sweden, where Stella lived at that moment. Nyerere held an inspiring speech in front of a big group of Tanzanians, with the message, that everyone can make a difference. When little Stella asked, if that applies to her too, Nyerere said “especially you”. From that moment on, making a difference became Stella’s life motto.

Not long after that Stella came face to face with poverty. She had meanwhile moved with her family to Dar-es-Salaam, the capital of Tanzania, and lived in the district Makongo, were next to rich people like herself, also many poor people lived. Shida, a girl the same age as Stella, belonged to the last category. She walked barefoot and regularly didn’t go to school because she had to help her parents with their work.

For many years the two girls lived just next to each other. But when she was 12, Stella took the courage and walked into the hut of Shida and her family. She asked and was overwhelmed by the stories about hunger and poverty. Out of guilt she started bringing food from her parents garden, but very soon realized, that this wouldn’t solve the problems of Shida’s family.

Since then Stella, since 1999 living in the Netherlands, looked for ways to really make a difference. Eventually, this lead to project MIKITA, with which de poorest woman will learn to make clothes and with that earn a living. For that at first already existing woman tailors will be helped with the making of products, for which there is a bigger market. The extra money, which the tailors will earn, will make it possible for them, to invest time in teaching their knowledge to the poorest woman.

Those who want to help to realize the project: on Thursday, 12 June there is a benefit dinner in Theater Hal 4, (Watertorenweg 20.) More information: www.green-waters.org or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it