Happy Easter from Mama . . .

Happy Easter from Mama

Katy and I were able to see and speak to the children, “familia Tumaini” in Tanzania today.  It was just before their supper time and just before 11:00 a.m. here.  They are well.  They are happy, and they were VERY happy to see and speak with us.  We asked, during our conversation why today was special and Francis offered that today is the day Jesus died on our behalves.  The children promised to include Jesus’ sacrifice in their prayers today and assured us that we too would be.  I would like to take this opportunity to include a few more . . .

First of all for them . . . the watoto (children) of Tumaini, we would ask that God keep them safe, and healthy and happy and they be allowed to continue to learn all they need to in order to grow up and become the best people they possibly can . .  .  

I give thanks to Father Kagua, our parish priest in Usa River, who was invaluable with his support and direction during a very difficult time.  I ask for guidance for and God’s support of our Tanzanian staff, Oddo, Grace, Lohai, Mamas Anita, Saumu, Ally, Mwajuma, Dada Margy, Teacher Winner, Lawrence and Jeremiah to continue to treat each other with respect and kindness and to love, protect and be examples of goodness to these children we love so much . . . 

I would give thanks to our Board of Directors here in Canada . . . To Cindy, on your departure, we thank you for all your contributions to Tumaini and wish you every happiness and success in your future and pray for you all of God’s blessings . . . To Julie who was with me from the beginning, supporting Tumaini before there WAS a Tumaini  . . . for being my FIRST supporter and Tumaini’s first sponsor, Asante!  To Lisa, for embracing the vision of Tumaini and for loving these children you have yet to meet . . . Thank you!  And to our Tumaini Katy, “Bibi” Pat and incoming treasurer John Davies Asante for bringing your (as Oddo would say) UNIQUE sets of gifts to this board, but, more importantly, for bringing your common hearts . . . I pray for all of us to work together, with patience, humility and understanding to advance the wellbeing of our children in support of the vision of Tumaini . . .

L/R John Davies, Julie Millington, Cherie Szucs, Patricia Barry, Lisa Engelhardt-Robinson, Katy Wilson

An ENORMOUS Asante must go out to you, our sponsors, donors, and volunteer supporters of Tumaini who have embraced these children not only from your hearts but from your pocketbooks.  That support has enabled us to provide a quality life to all of our children.  It has given them safety, sanctuary.  It provides nutritious food daily, which helps their bodies not only grow but heal and staves off disease.  It gives our HIV+ children their FIRST chance at a real life because medicine is only HALF the battle against AIDS.  It allows their brains to grow so they can learn at good schools where they have the chance to excel and advance on through university to real jobs where they will then be in a position to “pay it forward”.  It allows them quality medical care like corrective surgeries, and malaria treatment and belly button repairs, not to mention the day to day infections and flu and injuries our good friend Dr. Lyimo helps us with . . . Your loving support has gifted our children with toys and bicycles which they love SOOOOOO much (and recently helmets which protect their kitwas (heads)), and videos on Friday and Saturday nights and the occasional picnic or swimming party where they are invited to play and share and just be a child . . .

Your support helps employ our staff and gives most of them the first employment they have ever dared dream might help THEM build a future . . . 

L/R - from Mama Dee- Margy, Saumu, Oddo, Teacher Winner, Mama Mwajuma, Anita, Jeremiah and Lawrence, Lohai, Mama Ally and Mama Grace! 

 I pray this Easter that you will always have the means, the empathy and the confidence to share your time, your hearts and your hard earned dollars with us, ensuring that all we dream of for these children continues . . .

And to YOUR families and friends this Easter we wish you peace and happiness and safety in your travels as you come together to share in this holiday . . . and to some who may NOT be with family or friends, come be with us . . . our hearts are big enough . . .

