Orphanage in East Africa, Tanzania - Tumaini Children's Foundation

November 22, 2010

Hello to St. Joseph’s School!

Our daughter Amanda is in the midst of completing her student teaching program and has brought her work and Tumaini together!  Hello to Mitchell and Nolan(s) and Charlotte and Erin.  Habari (meaning How Are You in Swahili) Alexandria, Abbie, Kallie and Devin, Hudson, Melanie, Joshua, Deshayne and Brock!  Ying Ying, Agatha, Spencer and Kendra, Nyla-Rose, Daniel, Ever, Olivia, Cole and Christiane, Isaac, Jacob, Clara, Chloe, Gage, Jenna, Nicole, Mercedes, and Mackenzie!!!  Students from Mrs. Long’s  5^th Grade class, AND Kiley and Hannah have embraced Tumaini!

Mrs. Long has donated one children’s book per child to Tumaini House and as a part of their literacy program, each child is writing a letter, enclosing a photo of themself, and sending them along with Amanda as a Christmas gift for their new, Tanzanian penpal!  A Skype date from Tanzania to Mrs. Long’s grade 5 class has been arranged. The students and children will have the opportunity to meet each other face (sort of) to face!  How wonderful is that?

Mwajuma is home sick with malaria but is on the mend.  We should have little Mary’s most recent CD4 count this week and I expect it to be on the rise!  The children of Tumaini (small and large!) are getting excited about our arrival and you . . . well, Christmas contributions and sponsorships continue to come in but we still need your help!  Please consider helping with our Christmas gifts – Chicks - $10, all the way to a cow for $100!.  With your loving care and Marcie’s hard work we should have a herd soon!  Asante sana!

A Volunteer’s Story!

And now about a volunteer . . . you will remember that Mariel visited us at Tumaini as a volunteer this past summer.  Yesterday I attended The First Congregational Church in Muskegon, Michigan to speak about Tumaini.  She, her parents Tom and Diane and sister Robyn invited me.  It is a 6 ½ hr. drive to Muskegon and you can imagine how busy things are here with my departure just a couple of weeks away, but something told me I should make the trip and boy am I glad I did! 

I was greeted by Mariel, Diane and Robyn upon my arrival at their home and we began catching up on things Tumaini.  You know ladies and gentlemen, there are many people who come to Africa (and Tumaini) as volunteers . . . very few are true stewards . . . people who “get” was is trying to be done there to assist the desperately poor . . . Mariel is one of those few who understood the vision of people (not just us) who come to Africa in an attempt to help in whatever ways they can.  She was loving, attentive and caring about the children, she empathized with the hardships of so many citizens of Usa River and yet retained her, and our, philosophy to do what she could to help and be happy and satisfied with her efforts.  She taught our children well and with love and respect and we couldn’t be more happy to have had her . . . we hope she returns soon!

Sunday morning, after some delicious coffee, (with milk, thank you Tom!), we headed to church!  What a welcome!  Music and education director Tom Clark, who had been fundamental in helping Mariel get to Tanzania in the first place, pastor Tim Vanderhaar and members of the congregation all greeted me warmly, These people had assisted Mariel in her fundraising efforts .  Mariel’s Aunt and both sets of her grandparents welcomed me warmly and thanked Tumaini for making Mariel’s experience so rewarding . . . I had to tell them it had been all our pleasure! 

Further, Dad Tom had raised over $400.00 to go towards shoes for the children and the Goodman family has sponsored little Mary’s school fees for 2011, AND, the church is working to help with the care of our wonderful little Christina, who is still, along with some others, without sponsorship, and there are even more good things in the works but more on that excitement in the future! 

I was treated to my first bell choir . . . the choir and band were outstanding and the familial atmosphere of the entire church was one of welcome and love.  I am honored to have attended and send along my heartfelt, Asante!  It is our hope that 2011 will bring at least, a Goodman visit to Ontario, or, even more exciting, a reunion in Tanzania where some of Mariel’s family may join Amanda on her upcoming fundraising drive by climbing Kilimanjaro with my nephew Sean . . .

Well, December 8^th arrives very soon.  I am a little panicky with all of the packing that needs to be done yet, but we’ll get there.  2010 receipts (thus far) are going out this week and we still need a couple of sports bags and some watches for the children.  A reminder about sponsor gifts, and please, if you are thinking of making a donation this year, in the spirit of giving to the children, please remember us.  Tumaini is only as strong as those of us who can and will, lovingly support it.  To all of you have done that, and so very much more this past year, thank you SO very much for giving for caring. I hope you all know just how much the love you have given this past year is appreciated . . . by me, but more importantly by the children.  We have some surprises for those of you who have loved us . . . stay tuned!

Be well! 
 

October 22 from Mama

It’s been awhile since my last blog and I apologize, we’ve been busy digging ginseng . . . yes, the farmers have been hard at it harvesting our last garden . . .

Katy arrived safely and soundly and distributed new jammies and tunics (lovingly sewn by SCS family studies class) to our children (except for Josephat whose were accidentally left on my bed during packing . . . Pole Josephat, I’ll bring them at Christmas!)  Please see the photos!  Neema received spices for the kitchen and Grace got meds and vitamins for Langa ya Iruva, the AIDS group we help support.   An update from Katy in her own words,

“Well I've been in Tanzania for 3 days now. The people here are so nice.  Everyone greets you when you see them and they are trying to teach me some Swahili.  It’s not an easy language to grasp but I’m sure that I’ll get it eventually. Teaching right now is kind of tipsy, it’s hard to get kids that are soo young to try and pay attention for more than 5 minutes me and the girls have been trying different approaches every day since I’ve come hopefully soon we will have a grasp on it. These children are soo smart for their ages some can count to almost 100 it surprises me every day with how much they know. I have not yet got to experience the real Tanzania here at the orphanage they are pretty fortunate to have hydro and running water and a place to sleep every night but yesterday I did see on my way to Arusha some young kids still in their school uniforms in a ditch that had running water filling up jugs for drinking water. The bottles were clear so you could see the water was really dirty. Yesterday I thought that they were burning some brush in the lot across the street from us but it turns out that they burn the garbage here and it really smells. The scenery here is beautiful you can sit on the front balcony and look at mount Meru, I go out there every morning and I still can’t believe I’m here. There are banana trees everywhere you look and almost all the trees have flowers on them. The children here are very happy and they get along very well for there being so many of them. I love to just sit and watch them interact with each other they all look after each other and love each other and when they laugh and smile it makes you melt.”

A BIG thank you to Heather for sponsoring Margaret for this next year . . . she truly is a special little girl who deserves a chance.  Thank you for giving her that!

Mary Minja, our 22 year high school graduate and her 20 year old brother Reward are still looking for assistance with university fees.  There is a real chance that much of their costs will be covered by government loans, but, they will still have financial needs so please consider helping.

Little Mary (14 year old HIV+) is mending.  She did have to return to Dr. Lyimo this past week vomiting, but our volunteer Mariel tells me she saw her smile for the first time. . . in Mariel’s words, “you can tell she isn’t well yet, but she plays with the other children as well as she can and yesterday I saw her first smile”.  Thank you Aunt Mayre and Nici for that!  Neema and Rashid just made their first, timely, trip back to clinic for their CD4 counts and free ARV’s and so we thank you on their behalves also.  Janice tried to help us with support for Mary but things didn’t work out financially.  I cannot reach Janice but if anyone knows her, please pass along our heartfelt thanks to her for trying.  It is what is truly in your heart that matters most I think . . .

And, speaking of money, and by extension, accountability, I’d like to thank you for the confidence you place in me to manage Tumaini’s funds.  For example, the following is a schedule of just some of the costs for this past week, working back from today in order to give you a perspective of where your dollars go.  All prices are in Tanzanian shillings:  300,000 to Neema for food; 30,000 to Peter for fuel; 60,000 for three month’s rent to help Tony and Evalin’s mother (and Margaret’s older sister) escape the thievery and maliciousness of her drunken family who steal the food away from the six children remaining at home and sell it for alcohol (she too is going to need a sponsor, to the tune of about $15.00 monthly for rent alone); to Mary Minja, our darling 22 year old high school graduate, to travel to Dar Es Salaam to register for university – 40,000 transport, 4,000 photo, 20,000 food, 10,000 application fee; 100,000 in new wages; 20,000 for fuel; 10,000 for fuel for the irrigation pump for our garden; 10,000 for Neema for phone so she can stay in touch with me via text; 5,000 for children for church; 20,000 in hospital fees when Amina was rushed in . . . grand total Tzs.629,000 which translates into about Cdn. $440.00.  Once again I give thanks for your confidence because recently it was brought to my attention that there are people who feel Tumaini Children’s Foundation, like so many other charities in the news of late, could be a sham, or, that I may have ulterior motives (or something in it for me) to be heading a foundation such as this and I must share with all of you, this is simply not true.  100% of every dollar donated to Tumaini goes directly to the care of the children.  I am paid nothing to do this job . . . in fact, I pay all of my own expenses.  I have contributed thousands of dollars into the futures of our children, and when there is a shortfall in the monthly operating costs, and there often is, I make up the difference.  School fees and emergencies and sickness . . . how do I tell a child, “there is no money”, and so if funds are unavailable, I find myself digging in once again.  Please understand I am not complaining, I knew what I was getting into.  Rather, I wish to inform, and give enormous THANKS, because these children ARE real, their needs are real.  I went into their homes (if you could call them homes in many cases) where there was no food, no means for support, no future.  Insomuch as scams do exist and their existence damages legitimate causes such as this one, should someone doubt our validity, the needs of these oh, so incredibly special little people, then that will hurt their future opportunities and that would be unbearable.  You see, these very real little ones, with very real needs have become my own children.  I love them and fear for them just like you do for yours.  Without us, without you, their opportunities at a real chance at life are dismally slim . . . we simply MUST help and I must confess one thing . . . there IS something in this for me . . . the unconditional love of these children and the overwhelming satisfaction I get every time I see one of them realize that they might just live past sixteen or twenty . . . that they ARE going to need to work hard to acquire a good education because they ARE going to stay healthy with good food, and medical care and love, and live long enough to need a job, a means of support, an opportunity to live a real . . . full . . . life.  You and your optimistic confidence and support help create these opportunities and so, from the absolute bottom of my heart I say ASANTE!

 Amina, (HIV+ and very sick mama to Glory and Angella) turns out to have malaria and an amoeba from bad water.  She has begun treatment and I will keep you up to date. 

Check out the photos of Mana OVC (the orphan support group we help) celebrating their new school shoes, or the Family Studies Class of SCS presenting our kids with their brand new tunics . . . or the kids modeling them!!!!  Volunteers Katy and Mariel and Raquel are photographed with some Maasai women in Majengo Village.  You know . . . Alison, Anna and Beth, past volunteers to Tumaini House are already planning their returns . . . proof positive of just how wonderful our family really is!  Christina when will we see you again?  Sending hugs from the children and thanks for all of your fundraising efforts ongoing now to help out!

My flight is booked . . . I leave December 8th  . . . If I may ask?  If your family is considering a charitable giving type of Christmas please do keep us in mind.  We have school fees coming up in January and need all of the help you can give us!  Many of our children are still looking for sponsorship so, if you can, please consider contributing what you can.  Each of these children deserves a chance.

I am still looking for knitting machines, kerosene egg incubators, and now, once again, hockey bags.  Cards and small gifts you might like to send to your sponsored child . . .  Follow us on twitter @tumainimama or visit our site at www.tuchifo.com . ASANTE!!

October 2nd – from Simcoe . . . 

Let me start this blog with very “warm” thank yous to Susan and Donna and Deborah and Jane, on behalf of the children for so generously supplying us with flannel jammies!!  We’re outfitted for bed in warmth and they’ll leave next week and the kids will be tucked into them within two weeks!  I’ll ask for photos and pass them on to you okay?  Further thanks must go to Amanda Vanschyndel and the family studies students of Simcoe Composite School for offering to sew our “housecoat tunics”!  It is winter in Tanzania as I have mentioned but Tumaini’s children won’t feel the cold because of your generous kindness.  Thank you, thank you!

Thank you also, once more to Aunt Mayre and Janice and Nici for taking on the care of oh so sick Mary (and Neema and Rashid and polio afflicted Ndelio!).  It struck me oh so poignantly how, were we not to have crossed paths while I was there, and had you not embraced their care, some, or all of these little ones may very well not have been alive when I return at Christmas . . . I struggle to explain the feeling, having met them and held their hands, looked into their fearful eyes, to comprehend that they could die . . . so young, so innocently, simply for the lack of a few pennies per day . . . Intellectually, I understand  that this is the story of poor Africa, of any poverty stricken country, but when it hits you in the face . . . the slap is hard.  Thank you so very much . . .

AND . . . thank you to new sponsor Diane, friend of Cindy, for joining the Tumaini family!

I thought some of you might enjoy a different perspective of life at Tumaini House, and so, with her permission, I have included Raquel’s blog for your reading pleasure.  Raquel is from Maryland, USA and is staying at Tumaini for three months.  She and Mariel work, not only with our Tumaini children but also with the orphaned children of Mana OVC.  Enjoy!

As you know already, today is Saturday and thus Mana OVC.  It went really well again, and I really feel like I am already making progress with the students! The only trouble is the language barrier, which makes for a lot of trouble actually, but I have my Swahili dictionary to help me there and Teacher Winner to translate if she’s not busy. So it all balances out in the end. I have to work, and so do they. I told them if I teach you English, you teach me Swahili and they all laughed, but they teach me some words if I ask them ‘Kiingereza tafadhali’ which means ‘English please’? Personally, I feel really bad that they have to learn English. Teaching it is hard enough, I can’t imagine learning it as a second language. There are so many loopholes and alternatives to every rule that even picking out the simplest things to teach takes forever. Did you know that we have a Present Perfect Tense? I didn’t until yesterday and I ended up teaching it to 25 kids. (If you want to know, it’s when you use ‘has’ and ‘have’ in front of a past tense verb. Ex- I have missed Raquel these past few weeks :] ) You learn something new everyday, I just ended up using that knowledge sooner than I would have intended.

After I dismissed the class, Mariel and I went to go find Mama Grace who has told us the previous night that she wanted to show us around Usa after Manna OVC. When we did find her, she was in the midst of a group of 30 women who, I found out after, form a group (the name escapes me unfortunately) that Mama Dee created which loans out money to women to allow them to start a business of their own and get them out of poverty. Mama Grace introduced us to everyone and we had to give a little speech about who we are, where we’re from, ect (I’ve found that I’ve gotten pretty good at making impromptu speeches since I’ve been here cause I’ve had to give a whole hell of a lot of them – today was no exception).

The ladies were all so nice. And I really have to hand it to them – starting a small business under their conditions is no easy feat. Especially because most of them: A) have no husband, or a husband that is practically useless; B) are HIV positive; C) have children to take care of; and D) live in places that sound not be habitable. Life for a woman is hard in Tanzania, and I respect every single one of those ladies in there that was able to swim hard enough against the current of society to reach solid ground on the opposite bank. Its easy to flow with the current: meet a man who tells you that he’ll marry you if you give him a baby; have that baby to get the security of a husband; he leaves you; you meet another; you get HIV; you can’t afford the medicine cause you have to feed your children; you have to find a job, take care of the kids, and keep house at the same time; and suddenly you’re down a hole so deep that hope is merely a pin prick amongst a sea of blackness. It takes strong person to climb out of that hole and get back on your feet; to build something out of literally nothing when your body is slowly deteriorating. I don’t know if I could.

If that wasn’t a shock enough, Mama Grace then proceeded to show us all around Usa Village. We went to visit a lot of the people that Mama Dee sponsors by either paying for the rents or adopting their kids if they have too many. We probably went to 5 some odd houses, and they weren’t really houses. All of them were smaller than my bathroom. All of them. A family of literally was sleeping in one bed and a couch in a room smaller than my bathroom at home. This is the poverty that everyone talks about in Africa. And I walked right through its front door and looked in the face of it.

I don’t even know what to write here. I could go on and describe the living conditions of each of these families (or more like single mother families – it’s a common theme here in Tanzania it seems), but I feel like I would be talking down about them. They don’t need our pity. They know they have a tough life. I mean they wake up every day in a 50 square foot room – how much more reminder do they need? But I will say this: even though the living conditions of these people were a shock to my system, it was the fact that they couldn’t even afford these conditions that really got to me. Remember how I said before that Mama Dee sponsors these people by paying for their tents?  These mothers can’t even afford to pay for a one-bedroom inlet (I can’t get myself to write house because it didn’t have the welcoming feel of a home to me) amongst the ramshackle of crumbling cement and discarded bottle caps.

They need all the help they can get. I looked into the eyes of these women who offered me their bed as a place to sit down and I can tell you I’ve never felt so guilty about complaining that I had too much homework or that I didn’t like the teachers I have: At least I had an education. At least I have an opportunity to do something with my life. To not end up stuck in a hole-in-the-wall with 4 babies all crying to be fed when there is no food to be found. And you do too. Count your blessings; cause for some people 1 hand is too much. So please, please, please if you or anyone you know has some extra money lying around collecting dust – put it to good use! Sponsor a woman or a child. The money goes directly to them; I’ve seen it in action. It will directly benefit a woman or one of the kids I work with at Tumani – they always need help with their school fees. I have loads of heart breaking stories that I could put down here to guilt you into it, but I don’t think that’s the proper way to go about asking for help. You should want to do it for your own reasons. Here’s the link if you get an inkling, any efforts would be thoroughly appreciated: www.tuchifo.com 

Raquel!

Be well and please do consider volunteering at Tumaini House.  Karibu!         Follow us on twitter @tumainimama!

Raquel, second from left, Bibi and Mariel!!

Mary

September 21st, from the plane . . . between Nairobi and Amsterdam . . .

Habari asubuhi!  First of all I had better wish my mother a happy birthday today or else, and, I must thank our first Canadian volunteer to Tumaini . . . 78 year old Bibi Elizabeth!  She was a trouper!  Home visits, land inspections, safaris, etc., and to Lisa and Brendalee, she is not so absent minded . . . it was Oddo who failed to return her camera after taking some photos and so you must wait for her pictures.

