{"id":105982,"date":"2018-04-27T13:00:32","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T17:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/?p=105982"},"modified":"2018-04-30T12:05:07","modified_gmt":"2018-04-30T16:05:07","slug":"from-fashion-shows-to-her-foundation-model-flaviana-matata-on-changing-things-for-the-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/oftheminute\/from-fashion-shows-to-her-foundation-model-flaviana-matata-on-changing-things-for-the-better\/","title":{"rendered":"From Fashion Shows to Her Foundation, Model Flaviana Matata on Changing Things for the Better"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nPhoto by Ananta Cuffee<\/small><\/p>\n

When it comes to changing the world for the better many can talk, but few actually act on their philanthropic impulses. For model and former Miss Universe Tanzania Flaviana Matata<\/a>, education is key and she has used her platform as a model to better the lives of the youth growing up in her homeland. In 2011 she started the Flaviana Matata Foundation<\/a>, that sets to provide school scholarships and resources to girls in her homeland. We chatted briefly with the inspiring role model about her modeling journey, foundation, and how to change the world for the better.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take us back to your beginnings and how it lead to the opportunity to start your foundation 6 years ago.<\/strong>
\nYes, growing up I was born and raised in Tanzania. I lost my mom at a very young age but she was one of those women who was making efforts and helping people, especially kids when it came to education. We had this big extended family so it was like, you can sleep on the sofa but you have to go to school. When I got scouted for modeling it was after college, so I had an option to either pursue modeling as a career or continue school. I moved to the States and I was doing amazing but I thought about those girls back home. They just want to go to school but they can\u2019t afford it so that\u2019s when the foundation started. It\u2019s my way of paying it forward to my community as I think education is a powerful tool. They say when you\u2019re educating women you\u2019re not only educating her but her family and community. So looking at it as a bigger picture…we\u2019re taking baby steps. <\/p>\n

Amazing! How did you get it off the ground?<\/strong>
\nThis isn\u2019t a huge organization but it’s no pressure as long as you\u2019re making a difference. We have 15 girls, we started with 20 full scholarship which included school fees, school supplies and everything else a girl needs to go to school and stay in school. We also started another project where we’re providing school supplies to different primary schools in Tanzania. We’ve renovated a school, this school we visited when we were donating school supplies. We found out, okay we have these school supplies but these kids are still urinating under a tree they don\u2019t have a toilet. I thought we need to make a friendly learning environment for these kids to really get the education that they deserve. So we adopted that one school and we decided to really stick with that school until we finish. We\u2019re almost done with the classroom and we\u2019ve finished the toilet and after that comes the teachers. Their teacher courses came from the thought process of how are the kids going to get the quality education we keep talking about if we don\u2019t empower the teacher? If we don\u2019t, we are leaving them behind. <\/p>\n

It seems like it has to be a collective approach.<\/strong>
\nYes, we are better off with sticking with this school, finishing the classroom so then we can move to the teachers and make sure they have a beautiful place to stay and encouraging more of them to come to that school. The impact I think will be huge. <\/p>\n

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As we commemorate International Women\u2019s Day with the UN theme \u201cTime is Now; Rural and Urban activists transforming women\u2019s lives\u201d; it\u2019s important to continue reinforcing the need for holistic investment in the lives of women and girls. They have to be educated on their own rights so as to be able to stand up for themselves and hold people accountable whenever their rights are violated. We have to teach our girls to be bold, courageous and have the right to choose what they want for themselves. This will help us alleviate this culture of gender violence. It all starts with access to quality, reliable and safe education. And that is our commitment at #FlavianaMatataFoundation #IWD<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Flaviana Matata Foundation<\/a> (@flavianamatatafoundation) on