 Since my return to Canada last week, to Melissa and Trevor, thank you for embracing Tumaini.  To Pat for her travelogue presentation in Burlington which garnered even more awareness (and funding) for Tumaini!  To Katy's family and everyone who supported Katy's welcome home party . . . I am not certain the sky is the limit when it comes to what this family contributes to Tumaini . . . and to all who came out to welcome her back . . . Asante!  To the Simcoe Ladies Lions Club thank you for welcoming me to speak at your dinner meeting this past Tuesday and to Luann who is welcoming me back to her family studies class, thank you!  To Nurse Julie at Dr. Don’s office, thank you for helping with my blood work and x-rays so that I might feel better soon.  To a woman who follows us on Facebook, someone I didn’t recognize, who hugged me in the grocery store  simply for doing what I do here, thank you!  This job is not always easy, but it IS always rewarding and you were my reward that day . . . Thank you!  To my family who forgives and forgets and then remembers when I forget, who supports me every day, whether I am here or there and who has embraced our “extended” family on the other side of the world, thank you so much . . . I hope you know how much . . .

And so, Happy Easter!  With such gratitude for and on behalf of the children and staff of Tumaini (PS  Raymond and Lohai will be here in June), to and on behalf of our board who work lovingly to ensure our children have a future . . . and to each of you . . . it is my prayer that God show each of you, in a very special way this weekend, how very much what you do, who you are, matters . . . yes, that is my Easter prayer . . . Asante!

On Leaving . . .

April 10th from Mama . . . 

First of all, happy birthday to Candice' Dad from all of us here at Tumaini!!  A little bird let the cat out of the bag!!

I depart tomorrow after four months  . . . heart wrenching emotions even imagining saying goodbye (I keep telling myself it gets easier but I can’t say I believe it). I will leave Francis with a fever (Jenny’s has past), and Latifa and Liadi with ringworm (a nasty fungus we get here), instructions for the children to be dewormed “tena” again (I met someone today who, hearing how wet it is suggests that perhaps my (and yours Katy) persistent cough may be caused by worms we’ve contracted which, having travelled to our lungs manifests into this.  A doctor’s appointment is first on my list upon my return.

We have report cards for almost all of our children (Oddo promises the rest before I leave) and I will post results once I am home.  Most of our children are doing well, some extraordinarily well and celebrations are in order!  Some struggle still but the changes I’ve witnessed in nearly all of our children over the past 21 months are remarkable/outstanding/inspiring . . .

Many of our children came from “homes” where they were unattended all day, left to fend for themselves, sometimes with other siblings or even no one, and at as young an age as three.  Many of them had no food and waited for Mama or big sister to come home, hopefully with enough money from the day’s labor to purchase supper.  I have visited homes, MANY homes where not a bite of food has been eaten, at times for DAYS, and there is not a crumb in the house.  YOU have helped me help children who might not even be alive today without our assistance . . . little Mary, Rashid and Glory come to mind.  Tumaini’s children have grown to know security, stability and most importantly love.  Coming from families who stole the food we provided (before our children moved here) and then sold it for pumbe (alcohol) many of our children couldn’t conceive of “love”.  They are beginning to look into the future with a sense of self worth and with confidence that they will HAVE a future . . . that food, and safety and health care and a good education and LOVE is theirs now and YOU have helped make that happen . . .

The children’s English progresses at a speed beyond our wildest imaginations!  They often use English now in play, in their sub-conscious, giving instruction or making a request of each other.  They are funny!  They have learned to hug and to cuddle . . . to love.  The children work on sharing and we are working on telling the truth.  Always . . . Unfortunately, this is a country full of corruption, of lies and of liars.  It is a cultural phenomenon . . . perhaps desperateness (or the choice to prey on the desperate) precipitates such ugliness, and so we struggle to teach our children about integrity and morals, about the value of character and they are learning . . . do we humans inherently WANT to be good people, if given direction?  If given a chance?  I hope so.

Grace, Oddo and I have recently asked for counsel with our parish priest in the hopes of working through some problems we’re struggling with.  Father, experienced in the cultural dynamic of this country reminded me (Oddo and Grace are well versed on the realities) that there are many people who, without a second’s thought for the well being of the children will do whatever they can to extract whatever they can from mzungu (me), they will lie, cheat and steal to get what they want.  In the end it is ALWAYS the children who suffer.