Goodbyes are always tough at Tumaini.  There were plenty of tears from Mama, and Neema is always good for a tear or two when we say goodbye, but the children are beginning to understand that I’ll be back and that lets me leave without feeling so guilty . . . Harriri had a tough time letting me go and Francis, and I think I saw a bit of moisture in Yusuph and Raymond’s eyes but everyone else was okay . . . I think.  We are planning a wonderful Christmas at Tumaini this year . . . Oddo will purchase our goats for Christmas dinner next month so that we might save some money!

We are just beginning to seeing a return on our investment in the egg business.  Our children benefit and our bank account also . . . a good thing.  All of our children were healthy when I left and Amina was even able to make it to church on my last Sunday although the tumor is still causing her to shake.

School fees are paid for all of our children until the end of the year!  THAT is quite an accomplishment considering I didn’t expect to be able to afford to send ANY of our children to a quality, English Medium School where they might learn English and truly prepare for their futures, but, with your help we have been successful . . . next project . . . fundraising for next year’s fees . . .

Mary (22) and Reward (20) our two high school graduates are waiting to hear (any moment, so please say a prayer) that they’ve been accepted into university AND, that they qualify for loans, based on their grades and the fact that they have no parents, to help with tuition.   We at Tumaini will try to help them with other things but without those loans . . .

The Tumaini Ambassador Raymond, and a young man I love very much is expecting to complete his year Division 1 which is as good as it gets . . . Nelson, in Form 1 expects the same (do you remember him as the young man who, despite living alone and struggling to find food and support himself managed to maintain a #3 of 173 (I think) position in his class?  He is an incredibly serious student and we must find a way to help him. 

I found another young girl, 14, her name is Mary and she is positive and unable to financially get to her clinic and thus her meds . . . For her, and others like her, this is a death sentence.  We have brought her to Tumaini for the next four months because she has completed her primary education (always in the top ten of her class of 100 or more) and needs to learn some English so that she will have a chance at secondary school, AND, eat some good food which her care giver (Bibi) cannot afford to provide, in order for her health to improve.  You cannot imagine how painful and difficult it is for me (or you) to meet a child who will die because he or she cannot afford milk, or a protein, or bus fare to monthly clinic in order to receive life giving ARV’s, and yet for us . . . that cost equates to a dinner out.  Please, please . . . help.  The count is to three now . . . three children who, if we don’t help, have no one else to ensure they get their meds . . . Rashid, Neema and now Mary could die without us . . .

With a ton of help from Mama Grace the books are audited . . . and more good news . . . everything is as it should be . . .

I think we may have found our new home . . . I did several visits to a small (and desperately poor) village near Kilimanjaro Airport called “Majengo”.  They have nothing.  No electricity, no means of pumping water from their well . . . ours will be the first and only vehicle in Majengo should we go and they desperately want us.  The Chairman of the village and we are working closely together to try to negotiate with the government of Tanzania to allow us to take over the existing six room school (for 400 students).  That way we will not have to build a school next door to the one already standing but will improve IT and provide better teachers, and supplies and food, etc.  The national election in Tanzania is coming up and so we pray . . . please join us.  We are trying to get 25 acres (they have offered us 5 already) and the school and we could buy good farm land for very little and just our presence would greatly improve the quality of life for the entire village and they know it!  It is INCREDIBLY frustrating to work in a country where one is constantly “mzungued” for being white and I experience my fair share of it daily.  I made it very clear in the village that we can have no mzunguing (taking financial advantage of the white person) and received full cooperation . . . I hope.  Majengo doesn’t even have a dispensary, nor an AIDS support group, two things we will kick start upon arrival, but, we need to move forward soon because planting season will begin in January and we may need to ship that next container sooner, rather than later, full of school furniture and farm equipment and of course that means MORE money.

It has been a wonderful visit, and a sad one . . . I am uncertain if I will see Amina again . . . we take steps to build our permanent future for Tumaini . . . our children grow and laugh and thrive and learn English but you must know that without you we cannot sustain this . . . we NEED you to help support our children . . . PLEASE sponsor, partially, or entirely, one of our children so that we can continue to grow Tumaini . . . a permanent home . . . school, food and love . . . oh, and did I mention fun! 

Please join us at Tumaini (it’s not like it’s the other side of the world or anything, teehee).   We do, even if I am a bit biased, have THE most wonderful children in all of Africa . . . we are preparing to host our own safaris in the near future AND, it will be Karibuni Canada in January and February if all of you who expect to come do . . .

Thank you.  To each of you for caring and loving these children.  They truly are incredibly special and incredibly lucky to have your support and they know it.  The love and the prayers they share with me for you is incredible . . . I have a folder of colorings 1” thick of thank you pictures from them. . . and please know how wonderful it feels to hold the hand of a child whose life you are building, whose life you are saving . . . Karibu a Tanzania!  See you soon!

A "plane" letter to my Tanzanian family from Mama . . .

by Cherie Tiffin-Szucs on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at 8:42am

My husband's first wife Angela used to send the children up to visit us from Florida with a "plane letter".  A letter of love and well wishes for a "safari njema" . . . a good trip . . . we started that practice as a family and I began doing it also when I say goodbye to my African family . . . they paste them on the wall at Tumaini House . . . here's my letter to them . . . Karibu . . .

To my dear family, Asante . . . 

For you children who are so very special and so deserving of all the love the world has to offer, I will do my best to bring it to you . . . safety and good food and good education, and health and love, yes, lots and lots of love.For my dadas and kakas who work so hard to provide that care and love when I am in my other home.

Always remember that we are a family . . . we need each other in order to survive, in order to thrive.  Mamas you need these children and children you need help from the Mamas . . . this is a family . . . this is what we are . . .Children, please work hard . . . please welcome Mama Mandela and our new friend Mary who will stay with us and get well and go to school and be happy just like you . . .

Remember how important school is to your future.  Mind your teachers at school and here at home so that you will learn all they have to teach you and you will grow . .  .

Mamas and Babas give me your love and let me trust all of you . . . to be honest and gentle with your actions and your words . . . to each other and to these children I love so much . . .

You tell me there is nothing more you might do except to do as I ask, to show your love and your gratitude for what we are trying to build here. . . that is all I need.  Treat each other with love and respect.  Take only what is yours to take and raise these children up . . . never tear them down, and THAT, my dear sisters and brothers will be all you need do to show me you care . . .

Neema continue to prepare such loving food for our family . . . I’ll be back with more goodies at Christmas!  And this time I’ll bring Baba and Amanda and friends Cindy and Kal and Jenna and yes, maybe, just maybe, even Stephen!Katy is coming from my village next month to work with you . . . please welcome her and show her how special we are at Tumaini . . . be good to Rachel and Mariel and Nick . . .

To my family . . . I love you so much . . . I miss you already . . . pray for our dreams of Tumaini and pray for each other . . . be well and be kind and know always, how very much I care about each one of you.

With all the mother’s love in the world, Mama

September 17th, 6:40 a.m.

Photos included are of Mary, Angela and Reward with their donated laptops.  Bibi Elizabeth and I helped Mary attend a computer course and Angela and Reward are already familiar.  Check out the new shoes on our Tumaini children!  All Tumaini children have new school shoes (thank you Tracy) and we are purchasing shoes for our Mana OVC orphans with the balance . . .

On some mornings getting 20 some odd children ready for school is quite a job and sometimes little Liadi escapes from the big house and races to my little house where we share chai and I dress him for the day . . . wowowo is “tushy” in Kiswhali . . . check out the gari (car) on Liadi’s!  Thank you Ellen for the underwear . . .

Young Roses had a classroom built by a U.S. organization called “Brick by Brick”.  We at Tumaini are going to begin a similar program where children can fundraise for bricks for our new school.  The head mistress showed me, during a visit I made to the school, the new “baby class” desks they are using . . . Liadi is our model.

Imagine being a little girl of ten named Neema (meaning Grace), or, an eight year old boy called Rashid living in a remote village called Majengo and struggling, one with just a Bibi, and one with a mother only to help provide care and support.  Imagine having been infected with the deadly disease HIV at birth and knowing that without disease suppressing ARV’s life will be short, painful and full of sickness.  Now imagine being unable to afford the bus fare to attend monthly free clinics where life saving ARV’s are distributed.

Meet Neema and Rashid, two children I met while visiting Majengo Village near the Kilimanjaro Airport.  Both are positive and both are registered in the national record and permitted to attend monthly clinics where their health is assessed, CD4 counts recorded and their antiretrovirals are distributed.  This “procedure” occurs monthly.  Neema has only missed her last clinic but Rashid has not attended clinic since February.  He has missed receiving his meds since February.  Trust me when I tell you how seriously compromising this is for the health of a child struggling with HIV.  And why, you might ask do these children not attend?  Because each month they are unable to find Tzs. 3,500 which is what they require for bus fare.  Tzs. equates to Cdn. $2.41.  We brought Neema and Rashid to Tumaini House.  We fed them, bathed them, and sent them to Dr. Lyimo for check ups (only ARV’s are free in Tanzania, other medications are not) and then on to their clinic.  They will return on September 29 to confirm their CD4 counts and to check on their improving health.  We need a sponsor to support Rashid and Neema at the monthly cost of Tzs. 21,000, or $17.25.  This will pay for three (Neema, Rashid and a caregiver) bus fares and a small meal enroute for the children.  Please help.  I will keep you updated on the situation of their health but we MUST find help for them.  Imagine . . . saving a child’s life costs just $4.82 per month . . . imagine . . .

Mary, Angela and Reward with laptops

Liadi with a car on his 'woowoo'

Thank you to Mama Tracy for new shoes for all.

Neema cannot afford busfare......

nor can Rashid.

September 14th a.m.

It was Sunday morning 6:30 a.m. . . the buses arrived . . . just 70 of us Tumaini family and friends loaded . . . Christina’s and Evalina’s and Tony’s and Eliza’s birthdays . . . Amina, our sick mother was able to join us AND to see her children . . . ALL of our children attended . . . families reunited . . . (Minja and Asumeni families) . . . what a day . . . adults and children alike, most had never been on safari, never seen an elephant or giraffe or zebra . . . what a day . . . life is gooooooooooooooooood!  Picnic and party and cake and goodies and animals and our family together . . . life IS goooooooooooooooood!

Going on Safari!

Mama Grace on right

                   The whole family

Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, Margaret

Kelvin, Mama, Janet  

                  the bus is leaving

Asumeni family

Minja family

September 9th 6:10 a.m.

Good morning!  The roosters are crowing, the birds are beginning to sing, our older boys are taking chai, tea and mandaze, a small plain donut, for breakfast, and then head out to Amani School.  Francis, Aisha, Ester, Kelvin and Jenny are also preparing for the bus which will leave in just a few minutes for Young Roses School.  Yes, a good morning!

I leave in eleven days.  So much work.  So much has and still needs to be done.  We have implemented some new systems which will help the children and the staff.  We have moved the supper hour from 8:00 p.m. after baths to 6:00 p.m. before.  That way our children are clean and not food crusted and sweaty from play when they go to sleep.  That way Neema gets to go home and rest before her next day begins at 7:00 a.m. . . . that way we have a chance to read a book and play “duck, duck, goose” , thank you volunteer Raquel . . .

Today we visit Langa ya Iruva the Adult AIDS support group I help.  I have a small gift for them.  Meat.  Nyama.  In my conversations with Dr. Lyimo this trip we discussed the need for good food for AIDS sufferers.  The ARV’s only suppress the disease.  All other immunities are compromised and the only way to fight that is to keep the body as healthy as possible.  That is a tall order when one is starving and trying to exist on ugali and dagaa six days a week.

Excuse me . . . I just had to run and be a mom and get our older boys some exercise books before they left for school. 

Katy from Port Dover just emailed me to say she is booked to arrive in October . . . I am so proud of you Katy.  We will prepare a wonderful welcome for you and Raquel and Mariel from Michigan will be here with you!  What a wonderful team the three of you will make. 

I have a shida . . . problem.  Today I must visit Mama Aisha.  It seems that she only cares about her own three girls . . . our Aisha being one of them and abuses her two step children, one boy in particular by the name of Francis.  She is starving him and making him do all of the domestic chores, not allowing him proper clothing and now he is sick.  This is a constant problem I find here . . . that and the stigmatization of orphans, but that is another story.  I am going to share with her my situation with Amanda and Stephen and also, how, if things don’t change, perhaps the child Tumaini is helping will change.  It breaks my heart to have to threaten this Mama but her stepson Francis is terrified of us speaking to her for fear of reprisals.  If something is not done though, she may just let him die.  It is that serious.  How sad and all a result of ignorance.

Speaking of ignorance, I stopped in to Haradali School to deliver a pair of school shoes we had to replace for Margaret.  While I was there the matron told Mama Grace in Swahili, because she wasn’t brave enough to take me on in English, that we were not to visit “the orphans” so much.  “The orphans” were beginning to feel special and not “orphan” enough.  Our children are only just beginning to gain any measure of self confidence . . . there is NO arrogance on their part.  Life has beaten them down so far I am not certain they’ll all come back . . . Oh, and by the by, mothers and fathers are welcome to visit their children . . . just not “the orphans”.  Grace didn’t share the story with me until we had left else I would have ripped matron a new backside.  I am getting good at protecting children against the heartlessness of adults here. . .  In any event, I am content knowing that we will not be contributing to her pay cheque anymore because we are going to move all of our children to Young Roses next year . . . good for us and good for them.  Orphans . . . pshaww!

I saw another potential option for a permanent home for Tumaini.  10 treed acres with good soil for farming, in Usa River.  It has a good house and the location is perfect.  We are just bracing for the price . . . wish me luck.  Life would get so much easier if we could begin planning with some permanence and not living temporarily, here and there.  A shamba, (farm) is in the works, and some more small businesses where we can increase our own productivity and become self supporting.

I’ll close now.  Things are good.  Organization and structure continues . . . the books are good, the food is tasty and nutritious and our children are happy and healthy and learning. . . that is all we can ask.  Yesterday Neema and Connie were spelling words for me in English.  They spoke NO English just five months ago and now can write hat and cap and axe and bat and mat and I am so happy!  Oh, and Happy Birthday Christina!  Today!  And she is able to understand that today is HER birthday!  We leave on safari, all 67 of us Sunday morning, to Tarangire National Park and will see tembos and simbas and have a picnic.  We will enjoy Christina’s birthday cake then and share it with fellow September celebrators, Tony, Evalin and Eliza.  Happy, happy birthday!  Asante!

September 2nd Tough, Tough Thursday . . .

Today began with me racing to town this morning to once again buy shoes.  It seems that after all of our planning and purchasing and packing, Stefano’s brand new shoes were naught!  I cannot remember if, in the chaos I returned them in error but he is set now. 

After shoe shopping I had to pick up Amina at Nkoaranga Lutheran Hospital in Tengeru and bring her home.  She cannot walk.  She cannot hold up her head, and she cannot stop shaking.  She is going to die.  She’s 28. 

Amina lives in a room I rent for her which costs Tzs. 20,000/month or about $18.00.  It has a concrete floor and walls, one window and a door.  It is about 10’x10’.  Inside is one bed, with a net, two chairs and a small table.  Amina has a couple of cooking pots a small brazier, two or three bowls and plates and some “bundles” in her home.  Probably clothing.  Her mother came home with her.  But, her mother doesn’t love her.  She doesn’t care about Amina and I am certain she sees mzungu and opportunities for herself.  It makes me sick.  She ranted at Mama Grace at the hospital that, “I am tired of waiting “for your client”.  Not “my daughter”, but our client!  Amina isn’t “our client”, she’s a desperately frightened young woman who knows she’s dying and cannot comprehend what is happening to her body.  Her mother is harsh with her and shows no gentleness at all.  In her ignorance, she is afraid to touch Amina in case she “catches” HIV.  I explained how slim the chances of that happening are but she really doesn’t care.  Grace told Mama Amina to bathe her while in the hospital . . . for a week, (there is no food and no nurse care in the hospitals here . . . if you don’t supply food and someone to care for the patient they lie in the bed in their own messes until they die) but Mama complained there was no water.  The palliative head nurse explained that water was right down the hall and that Amina’s mother knew so.  That got me pissed.  I told Mama that it is Amina I care about.  It is her care I care about.  Her happiness with whatever time she has left.  I told her that I will provide lots of food but that Amina’s needs come first.  (Mama has insisted that another child come and stay and feed off the mzungu.)  Forgive my severity.  We have scheduled surprise visits two or three times daily to ensure that Amina has everything she needs and I hope her mother’s greed for my money will encourage her to care for Amina and try to keep her alive as long as possible.  I hope so.  Why keep Mama?  It’s an African thing I guess . . . family must tend to the dying . . . family, hah.  I am finding Amina’s situation particularly hard because it’s bringing back my father’s death and all I tried to do to help him . . . that and the fact that Amina is Amanda’s age . . . my daughter’s age . . . and her mother blames her for getting sick. And because it took six *^%^#@% hours to get her discharged, pay her bill, bring her home(about 8 km.), get her food and settle her in her bed.  Then kerosene had to be purchased and a fire started and water boiled and chai made and a porridge cooked and more water boiled for a bath and then another 2 ½ hours had passed. . .

 I raced home to eat something in the interim and found a woman waiting for me. . . her name is Dalia Jovent and she’s in her mid fifties.  She lives west of Mwanza which is hours away, but was in Moshi (one hour east of us) to have an orthopedic specialist look at her arm . . . or where her arm used to be.  You see, last May some men broke into her home in order to rob her, and, when she recognized one of the thieves he tried to kill her by slitting her throat.  She put up her arm in defense and he hacked it off.  She has been begging since (she has 5 pages of sponsors pledging anywhere from Tzs 500, about 40 cents, to 52,500, or about $45.00 . . . 159 names, I counted them)  A woman found her sleeping down the hill from Tumaini House and sent her to find “Mama Dee”.  She still requires Tzs.600,000 or about $430.00 to obtain her prosthetic.  I am working to verify her story.  So much for lunch . . .

