Watoto Tumaini . . .

March 26 – Watoto Tumaini . . .

Many of you saw our birthday celebration for Gerehad yesterday . . . thank you to Kaka and Mama Michael for treating us to pizza, cake and ice cream!!!  Ester’s birthday approaches on April 3^rd and Glory’s April 9^th!

Things have been busy . . . we took Harriri to hospital yesterday to have his stitches removed.  A very grouchy matron/nurse “greeted” us, and told us a) we needed Harriri’s file number in order to have anything done and b) we needed the doctor’s authorization for her to remove the stitches.  His receipt with file number was at home, (no one had instructed me on needing it again) and the doctor was on rounds.  We wandered around until we located him and he asked about a video (thank you Tim) I had been watching on my computer while in the hospital of which he had requested a copy . . . we had his copy!  Now, I must say that, as a practice, I refuse to participate in bribery for better service here which runs rampant and we usually simply wait our turn like everyone else, BUT, it was particularly wonderful to receive such speedy service from Doctor Julius who, escorted us to the dressing room and removed Harriri’s stitches himself (the stitches juu (up) were okay but the ones chini (down) hurt him terribly and he cried – pole (sorry) little man)  . . . we received glares from the grouchy one . . . delivered the doctor’s zawadi (gift) and were on our way!  No file number, no subiri (wait)!!

Some of you are asking about Mary.  She, along with our five other HIV+ children and eight Mana OVC children who are positive, Amina, (Glory’s and Angela’s mother) Sada (Oma’s sponsored woman struggling with TB), Oddo and a driver all went to a village called Lolionda to pray and try an herbal cure to their sicknesses.  I understand it has been a troublesome safari with some bad food causing vomiting and diarrhea.  I can only say for certain that Mary, and all our travelers will be happy to get home.  They had anticipated a two day trip . . . it has turned into seven . . .

I have shared with you that Mary and Reward were/are home.  Thank you so very much to Oma and to Christina, Domi and families for providing financial support to these oh so very special young people just beginning university.  First term grades for Mary were straight Bs which she is not satisfied with and Reward earned two As with the balance Bs.  Mary needed to have her eyes tested (she struggles with terrible headaches – as do many people here, with a sensitivity to light) and required new glasses and will head to Dar (a nine hour bus ride) later today or tomorrow a.m. after picking up her new specs!  Reward will leave at the end of the week to begin classes April 4^th.  While home they are helping with Mana OVC tuition and with homework here for our children!

Big sister Mary . . .

Reward is working hard at university . . .

And speaking of family Minja (Mary, Reward and Nelson are older siblings to Kelvin), I must share (with his permission) a wonderful story with you. . . We have had some struggles with Kelvin making the right choice to follow the lead of say, Francis, who studies hard and practices discipline, at home and at school, which he will need in order to succeed. . . . there have been times, (two instances in recent months) where Kelvin has run into a problem and then shirked responsibility for his part in it, became angry and blamed others without taking responsibility himself.  We had an episode at school which came home where Oddo and brother Reward (by phone) and I spoke to him for almost two hours about opportunities given and capitalized upon, or, sadly, thrown away, as has happened with some of our older boys who have attempted to influence Kelvin and other children, and, as a result of THEIR choices, are now at boarding school.  We spoke about choices and how Kelvin has the choice to build a rich, full life, with help from Tumaini and loving sponsor support such as you Laci, Asante.  In any event, after a second episode where Kelvin, having been disciplined by Mama Grace and Katy (removal of bike privileges for the day) for his decision to leap onto a moving vehicle (safety issues and bad examples for smaller children) Kelvin raged at both of them, exclaiming that he didn’t have to listen to them.  The day ended with Raymond and I talking to him in his room, again for almost two hours about choices and about how he was making some bad ones.  The older boys had convinced him that boarding school was wonderful and that they loved it there . . . I asked Kelvin why, then, were they begging us to let them come home?  Raymond straightened out Kelvin on the reality of boarding school in Africa . . . the food, the accommodation, the lack of entertainment, the strictness of rules . . . Kelvin’s eyes were opened.

Kelving making good choices!!!