We have experienced some WONDERFUL volunteers so far this year and I must say thank you SO very much for your love, your contributions, your support . . . some of you brought a measure of expectation and once here, felt as if you were not contributing enough . . . please, I ask you, try to remember that you came as a teacher and the cultural pace of Africa, including that of our children, is a much slower one than we are used to and that Latifa, or little Aisha, or Zawadi or Priska came as virtual intellectual infants for, how can a mother teach a child to read without knowledge of reading or access to a book?  How can a Bibi (grandmother) teach a child to count when she cannot herself?  (Jenna, Latifa STILL thinks the name for “L” is “for Latifa”!) If one must compromise ones values time and again, simply to stay alive, from where does the initiative come to teach a child values?  It is easier for me to “do the right thing” perhaps, because I don’t have to worry about eating tomorrow.  I have every confidence (and expectation) that my needs will be provided for.  Jenny and her mother didn’t have that confidence when I met them . . . Nelson, Mary and Reward plodded forward determinedly, even living alone when Nelson was just 13 and 14, with absolute BLIND faith that God would help them with their educations which is the only opportunity they have, as poor orphans, to escape poverty.  Nelson, by the way was 5^th in his class in February, in the 16^th BEST secondary school in this country and WE helped him get there!   HIV+ Glory came to us miserable . . . gloomy, dark and often raging . . . she bounces through most of her days now with laughter and that dimple of hers evidences a big smile!

For our outreach Ndelio, crippled by polio and desperately poor, and brain injured gets assistance from us so that he can eat better food and learn to read and write in the hopes of having some sort of a future and Rashid and Neema, from Majengo now get to their monthly clinics, ensuring they receive life saving ARVS.  Do you remember the Chikira family of Glory, Wema, Ayubu and Carol?  Their home is safe, they eat every day, and attend school.  Pretty basic human expectations right?  Then why do they feel they’ve died and gone to heaven?  Food?  EVERY day?  No more beatings for unpaid school fees?

Liadi learned to ride a bike.  Christina learned what number comes “kabla” before another.  Many, many, MANY times, I have seen a child share a bite of food or a toy . . . that is new. 

And the biggest change?  I visited another children’s home recently where every child I came upon asked, looking into my eyes, “and what is YOUR name”?  They have been at it a few more years than we have, been loved and empowered longer, and so possess more confidence, but I see it beginning here . . . fewer lies . . .  heads are not downcast so much . . . there is less “mumbling” and more handshakes and hugs . . . and speaking of hugs . . . I had to stop writing for the troops have risen and dressed for church and brushed their teeth and galloped to my door for our morning kumbatia (hug) . . .

Support continues to grow for these wonderful children and for that and from the bottom of my heart . . . Asante! We have experienced some problems during this oh so very important “growth” stage . . . some people have joined our family and some have departed.  We’ve struggled to adjust to cultural differences, paces, practices and are still developing our long term vision for Tumaini and I assure you we have not been perfect, but I promise you I have done my VERY best as Mama here and so have these children I love so much . . . I’ll see some of you soon and you’ll see some of US badaaye, when you visit us here . . . be well, God bless you and Thank you SO very much for loving us . . .

Happy Birthday Ester and other stuff Tumaini . . .

A very special happy birthday . . . it was my second birthday celebration with Ester who last year this time had a cast on her arm from her second surgery . . .

Kakas kichaa Harriri, Gerehad and Athuman!

Our beloved Katy, volunteer Mathilde, and familia . . .

Mwajuma, Kelvin and Mary off to church . . .

Our beautiful Margaret earned A's this month

Watoto (children) playing with toys donated by our friend Charles

Three guys (Francis, Vita and Paskaly) hanging out with Mama . . .

Tony barely survives tickle torture after stealing my phone!

Tony and Liadi with a donated gari (truck).

April 2nd . . . Baadaye Katy!

Last night brought a mix of emotions for many of us at Tumaini . . . the school term for our children has completed and all of our primary students (and beautiful Mary and Raymond joined us from Makumira) are now home, with progress reports . . .  for a one month break where many celebrate wonderful accomplishments (I’ll post grades soon). . . most have been encouraged to read more English books and practice their math and once again we have some stars.

