Supporting Youth - Crossing Boundaries
NAME: HAPPINESS MILLINGA, AGE: 24
PLACE OF RESIDENCE: KIBAMBA, DAR ES SALAAM
My name is Happyness James Millinga, and I am 24 years old. I am the second-oldest child in a family of four, and I live with my parents in Kibamba (Kibwegere), Dar es Salaam.
I completed my elementary school education in 2015 at Amani Primary School and then attended Yusuf Rajab Makamba Secondary School, where I graduated in 2019. After that, I attended Mong’are Teachers’ College in Kilimanjaro, where I received my diploma in 2021.
Ever since elementary school, however, I’d had a great passion for tailoring and fashion design. I dreamed of becoming a fashion designer one day. Unfortunately, my family didn’t support that dream. During my time in middle school, I spent my free time drawing various clothing designs. One day, my aunt found the notebook where I had been drawing my clothing designs and called a family meeting with my father and other relatives. They strongly advised me to stop drawing clothes and focus on my studies.
I was hurt and cried, but I didn’t give up on my passion. My aunt encouraged me not to give up on what I loved. I decided that even though I couldn’t pursue tailoring as a career at that time, I would keep learning so that one day I could at least sew clothes for myself.
After graduating from college, I ran a few small businesses while continuing to hold on to my dream.
In 2025, my aunt told me about “Youth Crossing Boundaries” (YCB) and introduced me to Mr. Alphonce. After hearing my story and seeing my passion, he gave me the opportunity to study at the “Mother Paula Vocational Training Center” in Kibungo, Morogoro.
When my family found out about this opportunity, they wanted me to train as a chef. However, I saw it as my chance to finally pursue the passion I’d had since childhood. I decided to become a tailor.
Today, I am grateful to YCB for giving me the opportunity to turn my passion into a skill. I believe that God opened this door for me at just the right time. I know I still have a lot to learn, and I’m determined to keep improving my skills so that I can make my dream of becoming a successful fashion designer a reality.
Today, I’m also giving something back to YCB by volunteering as a tailoring instructor in the Jijenge program, where I use my skills and talent to teach other young people.
I am deeply grateful to YCB for believing in me, giving me a chance, and helping me make a childhood dream come true.
My name is Tausi Omary Selemani. I was born on September 13, 2005, in Kilosa, Morogoro. I am the sixth child on my father’s side and the second child on my mother’s side.
I come from a family with limited financial resources and have faced many challenges in my life. When I was little, my parents separated. My mother and I stayed in Morogoro, but my father stopped providing financial support. Later, my mother went to Mwanza in search of a better life and left me in my grandmother’s care.
One day, when I came home from school, I realized that my mother and my siblings had left without telling me anything. I was deeply hurt and confused. I continued to live with my grandmother and other relatives, while my relationship with my father remained strained. Sometimes I would see him and call him “Dad,” hoping to get his attention, but he would often tell me to wait for him, only to leave and never come back.
During that time, I became a difficult child. Eventually, my grandmother contacted my mother and asked that I be taken to Mwanza. That was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
In Mwanza, I was reunited with my mother and siblings and met my stepfather. He treated us like his own children and went out of his way to give us love, peace, and a better life. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was in fourth grade. His death changed our lives once again, and suddenly everything became difficult.
I finished fourth grade in 2024, but it was unclear how my education would continue. Later, my mother remarried, and since my stepfather had six children of his own, I eventually moved in with my sister in Manzese. While I was there, I trained to become a hairdresser and continued to look for ways to earn a living and build a future for myself.
My life began to change when I met Mariam, a computer science student who introduced me to “Youth Crossing Boundaries” (YCB). After signing up with YCB, I learned about the opportunity for educational support and decided to apply for a scholarship. I was grateful to have been selected.
Today, I volunteer with YCB while preparing to continue my education. YCB has given me a new chance to believe in myself and keep pursuing my dreams.
I thank YCB from the bottom of my heart for believing in me and giving me hope for my future. I promise to study hard, maintain the highest level of discipline, and make the most of this opportunity.
NAME: IBRAHIM JOSEPH, AGE: 21
PLACE OF RESIDENCE: KIMARA, DAR ES SALAAM
My name is Ibrahim Joseph Marwa. I was born on December 17, 2004, in Arusha, Tanzania.