I returned to Amina’s with fruit and veggies from the market and helped her “scarf” down an entire banana and an orange.  Neema made her ndizi and nyama, banana and meat, for supper.  We’ll see her in the morning.

Leaving Amina’s, I stopped in to visit a sick member of Langa ya Iruva I’ve been trying to get to.  Her name is Sada and she’s about 35.  She’s HIV+ and very sick with enormous open sores, inches round on her neck.  She can barely walk.  She begged me to help her youngest son with school fees.  He has a uniform but no money for books, pencils, book bag, or fees of about $40.00 (maize, beans and a small contribution towards “security”.  You will remember that school fees are illegal . . . hmmmmmm?)  It turns out that Sada spent a week in the government hospital but had no money which translated into “no dawa” or medicine.  She is seeing Dr. Lyimo in the morning.  Peter will take her. Bibi/Oma/Betty was with me, heard the story and is thinking about sponsoring Sada and her son Salim.

We stopped in to Grace’s house to show Oma her home and Grace’s sister “Elizabeth” was there.  I asked about her story . . . it turns out that after infecting her with HIV, her husband abandoned her (he moved on to infect another unsuspecting woman) and their two children.  She has had six children but four died before she figured out she was sick.  The last two are not positive.  She works in neighbouring Tengeru, in a bar, “TX Bar”, and is paid Tzs. 35,000 per month . . . PER MONTH!  That translates into about $26.00 . . . per month!  And she is trying to feed herself and two children.  How can a person survive on less than one dollar per day? 

I went home and found a Mama waiting for me who has been stopping in trying to find me at home . . . she has twin sons, five years old and begged me to take them.  She’s HIV+ and sick and homeless and has no hope.  I told her to come back tomorrow, gave her and her twins dinner and sent her home.  Enough is enough for one day . . . I’m going to bed.

Mama

Dalia Jovent

August 28th from Tanzania

How do I share with you how extraordinary this experience is?  Every time I return from an appointment we honk at the gate and someone rushes to open it.  By the time we drive into our compound there are no less than twenty children gathered, chanting, “Mama, Mama, Mama Karibu!”  They are so excited to have me home and they push and pull to carry my bag, my purchases, my notebook or camera.  They clutch my hand or lean into me.  They fight to stand closest to me while I sit down to take off my shoes or race to get me a glass of water or whatever else they think I might need.  There is not a warmer welcome than what I receive every day here and I know how lucky I am to be Mama . . .

The children are beginning to settle again, knowing that I am staying for a while although it is never long enough.  There is so very much to do and so little time to do it that I panic some days trying to prioritize and get those MUST GET DONE things accomplished.

I visited Young Roses School (they’ve built a beautiful new classroom – start to finish and quality construction for tzs 7,000,000.  That is the best price I’ve discovered thus far.  They need desks donated and I need them to knock off our transport fee for next year if we’re going to afford to send all of our kids to school! We’re discussing having the older boys go to boarding school next year to help them develop some much needed discipline and to ease some of the pressure on the Mamas here.  Yusuph (we’ve been spelling his name wrong) announced that, under no circumstances does he want to go to boarding school and he promises to improve his grades.  He joined Ester (got her birth certificate for an eventual trip to Sick Kids in Toronto for a surgery and discovered that her name does not have an “H” in it!), Oddo, Peter and myself for a trip halfway up Mount Meru to meet Ester’s Babu and Bibi.  I discovered that she has a sister and brother but that she was the eldest and when born deformed the family attempted to “cure” her with traditional methods (think witchcraft), and when that failed her father skipped and her mother became mentally incapacitated.  Ester’s grandparents are kind, gentle people, albeit ignorant in every way with respect to empathizing with a handicap.  Their village is very remote, very poor and they live very simply and “hid” Ester in order to protect her physically and attempt to contain the stigmatization of having a “cursed” family member.  You will remember that Ester’s Babu cried when he visited her here and heard her laugh and talk and saw her play.  He hadn’t seen that in her entire life.  It was interesting, in a sad way, to notice her persona change as we climbed the mountain.  She stopped laughing (she ALWAYS laughs now), clutched my hand in hers and began twitching her fingers back and forth in a nervous habit she has.  I finally figured out that she feared we were returning her and I explained that we were just visiting and that her home was at Tumaini now and she lightened up a bit but was very serious and very quiet (unusual for her recently) until we finished our visit, put her back into the gari, and began our descent at which point she settled.  Her Bibi, who speaks no English, nor Swahili told me in her tribal language that she had no words to express her gratitude towards us because in all of her 70 some odd years, could not imagine a person coming along to love and care for Ester the way we do.  She was so very grateful and insisted not only on serving us chai, a social custom in Africa, but lunch also.  They served, and insisted we eat, more nyama (meat) than the entire family eats in two months!  They grow karoti (carrots) and when it was time to leave insisted that WE take them with us for the children. . . It was very kind and I felt very special.  Ester, on the other hand, when asked by her Babu, confirmed that she wanted to leave today and not tomorrow and was quite satisfied waving goodbye to her family from the backseat of our gari (truck).

We had promised to stop in to a care centre on our way home and did so.  There, a Pentecostal Bishop met us and toured us about.  He feeds and counsels 140 orphaned or vulnerable children every Saturday and today we were their guests!  We brought them some soccer balls, (Asante St. Francis School) some lollys, and most important, 100kg. of rice and 100 kg. of maize, although that won’t go far . . . you can bet.  We heard their needs (they need us to take two of the children, one parentless but seemingly a bit simple and the other a scolar (by Tanzanian public school standards - #4 of 102 children).  We can afford neither at the moment so I pray for some help.  We don’t have sponsors for all of our existing children yet and so I fear taking on any more but they so desperately need help.  We visited Ndelio . . . you will remember him as the young man Oddo insisted upon us helping . . . the 30ish year old man who is horribly crippled with polio and whom we assist with food and school fees so that he might learn to read and write and eventually have a business of his own.  His polio has gravely affected him and he walks with crutches and with one leg completely curled around the other from back to front so that the useless foot sits on top of the one he uses to put his weight on.  The upper foot is actually turned backward by the time one watches him “crutch” along and it is heartbreaking.  His wheelchair bicycle is broken and so we threw it in the gari and brought it home for repair.  Check out the photos of our descent . . . but the vistas were spectacular!  We promised to return and to bring these children some sort of Christmas and so we will . . . chakula (food), zawadi (gift), probably new toothbrushes, exercise books and pencils for school, some sweets . . . and most importantly, ourselves!  There really is so little we can afford to do and yet they are very grateful even for our visit!  It will be a lovely Christmas for all of us!  Ester fell asleep on my lap during the ride home and I wasn’t home ten minutes (in the dark for the first time this trip) until I had to leave for dinner at our landlord/lady’s house.  Edgar has offered to help us find some farming ventures at Christmas and Janet prepared a delicious meal we all enjoyed.  Bibi is feeling better . . . at least well enough to join me this evening and promises that she is resting but Brendalee I don’t believe her!  Her voice is still gravelly . . .

Well, off to bed!  Thank you all for caring and sharing.  Thank you so very much for loving these children from such a distance. . . you know they can feel your love for them . . .capisa (promise).  I handed out the photos from our fundraising photo shoot to the child in the photo and they were ecstatic to receive a zawadi from Canada.  I purchased our children’s school sweaters and will send a photo soon.  Be well and take care folks and please, please continue to care . . . we cannot do this without you!

Polio Afflicted Ndelio

August 18th from Tanzania!

We've arrived!  The flight was long but uneventful (I had a great conversation about religion with a Hindu fellow from New Jersey.  He's climbing Kilimanjaro and will visit us before he leaves)!  First leg to Amsterdam was nearly seven hours, a four hour stopover, then on to Kilimanjaro (nine hours).  We grabbed our bags and were out of the terminal before you could say "corrupt customs official"!  Our welcomers?  Esther, Francis, Reward, Lohai, Mwajuma, Margie, Ruthie, Chi, Oddo, and Peter. Jet lag is bothering me a bit and I've forgotten a couple so please forgive me! We were greeted with banners and cards and tons of hugs and some tears once we got home AND several of our volunteers stayed to say hello!  It was a highly emotional reunion for some of us.

All of the children look fabulous!  Well, almost. Tony has a very serious infection from a parasite which dug in under his toenail.  He visits the clinic daily for treatment and dressing changes but he is still the happiest of little boys.  Baby Liadi is battling his first case of malaria and is drugged and lethargic but remembered Mama which made my heart sing.  He joined Peter and I today for a trip to town and when a Tanzanian woman asked who I was he responded with, "Mama yangu", (my mother).  Remembering that there are virtually no external signs of affection (except for men holding hands,which is a cultural norm) and remembering how silly I can be (especially afterthree hours sleep),  you can imagine how much fun Liadi, Peter and I were having walking through the market.  A woman, laughing at our antics commented to Liadi something about him not liking mama very much to which he very seriously responded, "Napenda Mama" (I love Mama)!   That in itself was welcome enough!

It is cold here at night, so, first thing on the market list today were blankets (Asante for that!) Every child has a new blanket on their bed tonight!  I tried on the girls jackets and they were perfect fits!  If someone is going to Costco and remembers the style I purchased, please pick me up three more, one large and two mediums!  We distributed school shoes (what was donated) and began measuring and assessing need for the children. . . can you say sole-less?  Mwajuma's shoes are split across the sole and virtually un-wearable, but she's still trying.

Mama Grace was unable to meet us last night because her mother suddenly died.  The funeral is Friday and we will attend.  Oddo took Mama Amina (28 year old widowed, HIV+ Mama of two girls Angella and Glory who is + also) to Dr. Lyimo today and brought along his EKG machine, portable blood pressure machine and glucometers.  The good doctor was so over the moon he came to say thank you with flowers.  I was still in town but we met on the road home and stopped to say hello.  In the course of our conversation I asked about Mama Amina.  He told me she is terminal.  There is nothing more for us to do but make her comfortable and find help for her in her passing.  She developed a fungal infection in her brain which, with her compromised health is uncontrollable.  Her face is swollen and her balance is going.  Often, she is unable to put a complete thought together or finish a sentence.  We are meeting tomorrow to decide how best to help her.  Angella and Glory are already here and under our care, but they've just lost their father and now will lose their mother and she is terrified. This woman is the same age as my daughter Amanda and just when she finally gets a break in her life (us) that life is taken away.  It is heartbreaking.  Dr. Pat, you are needed here.

Today was Neema's and Daniel's birthdays and we celebrated with cakes, song and dancing after supper.  We were all up very late last night and so tonight we are early(ish) to bed.

Many, many, many things to do fasta fasta (soon).  The anguish of life here is always prevalent, but our little family, for the most part, is ecstatically happy to be reunited and we're spending much time holding each other and catching up.  The children cannot stop touching me and I could not be happier.  Kesho (tomorrow) report cards, financial reports and planning meetings and Thursday or Saturday a visit to our prospective new lands.    Everything here looks wonderful and Peter asked me to sema Asante Sana, (thank you very much), to Kim and Dana for the parts for the gari (truck).  Amanda, you are the packing queen of the world. Everything safe, sound and being distributed as we speak. To all of you . . . Asante.  We truly have done so very much in such  a short time but there is much to do! 

P.S.Bibi Kubwa (Oma) is settling in quite nicely I think! 

Glory and Mama Amina         Neema, Liadi and Daniel

August 14th – 6:40 p.m.

Just sat down after a shower, after spraying the ginseng, ater completing tear down for two corn booths, 100,000? Bikers in Port Dover for Friday 13th! (Psst. Got my toes painted before leaving).  Packing commences in the morning but before that . . . thank yous.  I cannot even try to put everyone's name down because I'll forget someone and you'll be hurt, but I must, MUST say some thank yous.

To those of you who stepped up and stepped in to sponsor a child this month – Asante.  I will send updates and new photos immediately . . . I promise!  To those of you who've already embraced a child . . . Asante to you!  And finally ,to those of you who will embrace one of our little ones soon. . . Karibu! Welcome!  We need you.  Our children need you and all I can say, on their behalf is thank you, so very much!

Thank you to everyone who found their own way to help our watoto (children).  For school fees and sweaters and jackets and toys, and medical equipment and graduation celebrations and SHOES!  Yes, shoes!  For joining up and digging in (to your time and your wallets) to help build lives, Asante! I will always marvel at how lovingly and generously you have embraced these children you have yet to meet.  I know them, I touch them, I love them (how lucky am I?) and yet your hearts come out and join us in caring for them . . . Asante Sana.

By last report all of our children are doing well.  I am not certain that Glory is 100%, nor is her mother, but we will assess once I arrive and report back to you asap.  There are so many beautiful, special people I have missed so much and cannot wait to hold and say hello to again!  It has been too long.

I must pass along a special thank you to fellow director, artist, photographer, website designer, builder, maintainer, etc., etc.  Cindy Pichette of Silver Parrot Studio, thank you!  Cindy has been a machine this summer . . . a Tumaini machine and the volume of work she has put out on our behalf is immeasurable!  Our entire site is up and runs (and looks as good as it does) because of her.  Kwa watoto Mama Picha, Asante Sana!

Finally, I must thank my own family.  To my husband (who works too hard and worries too much), Asante.  To my daughter Amanda who, for example, packed 200 lbs. FOUR hockey bags in record time, Asante!  To my son Stephen, who, among other things, will play four rounds of golf in one day tomorrow to raise funds (and awareness) for us and the Cancer Society, Asante.  This began as my dream, just over one year ago and yet my family has embraced it also. I am a very lucky lady.  For that, for the many, many things you have done for these children this past year, Asante Sana!

Karibu a Tanzania! January and February are filling quickly at Tumaini House but please do consider joining us one day soon!  These children TRULY are as wonderful and as special as your hearts AND wallets have decided they must be.  These children need us, our care, our attention, our love, and yes, our money if they are to have "tumaini", "hope" for a real life. We will not change the world, not even Africa . . . but we WILL give our little family of just over 100 the love and care they so deservingly need.

Safe travels while I am gone . . . be happy and miss me just a little bit, as I will you, and stay tuned!  We have much excitement in the works and I promise (electricity and internet permitting) to write often so that you feel, just a little perhaps, that you are with us in person . . . I am carrying your hearts with me already.

Mama 

August 9th from Mama GRACE in Usa River, Tanzania

Good morning Tumaini family . . . I woke up this morning to this message. I have left it exactly as my dada (sister) Grace wrote it to show you how hard she works to communicate with me here. Tzs (Tanzanian shillings) 130,000 translates into just over $86.00 Cdn.

From Grace - Thanks my sister for working very hard to help poor people again thanks for laptop for us it will help two much.Idon't like to distub you but if ican not tell it is not good.In mana ovc group we have eleven children whose complty school.In there school they have graduation party so they need to contribut moneyfot this paty.Two of them is lady complitly fom four they need to pay 20000for every one .Others is std seven need to pay10000tsh.They please me to tell you if posibler you can help it. Total for all is 130000tsh.They need to pay before 15agost for preparetion.I must tell my sister because now they know that they have mother and not orphans again. i m waiting for you my dada. many greetings to all.

Any takers? These are not our own children specifically but the group of orphaned children we assist in the village with food, emergency medical care, school fees and uniforms. You can make a donation online at www.tuchifo.com “How to help”. On behalf the orphans of Mana OVC Group in Usa River, Asante.

One of the most special women I have ever met . . . my sister Grace. A volunteer with the AIDS support group AND the Orphaned Children's Group for more than seven years! I have HUGE respect for this woman!

August 7th from Mama

Asante to new sponsors Deborah and Susan on behalf of Liadi!
Ten days and counting!! What a week! New sponsors, celebrity visits, donations, donations, donations and packing! Wow!
So, about the last 48 hours? First of all, Asante Sana to Jackie and girls for donating the money we need to purchase new blankets in Usa River . . . our children will be warm at night!
Two evenings ago I drove to Oakville to meet a new friend and our newest Mama Africa, Tracy O! Asante for your incredibly generous donation of $1,000.00 towards new shoes for our children! I have been worried about this because money is tight with school fees due, but you came through! We purchased shoes for our children in February, but must remember that they only have one pair of school shoes and one pair of flip flops or sneakers and so, on mud/dirt roads they don’t last long! Mama Tracy has also promised to begin soliciting support in her neck of the woods in Aurora, ON. Thank you so very much!
We’re taking nine, (NINE) laptops to Usa with us! Asante for that! Mary and Reward, off to university, Oddo, Dr. Lyimo, Mama Grace, and others will be extremely grateful!
I had lunch with Mamas Africa Dr. Pat (Latifa’s sponsor) and Julie (Neema’s sponsor) yesterday - Pat’s treat- Asante! Pat asked how our application for surgery for Esther (you will recall she suffers from Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita) was coming from the Herbie Foundation at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. I told her we’ve been playing telephone tag this week and that thus far I didn’t have an answer. As an aside, after my father died and when I began this project, I vowed never to let fear get in my way again, not only with respect to Tumaini but in all aspects of my life and I work very hard to keep fear out . . . Having said that, two concerns niggle away at me and occasionally give me pause . . . one is Christina, who is mentally challenged and will require care and protection for the rest of her life . . . and the other is Esther. I have written about meeting a beggar on the streets of Arusha afflicted in much the same way Esther is. Witnessing her vulnerability and the hopelessness of her life made me cry for two reasons . . . first, her situation reminded me of the pain of stigmatization and the lack of social services available for “special” people in Africa and secondly, how, by embracing Esther and bringing her into our care, we have eliminated a future of hopelessness for our little girl. Dr. Pat assured me that should the Herbie Foundation be unable to help us, there are other options available and that she is very confident Esther will have her surgery! By the by, on our way out of the restaurant, “Neil”, our server delivered to me an envelope (Pat had been talking us up during our meal), with “a little something to help with the children”. It was much more than “a little something” and we must pass on yet another ASANTE!
And that brings me to this morning! Cindy and I were up and out of here early this a.m. to race down to Turkey Point and send off more than 100 joggers, walkers, cyclists, and skaters for the 2010 Summerfest 5 km. “Turkey Trot”! Mia Land coordinated everything and Tumaini House benefited by yet another donation of . . . I bet you’re wishing you’d joined us now . . . $2,000! To all of you who contributed that is enough to care for a child, providing good food, medical care, and an excellent education for an entire year! ASANTE!!!
Glory continues to recover and Mama Amina continues to struggle. I continue to pack and begin, just a little bit to panic. There is still so much to do and we have Friday 13th in Port Dover this week coming! To all of you who are caring about these little ones you haven’t even met, from the very bottom of my heart . . . thank you. There really are no words to express my gratitude; on behalf of these incredibly special children for all that you are doing . . . no words .