Dampening the Tumaini family reunion was the departure of Katy who flew out last night to “visit her other family” and we don’t say that lightly.  Katy has missed all of you at home desperately and now struggles with having TWO families half a world apart.  We didn’t say goodbye, simply “baadaye” (later) because we can no longer imagine Tumaini without her.  There remains a void here only she can fill.  Katy is a special volunteer for several reasons . . . first, unlike some other volunteers who are not given the option of selecting their placement, Katy CHOSE us . . . she researched Tumaini, me, what we are doing here and she CHOSE to bring her gifts and her talents to Tumaini House . . . second, Katy is, to date, our longest standing volunteer.  She has dedicated almost six months to loving us here at Tumaini . . . growing, reaching, changing (both herself AND the children).  She came to us a vegetarian yet a few things changed while she was here . . . ie. her being gifted with a “cake” of roasted whole goat, but that is a story for her to share . . . and don’t let her off the hook without explaining “burgers” and “chili”.  Not a vegetarian bone left in her body I fear . . . and don’t even get her started on “BEANS”!

The two most important gifts Katy brings to Tumaini are her heart and her “FIT”.  Katy just “gets” what we’re trying to build here . . . she understands and she works tirelessly, patiently and with loving dedication to support our vision for these children.  Her contributions are invaluable. 

In doing research to prepare for coming to Africa I discovered “The White Man’s Burden” by renowned economist William Easterly.  He talks about the failure of 2.3 trillion dollars in foreign aid getting twelve cent dawa (medicine) to children infected with malaria, or four dollar nets to protect them against it in the first place.  2.3 TRILLION dollars . . . that’s a lot of twelve cent dawa . . .

Easterly contrasts what he calls the “Planners” of the West, and their failed efforts to help the “Rest” (the poor) versus the “Searchers” who simply get things done.  I quote, “Planners announce good intentions but don’t motivate anyone to carry them out; Searchers find things that work.  Planners raise expectations but take no responsibility for meeting them; Searchers accept responsibility for their actions.  Planners determine what to supply; Searchers find out what is in demand (needed); Planners apply global blueprints; Searchers adapt to local conditions.  Planners at the top lack knowledge of the bottom; Searchers find out what the reality is at the bottom.” 

This is a vitally important issue for us here at Tumaini who suffer the people who just don’t understand.  Katy is a “Searcher” as Easterly calls it.  She appreciates that many aspects of African culture are different from our own and she compromises, concedes and tries to coexist within this society.  She accepts that “normal” here is not the same “normal” one looks for at home.  Katy sees the desperate need in this part of the world and she participates  . . . fully.  She has climbed into the trenches here and with empathy and compassion embraced the needs of not only our Tumaini children, but reached out to help the orphans of Mana OVC and assisted in helping a number of families in desperate situations.  

And Katy has put her money where her mouth (and heart) is.  She fundraised before coming to Tumaini and provided a generous donation upon her arrival and she and her sister Jerilyn (thank you so much for your own very special contribution to Tumaini) continue to work to help us help these children with a fundraising welcome home party in her honor.  Our Katy truly is one of Easterly’s  “Searchers”, a “getter-doner” and her relaxed approach comes with her enormous heart which has been a remarkable gift for the children . . .

It is always difficult saying goodbye . . . it doesn’t get easier; I hate to tell you Katy.  What I can share is that the children are “okay” today . . . not ideal because you are not here, but “okay” with the knowledge that you will return just as soon as you can.

I may be biased but I do believe that these children may just be THE most wonderful in all of Africa . . . their openness, their spirit and resilience.  Many of our children came from terrible environments, damaged in ways we do not understand, cannot conceive and I witness, after almost two years, their changes, their hope, that life may not always have to be the struggle it was for them . . . we are blessed and we are grateful . . . for everything we have and all you help us provide . . . and to you Katy, a special Asante to dada kubwa kwa watoto na mama kichaa.  Tunakupenda . . . sana!