Kwa heri (Goodbye) from Mama . . .

Kwa heri from Mama . . .    

          

I am leaving today for six weeks with our children in Tanzania and am anxious to reunite with our Tumaini family although it is bittersweet when travelling to one part of my family entails me saying goodbye to the other.

All of our primary students will be home for the month of August and I have some special “Christmas projects” lined up while they are home.  Additionally, we will replacing school shoes, book bags, football cleats (soccer), and pyjamas thanks to (in photo -  Emma & Jaslyn Chevers, Ryan & Ben Peever, Lisa Chevers & Joanne Long, Charlene Cleland and myself, missing Debbie Peever) of the Avondale United Church in Tillsonburg, who, after being introduced to Tumaini in May, worked incredibly hard to bring us dozens and dozens of soccer cleats, school shoes, book bags and pjs!  Thank you SO very much for your love!

Additionally, Millie, Karen and Jim Baetz and the Fitzpatrick family oh so generously donated some of those needed watches, pjs and SOAP! for our little ones!  Remember that it is winter in Tanzania right now, being on the other side of the equator, and although we don’t usually conceive of cold in Africa, it actually DOES get quite chilly at night so warm pjs are invaluable to us, not to mention the fact that with all the good food we are providing our family they keep GROWING!!

Further thanks go to Bibi Isabel for HER incredibly kind and generous donation towards watches, as well as Lisa Engelhardt-Robinson of The DolMor Salon.  Asante Sana!  As Mama Diane Goodman asked when I put the request for watches out, “does this mean if they have watches they’ll learn to be on time?” (Tanzanians are notoriously late)  We can only hope they’ll at least learn how LATE they are!!  Thank you so much!!

Lohai is back!  He has returned for his third summer and will spend time here on the farm with “Baba”, improving his farming skills AND his English and then take those skills back to Tumaini to help us there.  Feel free to call the farm to say hi!

August 3 and 4 are rapidly approaching and Tumaini supporters are hard at work getting set up for our fundraising YARD SALE at 857 Norfolk St S. Simcoe, Ontario.  If you have something you’d like to contribute to the sale or would like to come out and support us, please contact Charlene Cleland at char.cleland@yahoo.ca.  to make arrangements and THANK YOU!!

AND!  Our second Charity golf tournament is fast approaching and we’d love for you to join us September 29^th at Springview Farms Golf Club in Waterford, ON.  Please contact BonnieWardell@hotmail.com for registration information and please know that we always need donations for golf prizes if possible!  I know that Bonnie has more special fun planned for us this year (such as a “Pimp Your Ride” contest), AND . . . two of our older Tumaini children will be joining us, in addition to Lohai so you should get a chance to say hello and ask some of your Tumaini questions!

On a truly sad note . . . Bad things do happen to good people and we are not immune to it, even at Tumaini.  Negative politicking exists everywhere and in Tumaini’s almost four years we have been challenged several times by people who come with their own agendas and are, unfortunately, unable to work together harmoniously, even when the beneficiaries are poor, orphaned children.  Recently, this has happened again at Tumaini and our precious Katy, I am so very sad to say, has become a part of the fallout and found the need to leave us . . . Katy has resigned from Tumaini for her own, personal reasons and we wish her all the best and absolutely EVERY happiness in the future.  She has been a Godsend to us at Tumaini, a beloved sister to the children and like a daughter to me.  I am heartbroken, but respect her decisions and let her go with a heavy heart full of love and gratitude and do hope that one day things will be different.  There are many, MANY things we can hold and control in this world, but alas, this is not one of them.  We love and will miss you Katy but know that good and beautiful new adventures await you.  Thank you so very much.

An outstanding and deserving student, Omari.

We are working on our Christmas giving campaign and this year we would like to focus on an educational theme.  We spend millions of shillings every January outfitting and paying school fees for not only our unsponsored children, but many, deserving, yet desperately poor kids who simply do not have a chance at furthering their educations without help.  Often, there is nowhere to turn and at Tumaini we have worked hard to give those chances to dozens and dozens of children, but it costs money . . . meet a boy named Omari who pulled a virtual miracle out of the air by earning all As and Bs from a terrible public school with few teachers and little to no support.  He has no parents and only an older sister to help care for him and a younger brother.  His sister’s baby developed a heart condition and “poof!” any chance of secondary school went out the window with every dollar being spent to save the five month old infant’s life.  We helped save not only the baby but Omari also and he has rewarded us with OUTSTANDING efforts, but . . . it costs money!  And there will be another Omari (or David, or Abdi, or Ayubu) this year!  The campaign will begin in October with gifts ranging from $10.00 (to be applied towards school books), up to $500.00 (school fees for one year) and we will send you a photo of the child you helped along with his or her bio and supply ongoing updates!  Please keep this in mind when thinking about your Christmas giving!

As I said, the children are off for the month of August.  We will be busy with games and activities and I’ll update you with photos and stories!  They are busy this week finishing end of second term examinations (I hope) and will be ready for some fun I expect!  Report cards will be forthcoming.