August 5th from Mama! 

Asante to new sponsors Maddison and Sidney for Joseph and, Kathy P. for Francis and a lovely story (below) from Bibi (Grandma) D!
12 days until I hold our children again! Packing has begun . . . goodbyes to friends here have begun but fundraising never stops! Last night we enjoyed a Silpada Jewelry Party hosted by Kathy Tate (Asante dada, thank you sister) and enjoyed sangria, cheese and crackers and wonderful conversation about, amongst other things Tumaini House and our children! Silpada rep Dianne Deloose (our cousin!) and her sponsor displayed some gorgeous jewelry, she and hostess Kathy donated their proceeds from the event, and Tumaini House benefited by almost $1,000! We can still take orders until Sunday so if you’re interested please contact me asap! By the by, Kathy is a crafter extraordinaire and we toured her BEAUTIFUL home . . . an IDEAL candidate for the Christmas House tour??

Glory is dragging her feet in the “get healthy” department but, as an HIV+ child her health is compromised and so healing takes longer for her. Her 28 year old mother Amina is still very sick and we will have to make some decisions about long term care for her when I return but, all in all, the family is doing well . . . Asante Mungu!

Thank you to new sponsor Kathy P. who joined the Tumaini family in providing care to Francis. Kathy and family recently lost their father and she has embraced this sponsorship in memory of him, but why Francis? She shared with me that her dad was the caring big brother, as is Francis and the relationship struck a chord. . . Asante Dada!

Maddison, Sidney, Papa and Grandma Helen have welcomed Joseph into their sponsorship and all we can say is Asante! Joseph, or Zawadi (his tribal name meaning “gift”) was our most starved child when I began his care . . . we call him “kima moja” or #1 monkey! He is the happiest little, very busy boy!

Bibi (Grandma) D! How do we thank you? This retired grandmother was delivered to my door yesterday by her daughter because she wanted to help our children. Specifically, she wanted to help out the last of the Mana OVC orphans I’ve been trying to find school fees for . . . well, she did . . . to the tune of $1,400.00 she did! She covered the bill! Her daughter is my friend but Bibi has never even met me and yet wanted to help our children . . . more tears from Mama . . . how do I say thank you to her? To all of you? Asante . . . sana! I marvel at the love each of you pours out to children you have never met . . . I will always marvel . . . and be oh so very grateful!

We’ll be at Friday 13th, Port Dover with not one but two roasted corn booths! Asante to Lighthouse Festival Theatre for teaming up with us and to the Kinsmen for welcoming us into their park . . . School fees 2011, HERE WE COME!

Please follow us on Twitter @Tumainimama or www.tuchifo.com for updates on our children.

Our gracious hostess Kathy Tate welcomed Tumaini and Silpada for a $1,000 fundraiser!!

August 2nd from Mama

Thank you to Kathy for your recent sponsorship!
The countdown continues! Only 15 days until I hold our little ones again . . . life doesn’t get much better! Anna, Janet, and Priska are well now . . . Glory is still struggling, and on antibiotics. Dr. Lyimo says she’ll be fine soon. Good news. All of our primary students are home for the month of August. In Tanzania a child attends class for three months and then has one off. Mwajuma, Margaret, Evalina, Eliza, Lazaro, Stefano, Emmanuel, Athuman and Kelvin are home from Haradali and Jenny, Aisha, Esther and Francis are home from Young Roses and Christina from her special ed class at LeGanga! Oddo has arranged with Mary and Reward to have all the students work in tuition (extra study) and I will help once I arrive. It will be particularly special to have a couple of weeks with the children before they return to their studies! Our youngest children (have day class at Tumaini House and so, of course will be home also. I am uncertain of the secondary school students’ (Raymond, Enoch, Dula, Margaret, Deo, Nelson and Anna) break schedules and we have Charles and Athanas in trade school. Mary and Reward should be off to first year university if we can find the money. Please pray for that. . .

And a wonderful surprise for Cindy and I yesterday . . . we visited Russell’s new digs and brought him a small gift to say thank you for making the trek with Dad (Brett) to visit our children at Tumaini House a couple of weeks ago. I’m afraid we interrupted their father/son furniture assembling project, but, ever the gentlemen they invited us to chat and pass bolts and then took us to lunch! Russell reminisced about the children with me (which helps to put my mind at ease), remembering faces and explaining how Liadi sat on his lap during his visit. It was exciting to share stories about Tumaini with our first Canadian visitors and I invited Russell to join me next summer (during school break) for a stint at Tumaini House doing some outreach work together. Karibu Russell! And, speaking of volunteers, welcome to our two newest from Great Britain . . . just arriving! I’ll follow with names and photos soon!

I’m doing last minute shopping and beginning to pack. Some of you have offered hockey/duffel bags and I could use them. Also, school fees will be due when I get there so if anyone is considering a child sponsorship, now would not be a bad time to dive in and please remember that every little bit helps! The Tumaini family continues to grow and please know that we cannot do this without you! Please keep us in mind for black shoes and visit us on Twitter @TumainiMama or www.tuchifo.com for updates on the children!

Russell, Cherie and Brett

July 28th – 19 DAYS!

Cindy and I were driving to the Gleaners this morning (wonderful story to follow), and we were reflecting on my conversation with Brett and Robin yesterday.  I’d like to share something more with all of you if I may, something which evidences the character of this man.

 First of all, Brett Wilson is an enormously successful person in many ways. He can do, say, be, just about anything/one he desires. Brett’s and his children’s agendas had already been arranged with respect to their trip to Africa when Cindy asked them to visit our orphanage. Brett shared that a visit to a different orphanage was already in the works yet Brett (and Robin?) changed the itinerary.  Why?  Brett doesn’t know us, we’re not special . . . but we asked, and, because we asked, and because he’s who he is, he rearranged things to visit ourorphanage.

This man, (and you too Russell) despite being exhausted, hungry (they missed their supper remember) and needing to rise in the early morning to prepare for their departure, still chose to visit our orphanage.  Why?  Because he’d said he would . . .  This man (and you too Russell), could have let us slide, could have given up during a much extended tour of the back roads (oh, wait a minute . . . they’re all back roads in Tanzania) and yet they didn’t.  Why?  Because they didn’t want to disappoint us but, whom would they have disappointed?  Not a dear friend, not anyone important, just two directors of a tiny charity in Simcoe, Ontario and a very small group of absolutely wonderful children, if I may say so myself, hoping for a visit from some people from Mama’s country.  And yet they went.  Why?  You figure it out . . . Mr. Wilson is THAT kind of man.  No airs, no pretensions, just a kind man, who, as busy, and tired, and hungry as he was, (and you too Russell!) chose NOT to disappoint two charity directors and some rather wonderful Tanzanian little ones. . . Asante Brett, Asante Russell . . .

AND, on to the Gleaners!  www.ontariogleaners.org .  PLEASE!  Visit their site . . . see what they do . . . we were moved to tears today watching volunteers, old and young (think 90, think 12) chop hundreds of pounds of carrots, prepare slaw, broccoli, etc. (Cindy is including photos) in preparation for “the chopper”, and then on to “the dehydrator”!  This organization is less than two years old and yet they have already fed more than 5,000,000 people!  THAT’S a lot of soup!!  Shelley, the coordinator, is a wonderful lady who welcomes everyone, spearheads the operation and directs traffic . . . vegetable traffic that is.  We were invited to speak for a few minutes about Tumaini House, but we had to applaud the efforts of these volunteers. . . Did I mention we were gifted with enough soup mix to feed 2500 hungry Tanzanians?  Yup and you cannot imagine what that will do for our outreach programs with the AIDS support groups and our seniors!  The Gleaners are looking for volunteers, for donations (of food AND money) and for your prayers. . .  Asante!

Please follow our goings on twitter @TumainiMama

July 27th

July 27, 2010 - Asante to new sponsor Cindy W. and to “soon to join us sponsor Kathy D.” It goes without saying how much we need your support!
As you know we’ve been waiting to hear if Priska has malaria, which, it turns out she doesn’t. In the interim Anna, Janet and Glory all went down with raging fevers and Glory developed large boils on her neck. Dr. Lyimo attended all of the children and sent me a text today explaining that all are better and that Glory, who is HIV+, developed a bacterial infection in her lymph nodes. Illness of any kind for a child compromised by HIV is a scary situation but Dr. Lyimo has her on antibiotics and she, and the other children are on the mend.

Tomorrow morning (when I should be spraying our ginseng) I’m leaving early with my partner Cindy (with a “y”) to meet a special lady named Shelley who heads up an organization called The Christian Gleaners. www.ontariogleaners.org . This organization, only two years young, takes produce, either excess, or unsuitable for our “Grade A” supermarket system that would otherwise be left in the field or destroyed, and turns it into dehydrated soup. (We were hoping to deliver some of our sweet corn but I’m told that corn is just too labor intensive to be viable. Does anyone have an automated “shucker”?) This upstart organization has already fed more than 5,000,000 people worldwide! Visit their site and see what a progressive thinking organization can do with our excess. By the by . . . The Gleaners are allowing us 50 lbs. of soup mix to jam into the suitcases. Asante Gleaners!! To you farmers . . . PLEASE keep this worthwhile cause in mind.

And, we have a little “celebrity” news we’re excited to share . . . Do you watch the Dragon’s Den? Who might your favorite Dragon be? Well, if you’re a true member of our Tumaini family it would be . . . DRAGON BRETT WILSON! You know – W. Brett Wilson – committed father, philanthropist, celebrity Dragon, and, (dare I say) SEMI-retired, hugely successful Canadian business man? Think oil, banking, and just about anything else he wants to delve into . . .

A few weeks ago Brett climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (for the second time) with his children (who convinced him to wear his birthday crown up the mountain . . . honest, there’s photographic evidence), and my partner Cindy (who had pitched a product on the show) asked them to stop into nearby Usa River to visit Tumaini House. As you can imagine he’s just a bit of a busy guy, but Robin, his magician, got things together for the family and, other than the typical “Tanzi detour”, (think no addresses because no street names and at the best of times a creative use of the term “road”) Brett and #1 son Russell made the trek to meet our children. The delay, and their interest in Tumaini House caused them to miss the “last Wilson supper” in Tanzania, and for that, “nina hitaji sema pole”, I must say we are sorry, but, we are so very grateful that you visited.

Brett Wilson didn’t become the success he is by chance and we are going to have to show the family who we are and what we're about, but this man has made Canadian philanthropy a calling, and he is called the “Nice Dragon” for a reason. Brett (and I hope Russell) got a good feeling when visiting Tumaini House. They saw what we are trying to build there, and they discovered that we have the most wonderful children in all of Tanzania (and you haven’t even met them all . . . yet!)

I believe a family discussion ensued, perhaps in an airplane enroute home where the children and Dad agreed that Tumaini Children’s Foundation might be a good fit for the family’s philanthropic efforts. I had a call today from Brett and Robin and we’ve put things in motion . . . kinda cool to get a call from such a Canadian powerhouse . . . it was nice to speak with Brett too!!

Brett and family are about making it fun . . . and you, our Tumaini family, know how wonderful you feel when you reach out and help our children . . . All we can say to Brett, Russell and his sisters, Robin and you, the family caring for our family, is “Asante Sana”. More fun to come . . .

Please join us on Twitter @TumainiMama

W. Brett Wilson (with son Russell) visited us at Tumaini House!!

July 25^th

An overdue Asante Sana to “Aunt” Mary and to Terry for your kind and generous donations . . . I hope you know how very grateful we are for everyone’s continued support. I am waiting to hear about Priska (one of our Tumaini children) who is vomiting and head-achy, both signs of malaria.

Cindy is updating the website . . . more information accessible, more user friendly, and we’ll be adding bios on the older students we’re providing support to. A cleaner path to information about Langa ya Iruva and Mana OVC our outreach support programs, as well as the care we are providing our Bibis (our grandmothers)

I was informed yesterday that one of our AIDS support group members, Hadija Rajabu’s son John committed suicide at the age of 40. He had been struggling with health and emotional problems for some time but with no programs of assistance available for counseling, etc. he had nowhere to go for help. It is a part of Tumaini’s vision to, one day be able to provide counseling to struggling members of our family. John left behind five children, Saidi, Hadija, Halima, Lifat and Tabu.

The List of the Dead for our Langa ya Iruva group continues to grow: John Msafiri – Age 40, Josaphat Katimba – 40, Rose Mushi – 30, Njuu Mashaka – 35, Dismas Mushi – 28, Malco Mushi – 55, Robert Rubeni – 26, Isack Rubeni – 28, Saumu Masawe – 25, Agnew Semweli – 37, Veronica Anold – 11, Salvator Peter – 35, Sofia Ndalo – 28, Levina Bartolomeo – 32, Scolastica Matei – 30, Aziza Juna – 30, Mary Francis – 4, Tatu Ramadhani – 45, Emmanuel Mjema – 50, Flora Marco – 25, Amina Omari – 27, Marco Mapunda – 69.

I was chatting with a new Facebook friend yesterday and the topic of seniors in Africa came up and I offered to share a story about a special Bibi, one of several we are trying to provide aid for through Tumaini. When I began composing this I realized that, although I have visited with her on many, many occasions, brought her food, delivered her medical supplies, took her to the doctor, etc., I do not know her name. Why is this? In Tanzania, and most of Africa I would expect, people are not identified by their given names except in legal situations. My Bibi friend (bibi is grandmother remember) is very old, close to, or past 100, and so she is referred to as “Bibi Kubwa” or “big grandmother” although she is a tiny thing. My team and I are attempting to provide care for several Bibis and so we use other descriptors when conversing. This Bibi has very bad eyes, prone to infections and requires drops . . . we refer to her as “Bibi Bad Eyes”.

When I first met Bibi Bad Eyes, my partner Oddo asked me to visit her home because he was heartbroken about her situation. We walked into a small compound of five “houses” which really are just a row of single rooms sharing a common roof and having their own doors. Each room represents one “home”. Bibi’s home was about 10 x 10’, but the floor was made of large boulders of varying sizes and her furniture, which consisted of a bed and two stools, one being used as a small end table, sat on the uneven stones and everything “wobbled”. This poor woman has bad eyes and her floor goes up and down like a river bed. I would discover later that Bibi had owned the entire compound but had to sell it to survive as she got older. Her brother bought it, gave her a life estate on her “home” and then died and although Bibi has rights to her space until her death, the entire situation was unsafe for an elderly woman who could barely see. Things were complicated further by the fact that no one had installed a window for her . . . the space had just been covered over with a piece of corrugated aluminum and so this poor woman with terrible vision was struggling in the dark! To make matters worse was how her grandchildren neglected her. Understand that my visits would always be a surprise because Bibi didn’t have a phone or any way of knowing when I’d be coming. Upon one arrival we met Bibi outside her door heaving (I would say vomiting but nothing was coming up). It turned out, after a trip to Dr. Lyimo, that Bibi was starved. She had eaten nothing in days and her stomach had revolted. Her grandchildren live in the next “room/house” and the mother was out nursing her child on this particular day. My partner Oddo got furious with her and insisted that the woman’s baby would never be blessed in life if she, his mother neglected th Biibi the way she was. I fear it fell on deaf ears. One could never call the family “well off”, but only Bibi was starving.

We hired some local tradesmen, had a window made and installed and evened out the floor and then layered cement over it so that Bibi had a smooth, safe floor. We also began stopping in every other day with food and provisions. In all of my visits I never saw one drop of cooking oil, one piece of firewood, one bite of food for Bibi that I hadn’t brought her on my last visit. I’ve attached some photos of her digs and look forward to visiting her upon my return. I think we need to remember that there is good karma and bad karma and the choice is ours with respect to which we attract.

Bibi Bad Eyes is a gem. As I said, she is a tiny little thing who lives on her new floor! Her front teeth protrude straight forward, out of her mouth and yet she still finds a way to extend a welcoming smile and a hug. Bibi has reprimanded me regularly for not wanting to “sleep over” at her house. She gets desperately lonely and I fear, if we didn’t check up on her regularly and bring her foodstuffs, she would have died by now. As sad as this is to say, I believe it true when I think about the money the grandchildren anticipate earning off of the room once Bibi is gone . . . so, sad.

You know, when I was chatting with my new friend yesterday I shared how the deaths of so many seniors are discovered . . . by the smell. How long would Bibi Bad Eyes or any other senior have to languish, without water, without food, without comfort, until finally they pass . . . and then how much longer until evidence of their death permeates the olfactory senses of a passerby?

   Bibi Bad Eyes

July 23 from Mama

Asante to new sponsors, the Smith family on behalf of Jenny and Brenda Cooper on behalf of Janet and a special thank you also to our existing sponsors. Thank you to Cheryl and family, Terry, Lisa and Vincor, and Phil for your recent donations . . . without you a future for these children would not be possible! An especially warm Karibu to Bibi Kubwa, who is joining me in Tanzania as a volunteer, our first Canadian!

