Showing the trademark determination of a KEF alumna, Gloria Baltazari’s motto during the COVID-19 crisis remains,
“I can, I will, and I must.”
Gloria can be seen in this photo accepting an award for her work with helping children in conflict with the law.
The coronavirus has caused major setbacks for everyone, but in Gloria’s case, it stalled her campaign for Tanzanian parliament. This KEF alumna has spent her legal career advocating for vulnerable groups such as: female victims of abuse or rape, children in conflict with the law, and others who are unfairly denied access to legal support. She hoped to achieve a parliamentary position to effect change on a larger level, but since the pandemic abruptly stalled her plans, Gloria turned her focus inwards to protect the youth in her community.
“I conducted a training with the youth, about 50+ youth were educated on what corona is and how to protect themselves... I hope the group which was trained will be a catalyst to others.” --Gloria
Not letting her campaign’s hiatus discourage her, Gloria continued to work as hard as ever with a new goal to protect her community. She used the KEF Emergency Funds granted to her to educate over 50 children on what COVID-19 is, how it is spread, and most importantly, how to protect themselves from it. During this training, every child received a free mask. They were told how and when to wear these masks, as well as proper methods of hand washing and other sanitation procedures. These children returned home to teach their families and their neighbors the information they learned, effectively educating and further protecting Gloria’s entire community.
This video details what COVID-19 is, how it works, and how to prevent it. This was filmed during the training initiative to serve as a PSA to the whole community.
Though COVID was detrimental to Gloria’s campaign, it allowed her to be there for her community in their time of need. And, despite the cancellation of important campaign events, Gloria was voted 4th out of 100 candidates and was one of the only women to run in her district. No matter her position or title, Gloria continues to show the world that her number one priority is to break barriers and support others. She has proven this time and time again, even in the most difficult circumstances, and has no intention of stopping
“I will support others whenever I can do so.” --Gloria