Well, two days ago the children were riding the bicycles and brothers Vitalis and Paskaly got into it over one not sharing with another.  I give the children one or two chances to work things out themselves now and if they are unable to, then the bicycle is put away and NO one rides.  We are insisting they learn to SHARE!!  Vitalis and Paskaly couldn’t work things out and I told them to put the bike away . . . Vitalis was walking back to the house when he saw Kelvin approaching on another bike . . . in his anger he blocked the walkway for Kelvin.  Kelvin told him to move and Vita said no.  Kelvin said to move or he’d hit him with the bike . . . Vita said, “hit me” and Kelvin did . . . at precisely the moment Mama Grace looked up to see impact . . . she called to Kelvin to put the bike away and I, sensing more to the story, asked them both into my office.

I asked both of the boys to explain what had happened and in the process confirmed that Vita had, in fact, wanted to anger Kelvin into “not having a bike” either.  Typical kid stuff yes?  I explained that, should someone tell me to drive into them after I had asked them to move, I too, might be tempted, that, Vita had exacerbated an already bad situation by instigating trouble with Kelvin but that Kelvin (nor I) would have made the right choice to then drive into him.  The boys shook hands, asked each other for forgiveness (procedure here) and life went on . . . EXCEPT here is the beautiful part . . . the next morning, early, I heard a knock on my door.  Opening it, I found Kelvin who asked to come in and speak to me . . . remember that, from my perspective everything had been settled the day before . . .  not so for him.  Kelvin told me, “Mama I must say sorry for makosa, jana (yesterday) but I don’t know (the word) in English.”  I responded with, “Kelvin you said you were sorry already.” 

“But Mama I must say sorry to you also . . . for makosa.”  I checked my dictionary and Kelvin ran to Robinson for translation . . . do you know what makosa is?  Mistake . . . Kelvin wanted to apologize to me for making a mistake . . . a bad choice yesterday.  I was over the moon and I told him so.  “Kelvin!  This choice you make today is that of a man and not a child!”  I told him how proud of him I was for his decision and that he is headed in the right direction.  He felt a little proud of himself also.  I could tell by the enormous smile on his face.  Kelvin is so very often absolutely wonderful.  He helps with dishes, is usually very kind to the smaller children, took the time to teach Liadi how to ride a bike . . .  my fear, knowing the other older boys and the bad choices they have made and the consequences attached to those choices and the future hardship awaiting a poor, uneducated person in this country, is/was that should Kelvin choose THAT road, and not learn discipline and responsibility, he too could get lost in a world FULL of suffering.  That thought, loving him as I do, for he is VERY lovable, absolutely terrified me . . . and yet, yesterday’s example illustrates that perhaps he is beginning to understand and I need not worry so much for him . . . Asante Mungu!!

And then there is Aisha . . . Aisha is a shining star around here . . . usually, and yet yesterday, being in a bossy mood and telling Jenny and Vitalis they needed to sweep the floor after breakfast, and they, not feeling a need to listen to bossy Aisha, left for church and choir practice . . . AND, left her behind.  She was angry and ran to catch up to them.  They had almost reached the church which is quite a walk, when she caught up and told them I had told them to go home.  She told a lie.  And, here’s how God works in Tumaini House . . . The road from our gate to the garden takes less than one minute by car to travel, and had Jenny and Vitalis not made the corner to our house within that minute I would have missed them, BUT . . . that is not how God works here . . . they DID turn the corner within that one minute window and I DID intercept them and ask them WHY they were home when they were supposed to be at church and they explained that Aisha had told them I had said for them to return . . . Oops!  I told Jenny and Vitalis to get in the car, we dropped them enroute and instructed THEM to instruct AISHA that SHE was to come home immediately for lying . . . she will stay home for next week also so that she might ponder the value of lying . . .

Raymond . . . a young man I love VERY much . . .

And, finally, Raymond came home last night . . . he wrote his midterm exams and, although we are waiting for two yet, here is his performance . . . Geography – 85% and #1 in his class of 186 students; General Study - #1, also of a class of 186, Basic Applied Math – 68% and 7^th of 38 students; and Economics – B and 5^th of 48 students . . . he will let us know about History and Divinity but is headed to graduate from high school Division I which is as good as it gets in this country and will most likely earn a full scholarship to the university of his choice . . .

We are well . . . Haradali students will return home next week for a one month break . . . Mary and Reward head back to Dar . . . our safari goers should return today or tomorrow (I hope) and the rain falls . . . yes, we are well . . .

March 23 from Mama

March 23 – EARLY!

The day began at 3:32 a.m. with Harriri weeping in pain . . . I think he had played too aggressively yesterday and paid for it in the night.  I gave him his pain medication and we focused on zebra and leopard (his favorite) until the pain subsided and he was able to sleep again.  He is still resting.