My life changed completely in 2014, when I was only 10 years old. I lost both my parents in a tragic car accident. After their death, I lived with a neighbor for about a month. However, life became very difficult, and they could no longer take care of me. I was forced to leave and ended up living on the streets for about a year and a half.
During that difficult time, I was unable to attend school for a year. I had lost not only my parents, but also my purpose in life and my hope for the future.
Fortunately, my life took a new turn when I was adopted by the family I live with today. In 2016, I was able to go back to school. For the first time in a long time, I began to believe again that I could build an even better future for myself through education.
I worked hard and graduated from 10th grade in 2024, earning a Division II diploma. I had hoped to continue my studies at the “Advanced Level,” but before I could begin, the woman who had taken care of me—my adoptive mother—tragically passed away from complications of high blood pressure and diabetes.
Once again, everything seemed to have come to a standstill. I no longer had anyone I could rely on for school tuition, allowance, and other school-related needs. I spent another year out of school, feeling hopeless and uncertain about my future.
Then, in February 2026, an opportunity arose that changed my life once again. A friend of my late adoptive mother saw that I was at home with nothing to do and introduced me to Youth Crossing Boundaries (YCB).
After I told the YCB team my story, the director gave me the opportunity to start a computer course while they assessed my commitment and discipline. In June 2026, I was given an even greater opportunity: I became a YCB volunteer and scholarship recipient.
Joining YCB has given me something I had almost given up hope of having.
Today, I can see that my dreams are once again within reach. In January 2027, I plan to resume my studies at the Ifunda Vocational Training Center in Iringa, where I will study electrical installation.
My journey hasn’t been easy, but every challenge has taught me to be strong, patient, and determined. YCB has not only supported my education but has also helped me believe in myself again and see a future beyond the difficulties I’ve faced.
Thank you so much, YCB, for recognizing my potential, believing in me, and giving me hope again. I promise to work hard, make my dreams come true, and make the most of this opportunity. I won’t let you down.
Name: SELEGION PETER KILULUMO, Age: 21 years old
Place of residence: Ubungo, Dar es Salaam
My name is Selegion Peter Kilulumo; I am 20 years old and the second of three children. I live in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam. In 2022, I completed my O-Levels. Like many young people who graduate from secondary school, I had dreams for my future, but I was unsure which path lay ahead of me and what opportunities were open to me.
My journey with the Youth Crossing Boundaries Foundation (YCB) began when my teacher—who is also the director of YCB—introduced me to the foundation. At first, I didn’t realize how important this opportunity would become in my life. Looking back, I now understand that this was the beginning of a journey that would transform not only my education but also my self-confidence, my character, and my vision for the future.
Through YCB, I received far more than just support for my education. I found an environment where I could learn, interact with different people, discover my abilities, and gain more self-confidence. Through my involvement with the foundation, I developed important communication and social skills. I learned to collaborate with others, express myself confidently, take on responsibility, respect others, and understand that every person has their own story and their own challenges. These experiences helped me grow not only academically but also personally and socially.
One of the greatest opportunities YCB offered me was educational support. The foundation supported me throughout my three years at the College of Business Education (CBE), where I studied marketing management. Graduating from college is an achievement for which I am deeply grateful, as it represents not only my own efforts but also the encouragement, support, and trust that YCB placed in me. Through my studies, I gained knowledge in the areas of marketing, communication, sales, customer relations, and business, while also developing a clearer understanding of my professional interests and future goals.
My journey hasn’t always been easy, and there have been moments of uncertainty and challenges. But knowing that there were people and an organization that believed in my potential gave me the strength to keep going. YCB has taught me that my life circumstances shouldn’t define the limits of my future, and that education becomes even more meaningful when it’s used to create opportunities and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
When I look back on 2022, when I had just finished my O-Levels and was unsure about my future, I can clearly see how far I’ve come. Today, I am a graduate in marketing management, with more self-confidence, knowledge, skills, and a clearer vision for my future. My experience with YCB has taught me that sometimes a single opportunity, combined with encouragement and support, can change the course of a young person’s life.
I am deeply grateful to my teacher for introducing me to YCB, and to the foundation for believing in my potential and supporting my education. YCB not only helped me complete my education; it helped me grow into the person I am today. I now have a responsibility to use the knowledge and skills I’ve acquired to create value for others and make a positive contribution to my community. Thank you, YCB, for believing in me and helping me overcome the obstacles that once stood between me and my dreams.