Msaada Tutani - Neema Muro

Dear Friends and well wishers,

I humbly write to you in connection to above mentioned lady who is a daughter of The late Richard Muro who passed away sometimes in 2002.I received a call from Gaborone regional Immigration Office sometimes in June last year regarding Neema. They wanted to know why She was not transported back to Tanzania by the time ATB transported her father's body. They had tried to deport Neema back to Tanzania but she threatened to commit suicide if they do so. That's when they tried to contact ATB to assist. By the time of Muro's death it happened that he was renting at Mrs Naledi Mookinyana's mother's compound in Molepolole. So they all knew Neema and she bacame like a daughter to them. This bond made Naledi to volunteer to stay with Neema after her father's death. She accomodated, fed and supported her until she completed primary education in 2006 at Naledi Secondary School in Gaborone. By God's Grace she perfomed extremely well in her standard seven exams with All 8 A stars. She! was then selected to join Pre-Medical at the University of Botswana. Then the drama started. UB claimed that she was not Naledi's daughter nor legal dependant so she will need a student permit and then pay as a foreign student, about P35,000 a year. When Naledi went to immigration to enquire for the student permit they threatened to charge her for horbouring a foreigner illegally for so many years. They wanted to deport Neema.

I then managed to locate Neema's mother in Tanzania through mama Shine who happened to be knowing her uncle. The mother is financially unstable. I then realised that Neema was not Muro's biological daughter, rather his late brother's daughter. Even Muro had no legal right as Neema's guardian. Muro had decided to bring Neema to Botswana after realising that she was suffering where she was squattering after her father's death. The mother got married to another man in Mwanza town. Unfortunatelly the new husband died as well. He left a house and a small shop to her in Mwanza town which later got burnt down. So She was also squettering. I guess thats why Neema was not ready to go back there alive. I got touched.

I then asked the mother to send legal documents of which she did but the immigration turned it down because Neema had passed the age of adoption which is 16 years. She was then 19 years. After several correspondences and meetings between my office (ATB) and Immigration office, The Immigration Board was convinced and issued a student permit. The DVC-SA was the only person who had authority to change the student status from foreign to local. I wrote several letters with supporting documents and I had several meetings with The Directors of Finance and Student Affairs. The DVC-SA was then convinced and approved the change to local student, meaning she would pay about P13000 a year. She joined UB and started classes sometimes Sept last year. She has finished her first year and again performed very well, with all A's (all subjects). She will be starting clinical trials at Marina Hospital on 8th June 2009. Naledi Mookinyana managed to pay tuition fees, accomodation and books, ! about P15000.00 last year.

I reported the matter to ATB annual general meeting in sept last year of which they requested me to work and try to legalise her stay in Botswana, request UB to change her student status to local and then request all well wishers and friends to contribute towards her studies. Naledi is workin as records attendant at Local goverments, worker's wellfare. The husband works for a security company in Gaborone. Naledi has 6 children of her own and 2 from her husbands previous relationship. She is therefore not a rich lady, just a poor lady with a rich heart. She will therefore not afford to continue paying all school expennses on her own.

Thats why I write to you to humbly request for your contributions towards assisting this poor but very hardworking and God Blessed child. There will be a register in circulation please indicate the kind of assistance you will provide and hand the contribution to any ATB executive member or you can deposit the money into ATB's account no. 325515 barclay's House and then inform the atb's treasurer, Mr Mbekomize (+267 71449964) , or his deputy Mrs Nkabila (+267 71754374) or myself +267 7.... Our target is to raise about P25,0000.00 which will cover for her tuition fees, accomodation and books for second year which starts August 2009.

Naomba tuendeleze mshikamano wetu kama kawaida kwani watanzania wa Botswana tunajulikana kama watu wenye upendo na wenye kusaidiana. Tunakaribisha hata wenzetu walioko nje ya Botswana kama kina Mwasekaga, Mdoe, Nchimbi, Mama Mbeko, Mama Msuya, Rwezaura, Mh Mathayo, Prof Nkoma, Mwakalebela, Maggid, Kissaka, Kisa, Benard Mhando, na wengineo tunaomba mtuunge mkono. Nitakuwa natoa taarifa ya michango kwenu mara kwa mara. Ujumbe huu umeletwa kwako kwa kuwa unajali, Tafadhali foward email hii kwa wasamaria wema.

Natanguliza shukrani.

Nieman Kissasi
eMail: kissasi@lycos.com
Mwenyekiti,
Association of Tanzanians In Botswana (ATB)