Volunteers Candice and Lucy went on safari and returned, one (Candice) with about 100 of the worst flea bites I have seen . . . (never mind dog flea, think buffalo or elephant flea).  Boy did she react . . . and poor Lucy has been down since she returned with abdominal pain and the “you know whats”!  Poor girls, all they wanted to do was see some animals!  Lucy has been to the doctor and when I left their room last night Candice was painting herself in calamine, and Ayako too has been experiencing abdominal nasties . . . pole (polay) sorry girls!

Month end exams began yesterday . . . wish us luck because they are followed by report cards and then a one month break! (For the primary students only.  Secondary students remain in class).

We’ve had some wonderful success with our outreach programs . . . The Chikira family is repaired (house), rebuilt (toilet and beds) and replanted (maize).  The youngest children are in school (although a child took a pen and stabbed poor little Carol in the eye and when I saw her a couple of days ago it was still swollen shut!) and we will see results from THEIR academic efforts early next month also!

Pendo, the little girl the Dream HIV/AIDS clinic begged us to help (thank you Dr. Pat for bringing us Dan) their house is repaired, they now have a flood proof (we hope) FLOOR, new beds, new uniforms, a secure door AND window and no problems!  Well, everyone has problems, but they now have considerably FEWER problems than before!  

News beds but an old, flooding floor . . . Dan, your dollars fixed that!

A new and secure window for Pendo, sister Zawadi and Bibi . . .

One very happy and grateful little Pendo!

Before . . . and after new sheeting to keep the wind, the rain, mostquitoes AND thieves out!

And then there is Twalib!  Twalib (HIV+) is a young man (14 or 15) who, despite an agreement with his uncle (his parents have both died of AIDS) to provide him with basic necessities for an HIV+ child (eggs, milk, etc.) and especially after DREAM argued that the care he was receiving was so poor that he had to leave his birth home (a five room brick and stucco structure with a large yard) , where his uncle and HIS family were living rent free (you see where this is going?) and move into a single room with his Bibi (grandmother), Twalib’s uncle allowed his milk bill to fall into arrears until the supplier stopped providing it and milk is a vital foodstuff for an HIV+ child.  We intervened with the family (and village council) and eventually, after much argument, got the uncle to bring the milk account up to date, AND promise to pay a fair monthly rent for living in the house . . . half of which will go to Twalib and half to his sister . . . these are the types of outreach projects we do with Mana OVC and Langa ya Iruva, the orphan and adults living with AIDS support groups we assist and from where many of our children originate.  (The list includes Jenny, Neema, Eliza, Stephano, Lazaro, Aisha, Angela, Glory, Athuman, Harriri, Liadi and siblings, and Mary, Reward, Nelson and Kelvin Minja.)

Can you say RAIN?  WOW!  It rained SO hard last night I thought the drops (more like PELLETS) were going to drill their way through our oh, so very thin gauge corrugated metal roof, BUT, no complaints . . . the locals have feared the desperately needed long rains wouldn’t come and now that they are here (while we’re talking about it can you say MOSQUITOES?) we shouldn’t have the water shortage problems we’ve experienced in the past.

And some of the family has gone down with illness this week . . . Lohai is going on day three with a debilitating headache and some nasty “boils” coming up on his arms and other than a trip to Dr. Lyimo, has not been out of bed.  He tested negative for malaria but for those of you who know him, you KNOW how sick he must be to not be up and at 'em at the first hint of morning . . . Athuman was hot with fever yesterday afternoon but seems better this morning, Gracie has tonsillitis and is on an antibiotic and Stephano, poor Stephano came to my room yesterday morning at 6:30 with tears streaming down his face from a headache and fever . . . he too tested negative for malaria.  I’ve kept him home for another day, despite exams because he still has the fever. 

Katy, although missing her family and friends is struggling with saying goodbye to her new one here at Tumaini . . .

Katy heads home in less than two weeks so we are planning a dinner out for Margaret, Emma, Evalin, Angela, Eliza, Lazaro, Mwajuma (our Haradali boarding students) in order for the children to say goodbye, AND, we’ll be eating your GOAT next weekend!  I cannot specifically identify WHOSE goats we will be savoring, but Katy assures me, when I ask her about eating meat (she came here a vegetarian), “Dee, I am OVER that meat thing!” and so we’ll be slaughtering two delectable creatures and putting them on the grill in her honor!