What’s New? 24 days and counting!! People have been asking for a needs list so here goes:

1. We need some size 10-16 mid weight, waterproof coats, six girls and six boys. Remember that its winter in Tanzania and the weather gets cool. Insulated rain type coats would be ideal. We don’t really need winter coats per se, but a good conditioned used (or Costco has some on for $19.00) mid weight.
2. I need four light weight but good quality (we are going to beat them up) hockey bags if someone has any good conditioned used ones. I am learning that travelling solo is particularly creative when handling a multiple of 50 lb. suitcases through airports.
3. We ALWAYS need solid soled, durable, black shoes for the children for school. Please remember that one of our Mana OVC orphans walks more than 7 km. to school each day and there are no paved roads. These children trek through mud and dirt (did I say dirt) “lanes” if you will, in order to get to school. I know that uniforms required in a country of such desperate poverty grates on us here but it is the custom in Africa. Our youngest is only two years old and our oldest is 22 (Reward is size 13), so a variety of sizes. I mention this because some of you are thrift/consignment shoppers and a pair might be had for just a few dollars. They cost me at minimum $11.00/pair and a good pair is $23.00. Is anyone’s brother/sister/mother the owner of a shoe company???? Just a thought!!
4. I need good quality blankets for our little ones but must fundraise to purchase them because they are just too bulky to put in a suitcase. We need 27 at about $8.50 Cdn each.
5. Folks, we desperately need some more laptops if possible. Dr. Lyimo has asked for one, Grace needs one; my teacher friend Angel needs one and so does Mary and Reward as they head off to university. Imagine what life was like before we had access to computers?

Thank you Ellen and Jennifer (new supporters) for your kind donations of toys, school sweaters, socks and underwear for the children!! I must leave room for the ECG/EKG? machine donated by our good friend Dr. Pat and one of the items at the top of Dr. Lyimo’s list!! There is more to come with a baby scale, examining tables, breathing apparatus, blood testing equipment, furniture, etc. Many of you are asking about when our next container will leave. We are trying to hold off until we get our land and begin building so that we might include our school desks, farming equipment, building tools/equipment, etc., as well as the many generous donations you have made to Tumaini. We will need to raise about $10,000 to send it. (The last one was $2,000 to purchase and $8,000 to ship).

An enormous Asante to Jim, Dave, Linda (who turned out to be an old school chum of mine from about 100 years ago) and my son Stephen who helped “white thunder”, (our dinosaur of a farm truck) limp to Burlington, load and return albeit a little moist . . . we were preconditioning the equipment for life in the rainy season in Tanzania! A foggy photo is attached.

Finally and oh so very excitingly, I’d like to introduce you to four special young ladies, (photo attached): Mandy, Katy, Jenna and Shivaun. We had a planning meeting Wednesday evening to begin preparations for their stint volunteering at Tumaini house. Three of them are going in October and one in January! Get those shots girls! Mandy is planning a safari while with us! To each of you ladies, Asante. The life experience you will bring away from this will impact you forever and on behalf of all of our family in Usa River – Karibu sana! You are very welcome! Look out Usa, the Canadians are coming!!

July 16, 2010

 31 Days and Counting!! I cannot wait! Soon, very soon, I will be back with the little (and bigger) ones of Tumaini House . . . it has been much too long! Oddo, tell them Mama’s on the way!!

Tumaini lost another family member yesterday. You might remember Asha, a member of the Langa ya Iruva (Light of God), Adults living with AIDS support group we assist who, Dr. Lyimo instructed, required an EKG? (She really needed an MRI but my understanding is that there is only one machine in the entire country and she will be dead before her appointment.) Well, her husband passed and Oddo attended the burial today on behalf of the Tumaini family. Asha herself is in the hospital and gravely ill and may join her husband soon. She has been suffering terribly with paralysis and pain and this may be a blessing. AIDS continues to ravage.

Christina’s Bibi, on the other hand, is doing better. Still weak and still sick, but she IS still 80 years old right? She may just hang in there long enough for me to say goodbye and to tell her that we will keep our promise to care for her great granddaughter, and ALL of our children. Please pray for everyone. We’ll keep you posted!

Oddo tells me it is cold and wet, but the sun did shine today . . . no malaria of late and no new outcroppings of that nasty fungus I was gifted with by kissing children’s heads which, by the by, still recurs . . . lucky mama!!

We have another fundraiser for the children of Tumaini (remember Tumaini means “hope” in Swahili) you may be interested in . . . The Turkey Trot!! On August 7th, and as part of Summerfest, it is a 5km. run/walk/trot/(dare I say crawl) around Turkey Point and all proceeds are going to . . . . you guessed it, Tumaini Children’s Foundation! Asante Summerfest!! Why not blow the dust off your sneakers and join us . . . individuals are $15.00 and families are just $40.00! Karibu (Welcome) Turkey Point! For more information or to register visit, miasgotland@sympatico.ca, or call 519-428-6705.

Finally, I MUST share a story with you and pass my asante and my apologies along to two little ladies who made a very special and generous donation to Tumaini House quite awhile ago, but, wires got crossed and I only received it today!!

Two sisters, Bronwyn ten and Oarisa six years old sent me the following letter, along with a bag of outgrown clothes for our children at Tumaini. Their thoughtfulness and kind sensitivity to children less fortunate than themselves is quite succinctly presented in their own words:

“Dear Cherie,
I am sending $25 to help you with your orphanage. When I saw those kids I realized that I am so lucky. Those kids need help and I want to help you so that you can help them. I hope that $25 helps.
I hope you are successful,
Bronwyn (10 yrs. Old)

P.S. I am also sending $2.95 in Canadian Tire money so that they can have balls and other things too. My sister is also sending Canadian Tire money too because she doesn’t have any real money to give but would still like to donate something.”
Out of the mouths of babes, truer words are not spoken. To both of you young and incredibly thoughtful little ladies, and on behalf of all of the children at Tumaini House, I say, “Asante Sana”. I will purchase some VERY special balls for the children and tell them precisely who they came from!!
Mama

Countdown to return to my little ones . . . 35 days!!
 Do you remember Christina (our little nine year old with hydrocephalus)? We found her and her Bibi Kubwa (great grandmother) scraping by in a tiny brick hut in the heart of the village of Usa River, existing on ugali (flour and water) and weed tops. I had met Christina on my first visit in August of ’09. She is an exuberantly happy little girl (Cindy and Kal you will especially appreciate this part) who “flies” regularly when sent off to eat, shower, nap, etc. Remembering that she is mentally challenged, imagine first giving her instruction; then watch this special little lady as she processes the request, looks you straight in the eye (always with a smile); then waves goodbye but salute style, not in a traditional wave pattern (the edge of her hand is showing to you, not the palm) and, in front of that smiling face, pushes her hand back and forth in rapid succession. She then raises her long arms, palms out and down and, she’s off! (Ndege – Airplane) Flying her way to her next adventure! She almost always does it on her way to bed, to get homework, or, her favorite pastime, TO EAT! She told me once, when I was encouraging her to be less disruptive in class, “Mama, I didn’t come here to learn . . . I came here TO EAT!” Truer words were never spoken!
 Well, Christina’s Bibi is gravely ill and we’ve had to hospitalize her. . . I have just had word that she’s asked to see Christina and my partner Oddo has brought her to the hospital we fear, to say goodbye. This woman, and this situation is especially poignant for me because you may remember that she is the grandmother who embraced me at a meal we had together and thanked me for giving her peace. Her exact words were, “ I thank God for bringing you to take Christina, for I can die now in peace, knowing that she will always be cared for”. Perhaps that time has come. I wish she could wait, so that I might say goodbye to her when I return next month . . . I’ll keep you informed.
 Our older children, Raymond, Dula, Margaret, Nelson, Deo and Anna and Gaspar (the last three are the older orphans of Mama Athuman who was murdered) are all in secondary school and start back Monday after a month’s break. I’ll get to see their progress reports when I return. That is exciting!
 Asante to those of you who joined us to have your photos taken yesterday. Professional photographers Cindy Pichette and Kal Commodore of Silver Parrot Studio.com opened their home and their beautiful gardens and spent all day yesterday taking photographs and WERE WE BUSY! We had a beautiful day and I am confident that the pictures will be beautiful. Asante Cindy and Kal for working so hard and for helping us raise another $1,400.00 for Tumaini House, 100% of which will go towards the care of the children! Nzuri sana rafikis (very good my friends)!
 You know, it’s funny how things work isn’t it? Yesterday Cindy and Kal asked that all of our clients pose for a photo WITH a photo of one of our children in Tanzania which we will reproduce and I will take back with me when I leave next month, giving our children in Usa River a sense of friendship and connectedness with someone here in Canada. Well, one shoot was of a mother/daughter and I wanted them to have one of our girls in their photo and as it turned out we only had one girl left to be shot . . . Jenny. That family was moved by the story of her plight, of her opportunity, of her face, I don’t know, but I had an email waiting for me this morning explaining that they, as a family, have decided to sponsor Jenny in entirety. All of Jenny’s needs will be met for this next year . . . ALL of them. Her school fees, her medical care, food, uniforms, clothing. . . but most importantly, hope. (Tumaini means hope in Swahili remember). I cannot express how wonderful it feels to know that another of our little ones is taken care of . . . Asante . . . sana!
 Mama Dee

July 6th, 2010

So, ladies and gentlemen what is new with Tumaini? First of all, my sincerest apologies for not writing sooner. We *have *been busy that is no excuse.

At this end you have, by now, heard about our fundraiser at the DolMor Salon. Tia McGraff and Tommy Parham have embraced Tumaini Children’s
Foundation as ‘their’ charity and have dedicated the launch of their newest CD, “Diversity” to the little ones in Tanzania. We had a WONDERFUL
evening! Their music is outstanding and, more importantly, their heart for children in need is intense. Thanks to you both.

Lisa Engelhardt-Robinson and David Robinson hosted with a ton of help from their staff and we all enjoyed the evening and raised . . . . wait for it .
. . . almost $3,000.00 for Tumaini House!

The following weekend was yard sale day where your top quality, resalable, gently used “stuff” earned us another $1,447.00! Asante Sana! We will be
attending Friday 13th in Port Dover with roasted corn and we have a few more goodies up our sleeves for this year for fundraisers, so stay tuned!

*And now from Tanzania:*

My partner Oddo was forced to let our hired man “Wilson” go because of his drinking. He had been caring for the cows and was not showing up for work.
The milking was not being done and the children were missing out. It was a difficult decision for Oddo because Wilson is a young man who will have few
opportunities at other employment. Oddo and I both spoke to Wilson before I left in April and he promised to control his drinking but there are no
social programs to help with addictions in Tanzania. There is no AA or even medical help once a person desires to bring an addiction under control. Drugs
and alcohol are everywhere and it saddened us all to be forced into making this decision.

We have a shortfall for funding for the ten children (Mwajuma, Angela, Stefano, Lazaro, Emmanuel, Eliza, Evalina, Margaret, Kelvin and Athuman)
attending Haradali School in Tengeru. The error occurred when we were given the application for “day” students as opposed to “boarding” students, set
our budget and began fundraising. Our shortfall is just over 2,000,000 tshillings or about $1,400.00 Canadian for this term and the same for next.

I fear that some theft has occurred in my absence and I must resolve the issue upon my return in August. Having said that, many people at Tumaini
House were hired into positions requiring money management and, considering the hardship of life, virtually everyone has maintained their integrity and
cared for our children as if I were there and actively monitoring the situation. It was my biggest worry that things might “change” with Mama
absent, but, no . . . Asante to Kaka Susu Oddo, Kaka Peter, Dada Kicha Neema, and mamas at Tumaini, Lohai, Raymond and a special thank you to my
dear sister Mama Grace, “whose hands are full”!

Our chickens are growing and will be laying eggs for us by the time I return  . . we have become a licensed (and that is important because it means we
make it properly and legally) charcoal distributor. All of the businesses we have begun are being started to bring us closer to self-sufficiency, a
primary, long term goal for Tumaini House.

The rains washed out our garden and the church forced Langa ya Iruva to move the garden we worked so hard to fence and so there is “kazi sana” much work
to do when I get back to Usa River. The heavy rains have ended and winter has set in and colder days have befallen our Tanzi family. Oddo and the
boys are working on replanting our garden.

One of our older girls came to us, initially because we feared she was being molested by her employer who had hired her as a “housegirl”. Her mother and
father, both fighting AIDS were desperately sick and living in a terrible situation. We moved them and brought their daughter home to help. Shortly
after I returned home to Canada in April, this, then, 13 year old child began vomiting after eating. One of my greatest worries has been that we
might find ourselves with a pregnant teenager on our hands. She turned out not to be and we all breathed a collective sigh and sent her back to school,
but the threat and the fear is still very present. Girls are most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infection between the ages of 15 and 19. Our vision
is to educate our girls on their rights and about their sense of self. We want all of our girls to be educated so that they will not find themselves
in desperate and/or vulnerable situations.

You will remember Esther, our 8 year old (we thought she was ten but find out otherwise now) little darling who was born with a drop foot and “hooked”
hands. We put her through her first surgery on her foot last fall and her second, on her left arm, this spring. Well, unfortunately, it appears that
the surgery on her arm has not been successful, AND, she fell recently while playing and to add insult to injury fractured her elbow. One of our
strongest supporters, a doctor here in Ontario has approached some of her orthopedic colleagues in the hopes of perhaps bringing Esther here for her
surgeries. Please pray for her.

On a much happier note, and in the direction of our visionary future, we are “this close” to being granted land for Tumaini. In the event that happens
sooner than later, (and please pray it is sooner), we anticipate a LARGE fundraising drive in order to build our school and permanent home. Now THAT
is exciting!

Elizabeth, the first of my friends to visit Tanzania with me has just left after our planning session. I have been working at my desk this entire day.
It is 9:16 p.m. and I have been pouring through photos of the children all day. I need to go back now. It has been too long since I have held our
children, kissed them goodnight and wiggled my woowoowoo with them in the kitchen. I will leave soon (mid August) and carry your love and your well
wishes all the way back to them, to Usa River and to Tumaini House and to Janet, and Zawadi, and Harriri, and Esther, and Margaret and Athuman, and ...
.
Asante to all of you who have embraced this effort of love. Asante from the children who, so desperately, need every one of us in order for them to have
a chance at a real life. Thank you.

Mama

with hope, all things are possible . . .

June 28th – DolMor Salon, Simcoe Tia McGraff’s CD Launch of her newestalbum “Diversity” All proceeds to Tumaini Children’s Foundation!


All I can say is “Wow!”, what a night!! The afternoon began with monsoon rains (reminiscent of the rainy season in Tanzania, February to April), but
things calmed down just as we headed out to set up.

Lisa, David and the staff of the DolMor Salon, our hosts had the place shining and ready to go! I arrived just after five, with cheese trays
donated by Jensen’s Cheese (thank you again for that), and toted in my personal favorite, white chocolate popcorn (and peanuts) from Kernel Peanuts
. . . thank you for that Nancy!!

Tia McGraff (check out their music at www.TiaMcGraff.com  and Tommy Parham were
already there and busy with sound checks and makeup and hair (for Tia, not Tommy), and the DolMor staff were bustling around
doing last minute preparations. Tia and Tommy have adopted Tumaini Children’s Foundation as their charity of support and we couldn’t be more
grateful for that.

My partner, Cindy Pichette of SilverParrotStudio.com and hubby Kal Commodore arrived with our story boards, new banners and art photography, all fresh
from the printers and within minutes the salon was transformed into our “studio”.

Tia and Tommy performed two sets last night and their sound is amazing, truly, check them out . . . they rocked the audience and we all enjoyed wine
and cheese, and appetizers from The Belworth House, thank you so much Tracy and staff! Tia and Tommy’s last song before I spoke was “Hope is
Everything”. You will remember that “Tumaini” means “*hope*” in Swahili and the room permeated just that . . . *hope *for our children,* hope* for our
future and *hope* that we can continue, with your support, to grow Tumaini and provide the best of care for our little ones. Tia and Tommy have given
us permission to use “Hope is Everthing” as “our” song for Tumaini. It was then my turn to share some stories
about Usa River, Tanzania, Tumaini House and some of our children and when I looked around saw some tissues and tears. . . pole (sorry) for that, but I
was so happy to see that you heard, and felt, the plight of these special little people.

When we chose our children, we went into the very worst situations in the village of Usa River and gave the children and in some cases, the mamas, a
real chance at a future. The emotions are indescribable when reminiscing about from where some of our children came, and to where they have come
already, in less than a year. WOW!

But we need more help folks. I was fortunate to announce to our attendees last night that we are “this close” to being granted five acres of land from
the Tanzanian Government for Tumaini House . . . “this close!” Please pray for us. And please continue your support. If you haven’t already, please
visit our site at www.tuchifo.com. Read about our children (we have seventeen new ones you know) and choose a child you’d like to help and then
commit to a regular, monthly contribution towards the care of that child. You don’t have to support an entire child . . . give what you can afford. . .
What about getting a group together to co-sponsor a child? Visit our photo gallery. Cindy has been BUSY, assembling that and nina hitaji sema
“asante”, (I must say thank you) to her for that. Host a house party where you invite guests and serve wine/cheese/dinner/your grandmother’s favorite
cookies/whatever and I’ll make my presentation to your guests, and ask for donations. Most importantly don’t forget us . . . don’t forget these little
ones. They need us, they need you. Come and visit us in Tanzania and meet them in person (they are even more beautiful). Volunteer at Tumaini (but
hurry because February, March and April 2011 are beginning to fill). . . We can arrange discounted safaris to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, even
Mount Kilimanjaro . . . just ask!

In closing, Asante Lisa, David and Staff – Asante Tia and Tommy, and Asante to The Belworth House, Jensen’s Cheese and Kernel Peanuts . . . what a
night! For those who missed it, we’ll be bringing them back so stay tuned! To all of you who attended and so very generously contributed – we made
almost $3,000 last night and 100% of it is going to Tumaini House and the care of the children . . . most importantly of all, Asante kwa wewe . . .
(thanks to you!)
 

I am jet lagged and unable to sleep but will try again, so will write more badaaye “later”. Asante again for all your support. Our little ones
certainly need it.

slog through the mire, choosing and bartering and purchasing. Young street boys sell “grocery” bags for ten cents and then, in our case, carry
our wares to our vehicle and return to carry more. It is/was quite a sight.

