Eliakunda, who goes by Ellie, is 25 years old. She is the last born in a family of nine children, but the first one to graduate university in her family line. She was raised by a single mom in the Meru Highlands, one of the many communities in Tanzania that does not believe in or support girls` education. Her journey to school wasn`t easy, nor was it for her to believe in herself and consider herself as a leader for her community.
Ellie explains, “I grew up in a community where inequality in education persists. Very few of us thrive – not because we are lucky, but because we choose not to agree to the village`s status quo. It is never an easy journey, but it is possible when we get empowered.” The strong status quo against girls` education did not mean “impossible” to her. She believed in the right of every girl to get an education and was ready to go out of her way to become educated. She had always wanted to overcome and beat the status quo. Because she was ambitious, compassionate, rational and resilient she managed to advance to university level.