I hope you all are well.  I spoke with my sister this morning and she informed me that spring has not yet “sprung” as it snowed again last night but that there has been promise of it to come.  Thank you so much for caring about us, these wonderful little people who are growing and learning and playing and, did I say “growing”.  Liadi needs new school shoes, Francis’ uniform is about two inches too short for him and all the bigger boys needed new uniforms this year.  Aisha has decided that she wants to grow her hair long again, Jenny has turned into a very serious little student after a shaky start and Athuman has been happy for the most part of late.  Zawadi got into trouble yesterday for dismantling the indicator cover from a car at school (he’ll be a mad scientist or something when he grows up I am certain) and Latifa has turned into a chatterbox (in English)!  Gerehad’s birthday is fast approaching (sorry no parcels here yet) and we have a MITFULL of them in April . . . once again thank you, and be well!

March 18/19/20 from Nkoaranga Lutheran Hospital, Tengeru, Tanzania

We actually began this great adventure two days ago when Harriri, Ayako, Oddo and I headed out for Harriri’s pre-op blood work at a local government hospital in Tengeru where Dr. Lyimo had scheduled us to correct his umbilical hernia . . . BUT . . . we got “bumped”.  Enroute, Ayako and I laughed hysterically at Oddo’s response to my query on why the road was paved.  Truly, virtually no streets other than the Moshi/Arusha “highway” are paved, yet this one is.  His explanation? “Bush visited this hospital once and so the government had to pave the road for him.”  As in George W.  If you were to come and see just how desperate parts of this country are, you would appreciate the irony we found. 

Upon arrival, (and, if I may, it was HARRIRI leading the way down the walkway) Oddo stopped to ask about our surgeon.  It turned out he had taken an “outreach” assignment (there are a lot of perks for these types of calls) and forgotten about us.  Dr. Lyimo was not happy and I was disappointed for Harriri, as he’d “bucked up” in preparation for his operation!  He had told me, “Mama, if doctor cut kidogo (small), hamna ugopa (no fear), but no cut BIG, Mama, O.K.?”  Fearing that the same might happen again and knowing we wanted the surgery done this month (while our R.N. volunteer Ayako is here to care for him) we were advised to schedule with a private hospital.  The fee would be a bit higher . . . thank you to “Uncle” Randy, Harriri’s sponsor for covering the cost of his surgery . . . but we would get in, they wouldn’t let us down, and Harriri would receive good care. 

The road to this hospital, it turns out, is paved also and I couldn’t resist asking if Bush had visited here also.  It was Oddo’s turn to laugh as he explained that no, this hospital had been very popular and very profitable at one time, (and it is quite an ascent heading up Mount Meru) and so they had paved the road.  Ayako, Oddo, Harriri and I arrived last night around 7:30 p.m. at Nkoaranga Lutheran Hospital walked down an open air hallway and were settled into our room.

Oddo had taken the liberty of booking us a “private” room wanting Harriri and I to be as comfortable as possible.  We were also, unfortunately, concerned about wizi (thieves).  Don’t worry Uncle Randy, it was only 10,000 TSH. or about $7.00.  The walls are of mottled cement and painted a beigy, gold colour.  The floor is tiled.  We had two beds, metal frames with plywood sheets for support, one good mattress and one “exhausted” one through which I could intimately feel the wood beneath.  One had a pink and burgundy flowered blanket made of that synthetic material that never gets wet when you wash it, yet I believe incinerates before your very eyes within milliseconds of it touching a flame.  The other “blanket” was a table protector.  (Do you remember your mother/grandmother who had a thick, quilted “pad” under her table cloth?)   We also enjoyed a private bath with a western toilet WITH a seat, which in this country is optional, although ours wasn’t made for the model of toilet in our room and unless one was careful could make a 90 degree turn and slide one’s wowowo (tushy) off the toilet and ONTO the floor before you could mutter, “Oh, susu”!  I’m leaving you to figure out that translation . . .

There is a shower (cold, brown water) and a sink (same water situation) and a Kilimanjaro water bottle with liquid soap in it.  One bucket and two bowls full of the same murky maji (water).  One brings one’s own toilet tissue . . .

