ISBN | 9789987081516 |
ePub ISBN | 9789987081929 |
Pages | 58 |
Dimensions | 203 x 127 mm |
Published | 2011 |
Publisher | Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, Tanzania |
Formats | Paperback, eBook |
Their Voices, Their Stories
Fiction by Bethsaida Orphan Girls' Secondary School
edited by Julie Wakeman Linn
UNICEF estimates that Tanzania has over three million orphans. The Bethsaida Orphan Girls Secondary School seeks to help the most vulnerable of Tanzania's children. Founded by Mrs. Anna Machary in 2005 under the auspices of the non-governmental organization, the Olof Palme Orphans Education Center, the school currently enrolls over 130 orphan girls from all over the country, providing them with free housing, meals, psychological support and a quality secondary education. This book features short stories by thirteen students and has the dual purpose of being a fundraiser for the school and giving the girls a voice. It is a unique and enthralling work of fiction, Their Voices: Their Stories ranges from magical realism to fable, from historical fiction to bildungsroman. Under the professional and passionate editorial guidance of Maryland professor Julie Wakeman-Linn, this collection sings of the fears, anxieties and dreams of young Tanzanian women, who pray their education will be the golden ticket out of lives filled with poverty and abuse.
Reviews
"A unique and enthralling work of fiction, Their Voices: Their Stories ranges from magical realism to fable, from historical fiction to bildungsroman. Under the professional and passionate editorial guidance of Maryland professor Julie Wakeman-Linn, this collection sings of the fears, anxieties and dreams of young Tanzanian women, who pray their education will be the golden ticket out of lives filled with poverty and abuse. is work of fiction inspires us all that Nothing Is Impossible Under the Sun."
"It is my hope that all young people who read these stories will be inspired. I pray to God that these girls’ dreams become true and they achieve success so they can become lawyers, judges, bankers, accountants and even writers."
"Too often, I find that the classics are being revived through the artistry of the African writer. This collection leads me to believe that this trend will continue for many generations."
About the Editor
Julie Wakeman-Linn edits the Potomac Review and teaches at Montgomery College in Washington DC. Her novel, Chasing the Leopard; Finding the Lion was a finalist for Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize Literature for Social Change 2008. Visit Julie's website here.