I so look forward to seeing Amanda and Stephen and friends and yet I am morose. Is it the rain? It too, is desperately needed here. Is it the
anticipation of leaving these children without me to protect them? I have done everything I can to prepare them and their new lives and the staff to
love and care for them, but will they? Can they? They must. Is it you Dad and the memory of your pain and all of our anguish? Is it God and his
reminder at this time of year of what he sacrificed for all of us? Enough of this negativity . . . I close with just one more declaration of gratitude
to all of you, for all that each of you has done to help me provide hope, here, in Usa River, Tanzania. From the very bottom of my heart, and to each
and every one of you who opened yours, Asante Sana. Thank you Jesus.

Mama Dee

March 24

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 Today at 3:07pm

March 7th from Usa River

Sunday morning, March 7, 6:45 a.m.

The house is still quiet except for the noise of the boys cleaning out the rabbit cages. The mamas have let the children sleep because we had a movie last night and they stayed up late. Chips (French fries) and kuku (chicken) and ndizi (roasted green banana, which tastes a lot like firm boiled or roasted potatoes and is quite good) was on the menu last night.

Yesterday began with a meeting with the children of O.V.C. There are approximately 60 children in this group, all orphaned, mostly because of AIDS and living, in one case, all alone (we are working to change that) or with extended family who, in many cases abuse and neglect them. They meet at the church on Saturday mornings for support, counselling and to share their struggles and yesterday I doled out exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, rulers and more. Our temporarily resident tailor is sewing 41 primary school uniforms (he made the ones Dula and Margaret are wearing in the attached photos) and during the meeting they shared a story with me which broke my heart. I have been delinquent in finding school fees for these children (unfortunately they have been secondary on my priorities list waiting behind getting Tumaini House organized and dealing with sick children and surgeries). The fees consist of 20 L of maize, 2 sado or buckets of beans, and a cash contribution to cover the cost of cooking oil and security at a total cost of TSH. 35,000 per child or about $30.00 Cdn. This is their annual fee and without payment (which these children have been without since January), they are not only left unfed at school (told to wait while those children who did make their payments enjoy chai and lunch), but they are beaten by the administration (most of the children, when asked, admitted the abuse), in some distorted encouragement for them to find their fees. Imagine the frustration for these children, with no way of getting money, taking a beating, day after day after day, being humiliated because their parents died and left them without a means of support. That is the crime, that their mothers and fathers have died. It truly broke my heart and I am struggling to find $1,230.00 Cdn. to get these fees paid.

I shared with them that Baba’s and my dream is to very soon, build a school, a good, English medium school where they will invited to attend for free, where the teachers are well trained and well qualified and have a love, not only for children but for teaching. The government schools these children currently attend are deplorable, with no books, few desks, no teaching aids and often, no teachers. Margaret, (Our cook Neema and Peter’s daughter whom Baba and I are sponsoring for school), was attending a government secondary school where, for two weeks no teacher attended and when one finally did, she turned out to be an unqualified primary teacher with the same level of education as the class she was trying to teach! After we find the land and get the structures built it will end up being less expensive for us to support a good school than it currently is to find fees for the bad ones these children are forced to attend. It truly is heartbreaking, don’t you think, to find a child in such a bad situation as a result of having lost both of their parents. Mama Grace shared a story of three young children, living without an adult, who scrounged for wood and sold it for pennies in order to survive. An uncle has come to live with them and help out but there are many, too many, such stories of need and neglect. In addition, there are 14 secondary students in OVC who are looking for uniforms, fees, food and supplies. That will cost approximately $2,100.00 Cdn. I have solicited the Stephen Lewis Foundation for funding. Keep praying will you? Baba and I realize that we cannot help everyone in need but my prayer is to continue to help our own children at Tumaini as well as the children of OVC, the members of Langa ya Iruva and the most needy seniors of Usa River.

On the upside (and there always is an upside, even on the darkest day), our chicken house is nearing completion (photos enclosed) and today Baba and I helped two very special young people begin classes at a very good secondary school called Shule Secondari Makumira. (Photos enclosed). Neema is the head of our house and chief cook and is a wonderfully happy, loving woman who has a loud and full laugh which we are fortunate to hear often. She is almost always smiling and on those rare moments she is not, we know that something is wrong. She constantly reassures me that I have nothing to worry about when I go home because she will love the children as I do and she will ensure that they have good food and remain safe. I have complete confidence in her. She refers to me as dada kubwa (sister big) or dada kichaa (sister crazy) because my stories and some of my antics get that big laugh of hers going, often.

I have written many times about my kaka (brother) Peter whom I love very much and who is very protective of me when we are in town. He is constantly by my side, watching for snatchers, etc. His English is weak but he continues to work on it. He is our driver/electrician/plumber/mechanic/shopper and my bodyguard and he is a wonderfully kind and gentle man with children. Neema (meaning “grace”) and Peter (meaning “Peter”, ha-ha), have three children, Dula, Margaret (spelled Magreth) and Reba. Dula and Baba became very close during his stay here. Dula speaks perfect English, is an outgoing and very friendly young man of 18 who worked diligently on the garden for Langa ya Iruva, the rabbit cage, our garden, our kuku house and just about anything else Baba wanted to do. Peter is not Dula’s father. His father died when Dula was young and Neema remarried. Peter is good to Dula but there is a distance. Baba seems to be filling that void.

I will cry telling you this story but I cry a lot anyway so here goes. If you were to spend just a few minutes with Dula in the presence of Baba (Steve), either on the computer or in person you would witness true love and admiration. Dula shared with me how Baba is the first “European” (that means white person) to work hard. Dula has only ever seen Europeans in the role of boss, superior in rank and distant in demeanour. Baba and Dula, and the other young men, worked side by side, together, and Dula tells me that Baba taught him so much about so many things like, measuring, or calculating things, about negotiating, about accuracy and doing something right the first time. Most importantly, Baba instructed Dula on a person’s choice, when given the opportunity, to get a good education or not, and having the choice to “use your head or your back”. Baba shared with all of our young students how many people are forced into manual labour because they are unskilled, uneducated and therefore unqualified to work in anything else. Dula listened to what Baba said, full of respect and admiration and has vowed to work very hard at school. I am certain he wants to please his Baba.

Margaret, or Magreth is a very shy 14 year old young lady who is the sweetest thing you could meet and yet she goes unnoticed often because there is usually much commotion in the goings on around her. She was very sick as a young child and whether due to that, or a lack of funds for a good education, her English is very weak and I cannot stress strongly enough how much that impedes learning.

In any event, yesterday, after paying school fees, and having uniforms made and purchasing mosquito nets and mattresses and shoes, and trunks and soap and polish, and other things, we began to collect (so did the rain) to depart for Makumira. Neema called Dula and Magreth into the front room of the house (we were attempting photos on the front porch) and reminded them to say thank you. She needn’t have. Dula had already assured me, repeatedly, that he would not let Baba down and Magreth, in her quiet way,had leaned into me for a hug and whispered thank you. Mama made them say it again and then she grabbed me, (she’s quite a bit larger than I am, as you can see in the photos) and pulled me to her and began to cry on my shoulder. She told me again and again and again, “thank you dada, thank you dada, thank you . . . I can give you nothing dada and you give my children so much (more tears for both of us now), I cannot give them this and you can and do. Thank you dada, so much”. We hugged for a few minutes until both of us regained our composure and then headed out.

Neema, and Peter must have reminded me twenty times to thank Baba for his part in this (Steve I wish you could have been here but you would have cried also). She asked me last night if I had thanked Baba and just now I walked out for some maji moto (hot water) for coffee and she asked if I’d spoken to Baba today. I said not yet and she told me, in that definite voice of command, “Dada I must greet Baba when you talk to him on the computer today”. She needs to say thank you herself.

One cannot imagine how good a feeling it is to help a mother give her children a real and very rare opportunity at a good education. School fees for Makumira for one child for one year are tsh. 1,080,000 or about $918.00 Cdn.

We arrived at the school, went through a very uncomfortable security check with a guard who obviously has a chip on his shoulder regarding the children fortunate enough to attend a decent school. He was cruel to Dula when Dula asked a simple question and short with Margaret who wouldn’t say anything to anyone anyway. A very stern and capable matron then greeted us, took inventory and control of the situation and the children. Dula thanked me again, (more tears here), looked me directly in the eye and asked me to thank his Baba and tell him that he would “use his head and not his back” and make him proud. He told me to tell Baba, (both of us with tears in our eyes), that he loved Baba very much. He was then escorted by some fellow male students to his dorm and that was that. Margaret went through a less diligent search (telephones and ipods are cause for immediate dismissal) and then she too was taken away. I am fortunate because we will see each other the day before I leave for Canada at Easter break.

Life doesn’t get a whole lot better for someone than being in a position to help a young person find a chance to get a real education and change the course of not just their own lives, but the lives of their entire families. The discrepancy between earning a salary as a professional and a labourer here in Tanzania is comparable to that of the very wealthy and those receiving welfare . . . the difference being that here there is no government support for the poor.

To Baba, Peter got the hand brake on the Toyota fixed and purchased wax for his “gari”. As you know, he is so proud of it and wants to maintain it pristinely. We had to pay tsh. 8,000, or almost $7.00 for a bolt for the spare tire lock and are shopping for a rim for the spare (punctures are frequently regular here) but it looks to be quite expensive. We have no choice because the bolt holes for the current spare rim are rusted away and now too large to securely hold the wheel on. With so many children in the gari we need to be certain we are safe. Baba, we wait for instruction on how to disconnect the lights and more good news . . . I had a discussion with Lohai about the kukus. He sees no problem in dividing the room with chicken wire and having half reserved for laying hens and the other for meat. He thinks we’ll be just fine. I also put him to work finding kukus who are ready to lay now because, with the price of eggs, we will quickly balance the cost scale.

You will remember Eliza Baba, the child I had to spank because she kept beating the other children and refused to apologize? Do you remember she came home with a staph infection around her mouth? Well, guess who has the same thing going on above her/my lip? And I cannot shake this cough. I have started another round of antibiotics (Cipro which I brought from home) and hope that it will clean up both the cough and the infection. Joanie would Polysporin work to clean up the rash?

Hugs to you all and enormous thank yous for all of the good you have helped these families to realize. Asante Sana.

Mama Dee

Some good, good, GOOD News!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday March 5th 5:19 p.m.

Hello all!
First of all Happy Birthday to my dear friend whom I love and miss so much!! I hope it’s a wonderful day for you, although I don’t know if you could top my day today . . .
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET ME SHARE SOME NEWS WITH YOU . . . I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED BY MY LOVING DAUGHTER AND HUSBAND THAT TUMAINI CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION HAS RECEIVED IT’S CHARITABLE REGISTRATION AND STATUS, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2010!!!!!!!! DID YOU HEAR THAT? WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED AS A CANADIAN CHARITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Short of winning the lottery, for which we would have had to have bought a ticket, I couldn’t have received better news today! No one I spoke to, who has gone through this process has received their status on the first attempt. Asante mungu!! Thank you God!!

We are working with the Tanzanian government here in an effort to be granted land so that we might build a school and centre for children and seniors alike, that we might continue to provide quality education and medical care and help some of these terribly needy people realize some measure of quality of life.

Further, we have made application to the Stephen Lewis Foundation for funds for OVC, the AIDS orphans group, for Langa ya Iruva group, living with AIDS and for us here at Tumaini House to help with operating costs. I cannot BEGIN to tell you how HAPPY I am right now. One fear I have carried until today is that, by being here and taking baby steps towards resolving some of the issues here I would begin to give hope to so many people who need hope right now . . . but that support would eventually dry up and I would have to disappoint these children and adults who call me Mama and Steve Baba who need and count on us so very much. I think now I might begin to look down the road just a little bit farther down the road than I dared to before.

The children are having their baths (quite a job for 24 children) and I have a bit of a reprieve after completing Francis’ and Jenny’s homework with them. I am still sick but don’t care today . . . today could only be better if Baba, and dare I wish, some of you, were here to share the news with me. Asante mungu and asante kwa wewe. Thank you God and thank YOU!!

Mama Dee Happy in Tanzania!!

March 2nd

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 Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 1:11pm

has been awhile since I’ve written but I was sick with a sinus infection. Many of you know I suffer from them at home and this place is worse with the ever present dust and pollution. I lost my voice for three days (Baba didn’t mind, grrrrrrr) and it is back but a nagging cough keeps me awake at night and is irritating during the day.

Steve will arrive home in Canada this evening to begin playing catch up on all that has been waiting for us. I, on the other hand, have had to reschedule my return for April 5th. Thank you for that also Baba.

We have three children more than we originally intended - Mwajuma, 14, and out of school for this past year working as a house girl and, we feared, being molested; Angella, a beautiful 8 year old little girl who lost her father to AIDS last year and was starving with her sister and mother in Arusha until we moved them to Usa and gave Mama a job here helping out; and finally, Gracie a charming and precocious three year old who is busy, busy, busy!!! Her mama married a man, who, after the wedding, announced that he didn’t want her illegitimate baby around anymore. The child was wandering back and forth from mama’s house to bibi’s and was sometimes being lost in the shuffle. It was becoming dangerous. We are soliciting her father for school fees but will care for her here for now at least.

Some good news! Because of your generosity we are able to put ALL of our primary students into private school and are working on finalizing the arrangements for our older students. We have most of the money required for them also and need just a bit more. Some of the children have needed to be put back a class, or, when their previous education was especially poor, two classes, but we have them in tuition which is like tutoring and the teachers assure us they will catch up quickly.

I had to pause because we had some more rabbits and guinea pigs delivered . . . both are eaten here, and the children are ecstatic to have a small business to call their own. Thank you Ryan for helping with this project.

I look out my door while writing this, as my desk abuts it, and see Priska being teased by Raymond while he saws one of the final boards. We have hired Lazaro and Stefano’s uncle as security and he began today. His tribe are ace marksmen with the bow and arrow and that and a panga (a sword of sorts) are his weapons of choice. I hope we never need for him to use them but he is proficient at both. Jenny rides by on one of our bicycles and sticks her tongue out at me. She is so happy in her new school as is Francis. Both are attending Young Roses Primary School, which must be very good considering the District Education Commissioner moved his children there. Francis is a serious student who never gives us a problem with homework. Jenny, on the other hand, struggles to catch up as she tries to grasp the concept of subtraction.

I will close with one of the most remarkable stories of my life . . . it is about Esther, our little girl with the hooked hands who is scheduled for surgery on March 14th. You will remember that she never spoke and never smiled (until recently). Well, the other night we were colouring and we gave Esther a piece of paper and dotted the words “Dee loves you”. She picked up the crayon and perfectly, and I mean PERFECTLY copied the letters. We were stupefied because we didn’t know to what extent her proficiency was with her troubled fingers/hands. She went on to draw a beautiful picture of a sun and I have both on my wall now. Life doesn’t get a whole lot better than that folks, I can tell you.

God bless and be well,

February 19th 7:50 p.m.

Hello all and thank you for your well wishes. The funeral was today and Athuman and Harriri attended the burial of their mother and then the bibi sent the children back to us. That was it. Athuman came to me and explained that his mama was with God now and asked if I am his mama now. You know what the answer was. He proceeded to tell me how a man beat her about the head until she was dead. Harriri has been waking up soiled for the last two days and he only found out his mother was dead today. . . I wonder if subliminally we know something is not right sometimes. He is despondent and just leans into me for comfort. Time, love and your prayers will heal them both. They stay very close to Mama Dee most times.

Three stories for you on a lighter note . . . First, we dewormed this a.m!! Everyone is being dewormed and so, although we have finally got milk coming (did I tell you some visitors donated a pregnant cow?? We will have milk for our children and a baby cow within three weeks!!), we are not permitted milk in our porridge (which is so good for the children) on deworming day!! Can you say stinky poo? Did I tell you the “dada”/kaka” story? Dada means sister is Kiswahili and so I would call all my women friends dada, and guess what? Kaka means “brother”!! I laughed my butt off and then explained to our Tanzi friends that kaka means poo poo in English, at which point I was told that poo poo is susu in Kiswahili. Pardon the language but it was a shitty story!!!!!!

About the gari (truck). It seems that, although Tanzania is internationally famous for their lousy drivers (and I will vouch for this with the exception of Peter and Baba Steve of course), the use of headlights is strictly regulated. One NEVER (and I mean NEVER) drives in daytime with headlights on unless it is a funeral, or an emergency, and remember that we have the corrupt trafficki police hapa (here). I have been to town and back three times in four days with Peter (28 km. away) and without exaggeration, we were informed that our lights were on an average of 25-30 times each trip. EVERYONE tells us our lights are on. Yesterday we took the gari to a “technician” who disassembled the entire dash but could not figure out how to switch the running lights off of the truck. Finally, I asked that they reassemble our vehicle and I came home and Peter will have to do this job another day.

And now, the hamburger story. No one here (with the exception of Berris) has ever had a hamburger. They didn’t even know what they were. While in Dar we introduced Oddo and Peter to them but they didn’t know how to eat them and so they opened the burger, ate the meat with fork and knife (ala George with the chocolate bar on Seinfeld), and then ate the toppings (tomato, lettuce, etc.) separately as salad and finally the bun as two slices of bread. They informed us that burgers are tam sana (very tasty), and the boys were introduced to them in Arusha, later. They got the gyst of burger eating very quickly and wait patiently until Mama or Baba takes them back to the “Green Hut” for burgers again.

February 20th 4:43 p.m.

I have spent the morning with Mama Grace, catching up on Mama Asumini, my AIDS group and our AIDS orphan group OVC. It appears that Mama Asumini’s murder was in fact a crime of passion. Her business partner wanted more than friendship and Mama Asumini, with eight children already and seriously struggling to sustain herself and them, was reluctant to have yet another child with a man unable to support her. Finally, she was thinking straight, but it cost her her life. Her “friend” beat her unconscious, slit her throat and then poisoned himself after deciding that if he wasn’t to have Asumini, then no one was. It is a sad story indeed and one that might happen anywhere in the world.

