New Year’s message

Dear Zoltan,

My name is Eva, I’m 14 and live in Malinzanga, Tanzania. I want to wish you a Happy New Year, and ask you if you’ll do something amazing with me in 2015.

This year I finished my primary education at Mlowa School. It’s not been easy - my parents have not always been able to pay for my uniform and textbooks - but I did it and I’m really proud.

My hope for 2015 is to start secondary school, so I can one day get my dream job as a policewoman and take care of my community. It’s harder for girls to stay in school here, but I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen.

I was born in 2000, the same year the Millennium Development Goals were set. During my lifetime, the number of people in the world who are extremely poor has dropped a lot.

In my village some people now have mobile phones so know what’s going on in other places. New schools have been built so more of us are getting an education, but I’m lucky. Children from the poorest families or who have disabilities are not going to school. I see this and it makes me sad.

This year, as I turn 15, our leaders will agree a new plan for a better world. If they make it really good, and then actually stick to it, there could be almost no extremely poor people - anywhere - by the time I am 30. How cool would that be?

This is what I wanted to ask you about. Will you help make sure the new development plan is really great, and leaves no-one out?

Like me and more than 6 million others, you’re already a ONE member. Together we need to do more than ever before to build a better world - and demand better from our leaders.

Share my New Year’s message and find out how you can do more this year.

Thank you and Happy New Year,

Eva Tolange, 14, Tanzania