From each of them (and their Mama) I would like to wish each of you a wonderful August shared with your families and friends and say enormous thank yous for your continued love and support.  I cannot say it enough . . . we need you.  Your heart and your financial contributions, in order to provide our children (who are oh so very deserving by the way), with a healthy and safe life . . . with a quality education . . . with love and with hope for their futures.  We work hard to ensure all of this happens with minimal dollars spent on administration (only 9%), and are very proud of our performance thus far and we intend to continue to use your dollars as efficiently as is humanly possible in order to continue to care for our children. Please be well and thank you!

A Message from Mama . . .

Happy Birthdays to Anna (Big) July 21^st and Rashid (only) July 5^th!  We love you!!   

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA (JULY 21)

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY RASHID!

Lohai has been ill with typhoid

The children are for the most part, well.  Anna (Liadi’s sister and not little Anna) was fighting malaria AND typhoid but I understand is on the mend. 

Lohai has just had typhoid and Liadi has gone to the hospital with an interesting but unknown rash like “blisters” on his leg.  Please send them your prayers.  The rest of the brood are busy with studies.

Tumaini is struggling with water again . . . as in “none”, or “little” and bucket showers and severe water management is in practice . . . all of our little ones running around dirty . . . ONLY WASHING THE DIRTY BITS . . .

Our precious Mary happily reports that her CD4 count has climbed to 495!  You will remember she was VERY sick when she came to us and that it took two years to get her count over 200 from just 21, full blown AIDS . . . this most recent climb has occurred since I left in April.  Congratulations to our young lady!!

CONGRATULATIONS MARY AND REWARD!

Some Hongeras (Congratulations)! Brother and sister Mery and Reward Minja are our FIRST Tumaini university graduates (Mery is home already and Reward will come home on Friday).  Mery has earned a degree in Archaeology and History and Reward, in Information Technologies.  Just a reminder that less than 4% of children complete even secondary school, so, for these two to have accomplished this milestone is most impressive . . . (I suspect further studies are in the works for them . . . I’ll keep you posted). 

AND WHAT ABOUT RAYMOND???  Weeeelllllll!  You may remember the story of this young man who, in 7^th grade, while being quizzed by his teacher, asked, “Why should I study?  There is no chance for me to go to secondary school?”  Raymond not only discovered hope in a future he could not yet see, but has completed his advanced level secondary education and is today just a “little bit” proud of his successful first year at university!!  I will confirm when I return to Tumaini at the end of this month but I heard hints at one “A” and the rest “Bs”.  Hongera sana motto wangu!!!  Congratulations and by the by Raymond you look more and more like your father!  Such a handsome man!!

And I would be remiss if I didn’t, from the bottom of my heart, thank each of you who have been fundamental in helping these children along the paths of their dreams.  When we look at photos of our Tumaini children today, it is easy to forget their pasts, but each of them came from suffering and I know, because I help do the bookkeeping, how important your continued support of us is.  I processed this month’s paypal contributions and I marvel, (and I am so very grateful to say it) at the longevity, the commitment of your support.  These children, Mary and Reward and Raymond and ALL of our Tumaini children will only continue realizing their dreams with our help so, “AHSANTE SANA”!  “THANK YOU VERY MUCH”!

Our second annual Charity Tournament of Hope is in the works and we look for your support again.  It will be held on September 29^th at Springview Farms Golf Club and we are looking both for golfers (another fun filled day planned with a “pimp your ride” contest and a “Swahili styled swap meet”, not to mention two special guests from Tanzania who will be joining us!  See our flyer and get registered!!

And not that all of our volunteers aren’t special but we have a particularly “special” volunteer joining us this December.  His name is Christian and he will join us from Germany.  Chris (aged 22) lives from a wheelchair and it is one of his wishes to volunteer in Africa and, as the stars would align, he and mum Susan have found us and we couldn’t be happier.  You may remember that most handicapped people are isolated and/or stygmatized in Tanzania and our own Esther came to us both for protection and an opportunity to go to school, something she would not have enjoyed in her very tiny village.

Chris, and his very special wheelchair tires will allow our children, and our entire village, to learn that just because a person is white (caucasian/mzungu) does not mean that everything in their lives is PERFECT.  The perception is for many that non-Africans have no challenges and Chris’ energy and presence will help educate us on the realities of life throughout the world.  His and mum’s energy sound amazing and I am so very excited to welcome him to Tumaini!!

And in closing I have been negligent in my thank you to Clark Robinson and friends Jordan McInally and Eric Grice for a) trekking to Tumaini and b) trekking UP Mount Kilimanjaro in a fundraising effort for our benefit, not to mention bringing your teaching skills to local schools in our village AND being incredibly cool big brothers to the children!  Thank you Clark, Jordan and Eric whose efforts raised almost $3,000.00!

I will return to Tumaini and our children at the end of this month.  This has been a challenging time home for me as, with each trip, the children and I become closer and closer and being apart becomes harder and harder.  Despite this, I couldn’t imagine doing anything more fulfilling with my life and I am incredibly grateful to my friends and and family, especially my husband Steve who celebrate my appearances and withstand my absences with acceptance and understanding and to each of you, from the very bottom of my heart, thank you . . . for continuing to love us . . .