Her children:
Huseni Peter -22 and married but unemployed.
Deo Aleni -18 and a student in Form III who Mama Asumini was bringing home because he was being abused by a bad relative. He will require school fees.
Ana Aleni - 16 and in Form II and will require school fees.
Gaspar Aleni - 14 and currently out of school but we fear he will go to the streets if we don’t get him back into school. He will require fees.
Athuman Hamisi –7 and here at Tumaini House.
Harriri Aleni? - 5 and here at Tumaini House.
Liadi Mongi - 2 years old and now coming to Tumaini House
Nasma Jomo - 9 months. **

**I think I wrote about a young Mama named Amina Juma 27 whose husband (28) died this past year of AIDS. Well, Mama Amina and her two children (both HIV+) lived in what is now the worst home I have ever seen and I moved her here to Usa and we subsidize her housing. She has been waiting on me to help her with a micro loan to start a business. Well, her business is going to be to provide love and care for baby Nasma and we will continue to subsidize her as payment for her care. Asumini’s mother and bibi to the children does not care a lick for them and there is no money elsewhere to help them. The tragedy is really that the sole provider in this family has been eradicated and now the young children, without our assistance, will fall through the cracks and suffer even more than they did before her death. It really is so very sad and my heart breaks for this woman who worked so hard to provide for her family and was cut down by a weak and cowardly man.

It pours with rain now daily and I conveniently and strategically made my escape from the main house to our “apartment” which is about 30’ away just as the deluge began. The children were/are napping and will remain “on the other side” until the torrent subsides. This gives me a bit of a reprieve and allows me to write to you and get some other work completed.

Before I made the mad dash to my sanctuary I sat with Latifa and Mama for a visit. They are here because Latifa’s orthopedic is causing pain and open sores on her foot. The skin on the bottom of her foot is chafed away and we need to see the doctor again to improve her orthopedic. She is a very special little girl who cuddled and laughed with me and then ran away . . . she ran away to play with a baby doll and we made that run possible. You will remember that Latifa is our club foot child and that now she runs . . . you have no idea how that makes me feel to have been the catalyst in changing her life . . . there are no words . . .

I will write more now, but I hear the piano (Baba Oddo) and a hammer (the last of the beds) and Steve is behind me assembling the chicken incubator. The rain falls and a cool (thank you God) breeze blows into the room which I can appreciate as my desk abuts the door.

Thank God, and all of you who have, do and/or will reach out to help me help these people. Every day there is a miracle here I give thanks for . . . so many of them are because of you . . . from the bottom of my heart, asante.

P.S. Happy Birthday Lisa!!!

February 18th 1:19 p.m.

I am writing today with the heaviest of hearts and a sadness I do not know what to do with. Mama Asumani, mother to two of our children, Athuman and Harriri as well as six other children was murdered yesterday by a supposed friend. She was just forty years old.

You will remember Mama Asumani, one of our Langa ya Iruva group members and one of the mamas we made a micro loan to, who, despite losing her husband last year to AIDS and single handedly trying to raise her children, was never late with a payment on her loan. You may also remember her as the Mama I recently wrote about whose goat was murdered by a violent neighbour (unrelated to her own murder). Mama Grace and I were attempting to relocate her and the children remaining at home because a) her own mother and the bibi to the children disliked the children and had told her to vacate their home, and b) the violent neighbour was/is still in the neighbourhood.

The story is that yesterday, Mama Asumani was to attend court on the goat issue which she did. In addition to her used clothing business which I had helped her with, Mama was involved in a roasted maize business with her eldest son and a friend, in a neighbouring village. It appears that after court, her friend and business partner (a man) asked her into his home at which point he locked the doors, announced his attentions and then, for some reason unknown to us, allowed her to text two members of her family who raced to the village. On their arrival they discovered that he had hacked her to death with a machete and then taken poison himself. He was not yet dead, but died enroute to the hospital.

Gossip is running rampant as to why. Some suggest that Mama would not allow herself to get pregnant again, something Mama Grace and I had counseled her on strongly but we really don’t, and probably won’t know why this happened.

We will meet with the family later today to decide on what is to be done with the children but money is too tight for us now and we cannot even imagine taking on four extra children (two are under two years of age). The eldest two work. I will update you later. The funeral is tomorrow. We have not told Harriri nor Athuman yet. We will bring Athuman home from his brand school which he has been at for only two days and they will bury their mother just one year after they did their father. We will not use the “o” word here at Tumaini. We are not orphans here. We are simply a special family. The adults in our circle are looking to Steve and I as some sort of guiding light with respect to this. They feel that God knew what was coming down the pike and thus sent me/us to intervene on the children’s behalf. We will do what we can.

On a happier note, I have included photos of our three little men who were circumcised today. Harriri was to have joined them but we feel he will be experiencing enough soon without the pain of circumcision. It is a rite of passage for young men here in Tanzania to be circumcised but boy oh boy did it hurt. They are staying with me today, are drugged up pretty good and we’ll see how they cope with the pain tonight. Please pray for all of us and especially for the children of Mama Asumani today, and tomorrow when they bury their second parent in one year.

February 14th, 2010 6:57 p.m.

The piano plays and I believe it may be the only one for 30 km. I really do. As it turns out, before someone hacked at him with a machete, Baba Oddo was quite a pianist and he can still muster quite a nice tune with just one good hand. He has asked for music books and will practice until he is confident enough to become our children’s instructor. How lucky we are!

The chaos and noise around here is remarkable and I murdered roaches by the dozen while we baked three cakes this afternoon in order to celebrate the uniting of our entire family thus far as well as Valentine’s Day.

We had our first two volunteer visitors. The first helped us unload our container (boy did we work them) and they donated a pregnant cow who will provide us not only a baby but also milk for our children. . . unbelievable! Further good news is that our landlord, who happens to own the lot next door, has virtually donated it for our use and we will clear it for a) a stable for our new ngombe or cow, b) a pen for our rabbits and chickens and most importantly c) for a playground we so desperately need for these busy children! Thank you God!

Baba Steve, if not busy designing and building beds, fences, water systems, and gardens, is repairing bicycles, overseeing shelving, and furniture construction, and threatening me with death if I don’t write more so please let me tell you about the children.

If you have been following my blogs you will remember that Priska was the saddest child I had met. . . NOT ANYMORE! I keep marveling every time I look up from my work and see her smiling. Emmanuel, a shy child is not afraid to have fun and he and all of the children are so enjoying the toys you donated . . . thank you Kevin for the action figures. They are a favorite of boys and girls alike here.

The power just went out again and Julie do we ever use your light! I cannot describe how beautiful the stars are here and how special our little home is when the lights go out. Steve and I marvel at how accepting everyone is of a power failure. It is a daily occurrence and people are as unaffected by it as they are the rain or the sun or the moon.) Our youngest children, Janet, Joseph, Priska, Neema, Reba, Mao, Connie, Tony, and Harriri will begin class in our school here and until we can find special classes for Christina and Esther, they will join the little ones. It will be difficult for Esther because she is very intelligent, but we’ll work it out.

It is now 10:25 p.m. and Steve had two well deserved Kili beers with Baba Oddo and is now snoring in the next room. I have to be up at 6:00 a.m. to prepare the children for school and so will be busy. Goodnight and more photos to follow!!

February 13th, 8:06 p.m.

Let me start by saying pole (polay) for being so delinquent in my writing. . . yes, we finally received the container and we’ve returned to Usa River and have not stopped since we arrived back here five days ago. The power is out now and most of our children are here with us and so want to spend every moment with Mama Dee but now I am hiding in my office and if I angle my screen just right, they won’t be able to spot me. Please know that I am not complaining . . . my/our dream is unfolding as I speak.

Janet, Joseph, Francis, Connie, Neema, Eliza, Priska, Jenny, and Tony are having chakula (food) in our new kitchen. Yusufu, Marco, Josephat, Rwekiza and Georgie have been here from the start, as you know, because we pulled them out of the horrible school they were attending. Georgie has gone home to share his good news with his mother and will return Sunday. All five of the big boys begin school on Monday at Amani English Medium School here in Usa River which last year was the sixth best primary school in all of Tanzania. Evalina and Margaret were delivered by their Mzungu mama (me) to a wonderful English Medium Boarding School and will return on holidays and long weekends. We outfitted them with our cache from Canada and off they went, looking very excited and little bit afraid, as any child would, anticipating a new school, but they have never had such a good opportunity and I look forward to seeing their academic and personal improvements.

Athuman, Harriri, Christina, Esther, Lazaro, Stefano, and Emmanuel join us tomorrow and Latifa will stay with her mother for awhile yet. Five more children are joining us this month from southern Tanzania, the region Oddo came from and once they arrive we will be complete!

We really are sorry for not keeping you up to date but it’s difficult to get to one’s computer with four or five children vying for your lap and attention and every one of them is! I cannot tell you how tired we are, or how happy. We are having rain of late and so the garden grows and doesn’t require irrigating which is a big job here also.
Happy Valentine’s Day - Sunday
It is now 10:49 a.m. Sunday and I am attempting to write this with Francis, Priska, Eliza, Neema and Jenny leaning on me. We are taking our children to church in the gari (truck)!!! Wish me luck! Steve is an angel and very busy because he has only two weeks left. I need to change my flight because there is no chance I can complete what I need to do before I leave.

There is so much to tell but now it is 2:48 p.m. and all but Esther are here and are enjoying chakula. Mama Neema is a wonderful cook. We are working on systems and rules and trying to strategically put the children into their rooms to minimalize problems. It is complete chaos around here and I must go because Steve is making more beds and I need to organize our stash of towels, sheets, clothing, etc. I’ll be back!! Hugs to you all and please, send me money!! I have five children who have an opportunity to attend a very good English Medium School and it costs $400 Cdn. per year. Please help me!!

February 5th, 2010

Today is a better day . . . I think. We got cleared for exemption and were processed. The details are insanely ridiculous to say the least but we’re done that part. It only took a week. After that we went to customs to request special clearance approval because we’ve been held up for a week here and are anxious to deliver our goods to our children and get out of this place. We received clearance approval and supposedly will go through a general inspection of the vehicle to verify that it is indeed the one we say it is and then we will, I hope, be cleared. The final step is/was to receive departure authority from M.S.C. the shipping company who brought the container. Evidently they are the reason we have spent most of this week redoing paperwork already completed, but one must not forget the many, many errors along the way. Perhaps one should. Our clearing agent told me that tomorrow morning we will attend customs clearance and then, wait for it . . . Monday, we will have our final release from M.S.C. Well, that didn’t sit too well with me and as God and Karma would have it we happened to run into an M.S.C. clearing agent named Said. He attempted to bully Oddo into explaining the Tanzanian procedure (bribes get service) but I wasn’t in the mood and he was party to an mzungus mama meltdown, filmed by crazy mzungus taxi driver/camera man who had spent the morning in the Canadian embassy explaining our situation and collecting information for options for assistance. Finally the agent told us to go see his boss and off we went. Instead of finishing his own business he hurried back to the M.S.C. offices and explained that some crazy Canadians were on their way. We were in the building for less than ½ hour and came out preapproved for clearance after customs tomorrow. That never happens in Tanzania, but it never happens that the shipper of a container of goods for an N.G.O. in northern Tanzanian is standing in the Dar offices of the shipping line which delayed the arrival of the said container and failed to keep said shipper informed of manifest changes, thus causing much confusion and even further delay. I will update you tomorrow, hopefully from Usa.
Today Steve and I were waiting, (we’re getting good at that) and people watching and during this past week we’ve witnessed the results of untended polio and clubfeet. It reminded us of what we and many of you have already done for Latifa and Esther and I must tell you what a remarkable feeling that is.
We also got to see and speak with Amanda, Bonnie and Stew today and Nagymama chatted on the phone with us for a few minutes. That, and the plethora of positive feedback from you guys (along with a generous donation from Lisa and Vincor (Asante) and things almost feel as they should. Almost. You see, the boys call or text us at least twice a day to remind us that they are praying for the release of our container and return home to them. We hope one day to bring them to Canada enmass, to attend corn camp. They are elated at the prospect of travelling to Baba Steve’s shamba (farm).
I had several important projects on the go in Usa (moving a Bibi, as well as Mama Athuman) and delivering foodstuffs to the children who wait to move to Tumaini House. Further, I need to hire the remainder of our staff, purchase the mattresses, outfit the children in uniforms and get them into school, or transferred, shop for groceries (if you want to call it that at this scale . . . I think the Wiebe household could counsel me on this subject), schedule three surgeries (Tony, Harriri and Esther) and help the children move and settle into their new home and all waits for the container but after its arrival . . . bring it on! It seems like forever since we began putting this container together and I cannot wait to unpack.
Thank you all for your well wishes, your prayers and your support. Thank you for taking the time to lift us up because we’ve been feeling pretty low at times lately. Thank you for caring not just about the children but about us. Thank you Cindy, for reminding me so eloquently that, “at least you didn’t have to go through labour 23 times!)
We are exhausted but we sleep tonight with hope that perhaps tomorrow, we will be home with the stash and some very lucky orphans will realize their dream of finding a safe home full of love and safety and support and food and opportunities. Thank you all for lifting us up and reminding us of our reason for being here. We are so lucky to call you family and friends. Asante

February 4th, 2010

We are still in Dar. It is 5:10 a.m. and after trying for the last hour, I have given up trying to sleep. Steve was snoring softly beside me until I woke him in my search for glasses so I might read what I type. The call to prayer for Islam can be heard outside.
We are staying at a dear friend of mine, Berris and Joseph Siame’s house in their beautiful King sized bed with a fan and so the suffocating heat is not so bad at night. During the day and for each day of this entire week, we have waited, and waited, and waited. We have been misinformed, misrepresented, misdirected and I am completely deflated. The boys, and all of our children, and all of our work, waits, at home, praying that the government of Tanzania (in Steve’s opinion a group of adolescents trying to run a country) will stop trying to extort bribes from the Canadian mzungus and pause for just a moment to remember why we are here and for whom we are providing this aid.
I have cried at least once, every day this week. We have waited, outside the Tanzanian Revenue Authority for hours and hours and hours (all day several times) only to be told to go here or wait for this without success or results. We are directed to another office and then told that no, things are not as they should be and we should subiri (wait) yet again. It truly seems to me that the government cares not a whisper about the well being of their children and only about what they might steal from the white foreigners for themselves.
Berris and Joseph have been invaluable and I know that we would be even farther behind schedule without their assistance, but I cannot stop marvelling at how little many people care for the children and needy. Oddo says that he is ashamed for his country and how it operates at times like this. I can understand why.
To say that I am disheartened would be an understatement and I am certain that if Steve were not here now, to help remind me why I have been standing in front of the Tanzanian Revenue Authority for a week, in 100 degree heat, I may very well have pushed the container into the ocean myself by now and walked back to Usa River. God help us please.
On a happier note, albeit it a little one, and while we were not melting outside the TRA office, we did find a very good deal on a very good used refrigerator for Tumaini House. I also did some shopping for provisions. Plastic tubs and cookers, etc. Finally, I got a very good price on mattresses for the beds and can save about 40% by purchasing in Dar. (A good mattress for a twin bunk bed costs about $24.00 Cdn. and we need forty.) The struggle now is that shipping wants five dollars per to get them to Usa and so there goes a big chunk of our profit. I think we will try to stuff some into the container before it leaves and if we ever get it released. By the by, we aren’t even through customs yet, just NGO exemptions, so, try to imagine what we may still have ahead of us. It truly is unbelievable. Yesterday we were told we would have to pay two million shillings or about eighteen hundred dollars on the truck as value added tax when we only paid seven hundred for the vehicle. It was a mistake, but the powers that be tried to push it through and it was only because I told them we would leave the car here and roll it into the surf and they went back and recalculated things that the taxes were reduced. Thank you Lord and Berris.
Before I left Usa to join this farcical attempt at government agency, I visited Mama Athuman/Harriri. She is one of the mamas in Langa ya Iruva and a wonderfully skilled negotiator in the used clothing business and has been without a hitch in her small business loan repayment. She was widowed last year and Athuman and Harriri are joining Tumaini House in order to help provide some relief for the rest of the family. The following story was our greeting.
Mama Athuman is currently at home resting, with an open sore on her lower leg. She resides with her mother and six of her eight children in two rooms. There are three rooms in the house but one is for the mother. On the day before my visit Mama Athuman was resting her leg when she heard Harriri shrieking. She limped outside to discover that a new neighbour was beating him for some reason. She hurried over and told the mama that she couldn’t beat her son (Tanzanian psychology at work here) and that she, Mama Athuman was going to beat the other mama’s child in retaliation, which she did, at which point the mama grabbed a machete and chased Mama Athuman back into her house where she locked her door. She did, however, leave her goat outside and the other mama stabbed it twice with her machete.
Everyday domestic violence in Tanzania perhaps but I encouraged Mama Athuman to go to the police, as did Mama Grace who was my translator, and then to Dr. Lyimo to check her leg. We arranged for Lohai to pick her up on the motor bike as the police station is quite a walk and she reported the crime. The other mama was arrested and jailed and the goat died. This is a particularly serious issue for Mama because goat’s milk is a very nutritious addition to the diet of an HIV patient and she struggles already with so many children and with her own health compromised. My heart goes out to her and if we find the money we’ll buy her another goat. The other mama, a newish resident of Usa River and probably forced out of her last village for acts of violence will, most likely be ousted from Usa also but she will not be forced to make retribution for the goat, most likely because she is financially unable to.
Friends and family, just so you don’t worry that I am going to hang myself in front of the government buildings of Dar I will tell you that when I am not crying, we still find ways to laugh. Our crazy and progressively more aggressive mzungu taxi driver, Steve is wearing out our horn on our car. We have enjoyed several good laughs about left handed toilet etiquette. Berris’ cooking is wonderful. The fan in our bedroom works and we simply try remembering that if we ever do receive our container, it will change lives dramatically in Usa River. I get to know our children more. Steve and I look farther down the road with respect to long term plans for these children and many of them call me mama. Did I tell that the other day Yusufu told me he loved me? He hasn’t had a mama since he was five and is most happy to have one now.
My fear and the cause of many of my tears has been that our presence and our compassion and concern for these little ones will give them hope, (it already has) for the first time in many cases, that things will improve in their little lives but that we will fail to follow through and provide the care these children so desperately need. Please pray that we find the way.
It is so hard sometimes here, so unfair and uncaring and yet all I need do, each time things become unbearable, and they certainly have this week, is to remember just one face of just one of the children we are helping and I settle and give thanks. So many people have expressed how God will bless us for the goodness we are showing the people of Usa. I need just remember that, hmmmmmmmmm?

 January 26th, 2010 6:33 a.m.

We are starting our day early so that Steve and the boys can work for several hours before the heat gets too bad.

I must have been exhausted last night because I failed to tell you about Esther! Esther, as you know is our child with a drop foot (which we surgically corrected at the end of my last visit) and both of her little hands are “hooked” for which we see Dr. Lyimo on 25th. She is dark both physically (very black) and also dark in her personage . . . rather, I should say she was. Esther had a follow up appointment at Machame Hospital yesterday and Mr. Oddo took her in the gari (car).

I met up with Steve and boys around 3:00 p.m. (there are two clocks in Tanzania and so I never really know what time it is here unless I look at my phone which has a clock on it) and Esther and her caregivers and Oddo met up with us there.

First of all, imagine being part of the reason that a child, in such need and without opportunity of ANY kind, until she met us, is able to put her heel down and will walk properly for the first time in her life! She showed me how she is progressing . . . imagine.

Now imagine that little girl, (whom I have never seen smile) seeing herself in a picha (picture) on my computer and taking her little deformed finger on her little deformed hand and learning how to click on the bar to go to the next photo . . . of HERSELF! She smiled!! She was amazed at the technology but especially surprised and happy to see a photo of herself!! Esther even learned how to drag her finger across the mouse pad to change the direction her photos were presented in.

Esther will go for her second and third surgeries soon and will come to Tumaini House and go to school. She appears to be an intelligent little girl who has been terribly stigmatized by villagers and other children because of her “differentness”. We are going to protect her and love her and help build her self confidence so that she doesn’t become broken by the oppressiveness of being handicapped in what can be an ignorant and unsympathetic world. As I said earlier, she and Latifa attend the rehabilitation centre for orthopedic shoes tomorrow.

I didn’t come here to be a hero. I never thought about it that way when I began this. The truth is that I feel especially blessed for the many gifts, skills, talents, and material things God has given me in my life and I’ve always felt indebted. I’ve had a sense of a need to repay in this life for those gifts and when my father died I was reminded, strongly, that life is short and that we may not always get all the time in the world to do what we want/need/should. That was my catalyst and not a quest for heroism or self gratification, because, and Steve I think will corroborate this, there are MUCH easier ways to find self gratification, but I would be a liar if I didn’t tell you that witnessing the progression of the projects I have started here, and seeing the positive and immeasurable impact my presence (and yes, money) has had on peoples’ lives isn’t the greatest feeling I have ever had. Amanda and Stephen I’ll make you cry now but I compare this feeling to how I feel when I am gifted with those very best of “Mom” moments, where we connect and share and when you, with your love, allow me to feel like I truly am a mother. There is no better way to describe it.
 

January 23 5:30 p.m.

Habari?  (You would reply, “Nzuri”). (How are you? Reply, “I am fine”.)  I hope everyone is well and enjoying the cool weather in North America.  I am certain it is over 100 degrees here today and poor Steve is melting as he and some young men are working in the Langa ya Iruva garden.  Steve reminded me that we are only 3 degrees south of the equator vs. our 39 north so things (like Steve and I) cook rather quickly around here and I forgot sun block.  Pole (pronounced polay means “sorry”). 

 This morning began with a planning meeting for Steve, Oddo (they are already the best of friends and thoroughly enjoy teasing the, you-know-what out of each other) and myself.  Steve designed the garden (I was reminded quite definitely that this is HIS project and that I don’t have to be in charge of EVERYTHING, so I can keep my nose out of it).  Oddo is following up with Esther who will go to Machame Hospital on Monday for a pre-op investigation regarding the surgeries for her hands.  Her foot is healing and she is beginning to put weight onto it.  Good news.  In baby Latifa’s case she is ready for orthopedic shoes so I will see her next week for a consultation and measurements. 

 We took a break from our meeting to greet Priska (so good to see her!), and Mama Priska, (Banana Mama) who came to get permission for a visit to Dr. Lyimo’s office for baby Saidi who has a chest infection.  Mama (rail thin as a starving new mother when we first met) has lost even more weight since I saw her last and has been sick with tonsillitis for two months which is only now getting better.  Priska, (I described her in her bio as the saddest child I have ever met) was full of laughter and smiles when she saw Mama Dee (me) again, and I was ecstatic to see her smile!  (She almost never smiled during my last visit.)

 At 10:30 I had a meeting with the O.V.C. (Orphaned Vulnerable Children) group consisting of approximately 50 children who welcomed us with song and dance and put on a skit depicting life for the orphan.  In it the mama mistreats her orphaned nephew and gives preferential treatment to her own children.  She withholds food from him, keeps him home from school in order to do chores and even orders him to find his own stick for the beating she gives him.  A neighbor witnesses the abuse and reports it to the baba (father) who is sympathetic and after catching her twice, threatens to beat the mama if her baya (bad) behavior continues.  The play was depicted humorously and was full of children’s titters and giggles but the story, unfortunately, is true. 

 Orphaned children are (I was assured not too, too often) abused and neglected by relatives who don’t want them but are obligated by law to care for them.  The situation is very sad insomuch as a child, orphaned, is then stigmatized in this culture for not having parents.  Such abuse contributes greatly to the very serious issue of street children which we have met repeatedly on the streets of Arusha who shout out “Teacher” to Oddo and then ask for a coin or two.  These children are dirty, hungry, and will do just about anything for the next “fix” of their drug of choice.  Yes, marijuana, crack and worse are here too and children have discovered them.

 In many cases orphaned children live with their aged Bibis (grandmothers) who, instead of providing care for the child, require it themselves.  Many children, once orphaned, try to remain, without any adult, in the family home in an attempt to retain possession of it because uncaring extended family will move in and claim it for themselves if the child(ren) is forced to abandon it and often, the family home is a child’s only inheritance.  These children are left unprotected, vulnerable and ill-equipped to deal with the struggles of life on their own yet still attempt to stay together as a family.  The orphaned children most in need will come to live at Tumaini House  The meeting today was important and necessary and, I am afraid is going to be expensive.

 In order to outfit these children for school (some of them are our own children) we require 47 pairs of black leather school shoes (everyone MUST wear them with their uniforms, to be polished daily) at a cost of $13.00 ($611.00).  Uniforms are going to cost approximately $30.00 each and 39 of the children require them. (39x$30 = $1,170.00) for a pant or jumper, shirt or blouse, socks, tie and sweater.  Exercise books, pencils and backpacks are also required but we have some/most of this in our container.  Please remember that these children are orphans.  They have no one and nothing and are at the very bottom of the supply/feed chain in many cases (food, tuitions, clothing, etc.) and so go without even the most basic of needs.  They are unwanted burdens in many cases and are treated as such, else, in addition to having lost their parents to AIDS, are doubly challenged with providing care for their elderly Bibis.  Life here is hard for the lucky ones and these children are the least fortunate.  If you are able to contribute to getting these children into school please email me.  I have taken on the responsibility of their medical care in order to keep them going and we have an exciting business plan for them to begin earning their own money in order to become more valuable to their “families” and gain a measure of independence.  We are going into the RABBIT (sungura) business!

 If the opportunity presents itself, many of our orphaned children would like to raise rabbits (for resale as meat).  Initially we will need to purchase some rabbits (Tsh. 3,000 or $2.60) but even here they breed like . . .  well . . . you knew where I was going with this!!  They can be sold for Tsh. 5,000 (4.30 Cdn.) for an initial profit of Tsh. 2,000 (1.70) but children can earn the entire Tsh. 5,000 as profit (faida) once they acquire baby rabbits.  We will also require cages here because, believe it or not, there are things bigger than bunnies just waiting to devour them!!  We will need about $250.00 to build cages and give these children a taste of independence and dignity.  Please consider helping and if you do, please just email me with the details and on their behalf, asante sana!!

 There is rarely a moment here that passes when someone or something doesn’t need money and please know how grateful I am for all that so many of you have already done but I must keep asking. . . We have an opportunity to bring a teacher into the orphanage daily and provide our preschool and handicapped children with classes in English, math and letters to better prepare them for school in the case we cannot afford (which we cannot at present), English Medium, or private school.  You already know how poor the public system is here but currently, we have no choice. 

 This teacher is going to cost $157.00 monthly, and we want to invite the orphans of OVC Group to join us for classes (called “tuition” or extra tutelage) in English after regular classes.  That way even more of the AIDS orphans of Usa River will receive a very important jump start in English which is so critical to their educations.  I would also like to be able to provide each child who does attend our classes with a slice of bread and butter or a fruit and a glass of water when they come because in many cases that may be all they eat for the day.  Oddo’s and my dream is to be able to provide a hot meal to all of our orphans daily, when they come for class so that we can ensure they are strong enough to pay attention and learn in school.  Bread and butter for 70 children will cost about Tsh. 40,000 ($3.40) or about $85.00 Cdn. monthly.

 On the medical front, Chi’s malaria symptoms improved within 24 hours.  He will take treatment (pill form) daily, for a week.  I marvel at how quickly the malaria parasite takes a person down (with vicious headaches and fever and chills) and on the other side, how quickly patients respond to treatment . . . that is if they receive treatment, because if a person does not, he or she dies . . . no questions asked. 

 Christina has a fungal infection on her face which has been treated with ointment and finally, let me tell you about Asha.  Asha is a 35(ish) year old woman who is HIV+  and has been well known to Dr. Lyimo for many years.  Her ARV’s are free but nothing else is and Dr. Lyimo has been monitoring a progressive paralysis in her speech and mobility both of which are accompanied by extreme pain.  She has been bounced around various clinics but in Dr. Lyimo’s opinion Asha requires a CT scan (an MRI would be better but because there is only one MRI in the entire country Asha will wait months/years to be seen) which is in Moshi, at KCMC (Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre) about 20 km. away.  With a referral letter from the Dream Clinic which is a group of doctors who volunteer medical assistance to HIV/AIDS victims and with “contrast”, (Dr. Barry and Bruce, you will understand this) which is supposed to give a clearer report, the cost of the scan will be Tsh. 150,000 or about $128.00  Cdn.  Do I have any volunteers?

 Oddo is negotiating to get Jenny into school (most of the other children of age are attending now) and I saw her today to get measurements for her uniform and for shoes. Neema was there and we hugged and cuddled and the children looked for chocolate in Dee’s bag but alas “hapana”, (no) so I promised “kesho” (tomorrow).   I hope all of you are well!

January 20, 2010

Friends and family, what a change three months and having your husband along for the ride makes!  We arrived last night around 9:15 p.m. to 27 C and Oddo, Scola, Anita, Elizabeth, Chi, Ruthie, Mr. Ndonde Sr., Peter, Neema, Margaret, Mao and Reba to greet us.  We were not in the country ½ hour before our first extortion.  $46.00 it cost to get our microscope in to the country.  (One inspector, once he found out it was a gift for the doctor caring for our orphans said to go ahead, but the man in charge gleefully took our money and only then sent us on our way).  This time not one but two dozen roses (one for Steve), two vehicles, (well of course two vehicles, there were 14 of us and four enormous bags and four carry ons!)  Did I mention how much easier handling eight bags of luggage and a microscope is when you bring your big, bald, (sorry David) husband along? See photos! 

In any event, we arrived and were transported to Oddo’s NEW house which is, what were your words Steve? (The Taj Mahal compared to the other digs!)  We got settled in and were fed at which point Steve realized he would not, indeed starve on this trip but I’ll leave that tale for him to tell.

 We fell into bed around 12:30 Tanzi time which is eight hours ahead of us at home in Ontario.  I awoke around 4:00 a.m. to yes, the sound of dogs, but only two and they were at least 20 feet from my window this time.  Yes, the cock crowed (no, not Steve) and woke us around 6:30 a.m. but still being on home time we were ready to get up.  Remind Steve to tell you HIS cockroach story will you?

 Today we inspected the orphanage, and the garden, (photos will follow), then Steve went down for a nap and I went to town to purchase our wireless internet connector (Asante Vodacom) no more semi weekly trips to Arusha with my heavy computer, attended the bank and purchased a cell phone for Steve.  Oddo encouraged me to pick up ice cream and so we enjoyed the best pineapple I’ve EVER had (they are in season here right now), and pistachio ice cream for dessert.  Scola honored me with her version of soup of ua (flower) which is actually broccoli soup which I introduced the family to on my last visit.  They loved it then and so did Steve and I tonight. 

 We picked Steve up this afternoon, had some lunch then toured a neighbouring hotel for information purposes, then were chased home by the rain.  Yes, rain!  After two years of drought Tanzania has had so much rain that the people are complaining like us farmers at home do.  Never happy with the weather!

  I am so happy for Oddo and his family.  They have worked and scraped for more than five years to build their home and it is truly lovely.  Tomorrow we’re off to deliver Dr. Lyimo’s microscope, visit Grace, Mrs. Ndonde Sr., and our children and some of our HIV mamas.  I cannot wait.  Tutaonana kesho rafikis (See you tomorrow friends!)

 Letters from Steve

 I can’t believe that I was actually prepared to go on this trip.  Thank God for my sake it was delayed until the eighteenth of January!  I find as I get older the actual flight to destinations becomes my least favorite aspect of travelling and the fact that there were two long flights created a bit more anxiety.  We arrived at the airport at 3:30 p.m. in the hopes of not needing to wait in any lines, only to find 100 people in front of us.  My biggest concern was being able to carry the microscope as carry on.  Once at the check in counter and after a little explaining, the ticket agent agreed to let us carry it on even though it was slightly oversized.  We saw our checked bags go down the conveyor and proceeded to the security area for carry on inspection.  Off with the shoes, off with belts, through the beeping machine waiting for our carry on to go through the xray.  Since Cherie was ahead of me I didn’t pay too much attention to her as I was trying not to let my pants fall off, still waiting for my stuff to come through the machine.  I finally got my belt and shoes but noticed there was quite a commotion at the end of the line where Cherie was.  The supervisors went back to the xray machine then back to Cherie’s bag, then back and forth again, and insisted to her that there was something that wasn’t right.  (I thought to myself, if she’s really trying to smuggle something onto the plane, she’ll probably suggest that what they are looking for is something else.)  Sure enough I heard her say something about it probably being her “rocket” which is her Roger’s internet wireless computer attachment.  After digging and digging, they finally found it!  I thought to myself, do I really know this woman I’m travelling with?  Did they find something or was it just a screw up? Most of you will be shocked to hear that Cherie attempted to smuggle a weapon on board.  It was a jack knife that was attached to the key chain for the truck that is in the container.  (Dogs barking . . . )  Of course, she batted her eyes, smiled and explained how she hadn’t noticed the knife attached to the keychain when she put it in her carry on.  We laughed for quite awhile (not nearly as dramatic as your experience Bruce, but funny, none the less.)  Definitely a SCREW UP!  (Hardly I say and I’m the typist so I get to say that!!)

 Fortunately we flew KLM which really is the Cadillac of airlines.  Our first leg was on a 747 and we had a very friendly stewardess point out our seats and as she stood there helping other passengers I couldn’t help admiring her fluency when she spoke her native tongue.  Just about when everyone was seated I noticed two seats ahead of us that were empty which had lots of leg room.  I motioned for her to come over and asked her if Cherie and I could move up if no one took the seats.  She said of course to which I replied, “Thank you.  I don’t speak German very well.”  After looking at me a little odd she replied, “neither do I”.  (I could hear Cherie laughing beside me).  Then she said, “I’m Dutch”.  Yup.  I forgot we were on KLM and not Lufthansa.  Enough of that “when in Rome” stuff.  Not to mention, those two seats ended up being occupied.  (Typist here . . . suggesting counter screw up nomination!!!) 

 We completed the first leg, to arrive in Amsterdam at 7:00 a.m. local time, and had to wait until 11:20 for leg #2.  Of course it’s 2:00 a.m. our time and neither of us slept much on the first flight.  Cherie caught a couple of hours propped up on the microscope in a chair while I huddled beside her on the floor trying not to get hypothermia on my left side.  Although the second flight was longer, it was about ¾ full which allowed Cherie and I to find three unoccupied seats each, allowing us to stretch out and sleep.  That was great.

 Arriving at Kilimanjaro is not unlike arriving at Zihuatajeno, Mexico.  Man was it hot!    We normally would arrive in Mexico during the day to experience the flush of heat hitting your face as you walk across the tarmac.  The only difference was it was 9:30 at night here!

 An hour and a half later we were through customs $46.00 poorer, yet, surrounded by Oddo’s family who seemed very appreciative and grateful for our arrival. 

 We had a lovely meal at Oddo’s home.  I met many of his extended family (dogs barking) and retired for the evening.  Mosquito netted in, lights out, and in about two minutes there was the sound of something . . . either wanting to get in to our room, or already in our room, but the sound was extraordinary, somewhere between scratching on concrete and crinkling a cellophane candy wrapper.  It wasn’t so much the type of sound as how loud it was!  If this was a cockroach making that much noise, it had to be the size of a cell phone.  I flipped on the LED flashlight we had with us in bed, trying to figure out what direction it was coming from.  The sound immediately stopped.  I looked around for a minute or two, then gave up.  (Not true guys.  Steve made me get out of bed and close all the suitcases up!!)  Oh yea, I forgot about that part!  Out went the lights again and we both fell fast asleep.  We’ll wait tonight to see if our visitor returns.  11:45 p.m. and we’re nodding off!!

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