Harriri was excited and leapt up onto his bed . . . I had brought crayons, some paper for drawing and some stickers but . . . AYAKO . . . had brought a special gift for her little patient . . . she had made him some origami characters!  Birds, cats, flowers, and especially a delicate, tiny box in which she had placed two origami hearts!  Harriri was over the moon and began plastering his characters with peel and stick heart stickers!  (BTW he would go to surgery with two hearts pasted on his forehead . . . no confusing who our child was!)  Oddo and Ayako wished us a good night and were off and Harriri asked that we sleep together.  (For those of you who haven’t visited yet, most of our children like to sleep with a partner.  It has been a year with us for many of them and yet they haven’t adapted to sleeping alone, not having done so for their entire lives thus far. . . )

Our room, it turns out is directly next door to the bathroom used by all the patients who DON’T have a private bath with a swinging toilet seat and suffice it to say, “the walls are thin”.  We could hear everything, and I mean everything, going on next door, until that is, the television in the open walkway was turned on, FULL VOLUME, which is customary here for some reason I haven’t figured out yet, and left on from about 9:00 p.m. until 6:30 this morning.  I was bleary eyed but Harriri was just so excited . . .

The nurse came to tell us that the doctor was on his way and about thirty minutes later a very young looking man in a ball cap appeared and started asking questions.  I would never have guessed he was a surgeon and couldn’t put a and b together until he explained who he was.  He looked about 17.  His name is Dr. Julius and upon announcing that he was ready to begin, we followed him to his “theatre”.  No wheelchairs here, and once again, it was fearless Harriri who was up front and center in the lead.  It was raining and there were a group of women gathered around a drip line from the roof filling cups with water so they could brush their teeth.   This is Africa.  The doctor paused at the door and invited Ayako, as an R.N. to observe the procedure.  She told me later that the hospital really has virtually nothing in the way of equipment, not even a child’s BP cuff, and uses an antiquated anesthetic machine.  Although told she would be only observing, once in the O.R. she was put to work.  Ayako, like our friend, an E.R. nurse from Canada who escorted me on a doctor’s appointment with Liadi, teared up when she had to help hold poor Harriri down to insert the I.V. needle.  She was reminded of why she is not a pediatric nurse. 

Oddo left to go to Tengeru market and then to town to finish the canvas for the back of the truck and I went back to our room to wait until the surgery was finished, laid down and closed my eyes, and, it felt like thirty seconds, but was actually just over thirty minutes later, was awakened and informed that I could see “your boy” in post op!

Ayako was sitting with Harriri who was still dead to the world.  The amount of sedative given Harriri was a surprise to Ayako but that is procedure here.  He slept until almost three, stirring occasionally, one time an enormous smile breaking across his face and making us laugh, a second time he opened his eyes, looked up at us (still unseeing) and stuck out his tongue  . . . Ayako and I talked about her family in Japan (she lives and works in Seattle, WA, USA) the earthquake, tsunami and fallout, children, our common objectives for coming to Africa and then, returning from her lunch she gifted me with my own little zawadi (gift), an origami octagon made from a beautiful, multi colored paper . . . thank you Ayako!

We were chatting to ourselves waiting for our little man to awaken when someone near started vomiting. (I neglected to inform you that Harriri’s surgery was done in the maternity ward of the hospital.)  Approximately thirty minutes later someone knocked on the door (Harriri had been parked in the “hallway” leading outside from the O.R. and we kept getting up to close the door so he wouldn’t get a chill.  A woman passed me a file and I gave it to Ayako to deliver to the matron.  She knocked on the door of a room, stuck her nose in and explained a file had been delivered.  The matron asked that she put it down in the next room which Ayako did and then returned to Harriri and I . . . less than two minutes later we heard some panting, I translated that the nurse had said the head (kitwa) was coming and then, the sound of a baby crying!  While waiting for our little guy to awaken we had overheard the delivery of another life . . . Doctor Julius returned and gave us permission to take Harriri back to our room. 

The afternoon passed quietly with a heavily sedated Harriri napping and, exhausted myself, I joined him.  Ayako was kind enough to stay and observe Harriri, there are no side guards on the beds, and while sitting quietly at the foot of his bed she saw a panya (rat) scurry across our floor and under a cabinet . . .

Oddo returned in the early evening with soda (Tangawizi) and chips mya (eggs and French fries) for me, Harriri is still on only liquids, salad and more fruit.  He and Ayako headed home and will return in the morning to take us home. 

My phone doesn’t work in our room and so I had to step outside to “send” the texts I had written -  by the way, thank you all for your well wishes - and was gone just a minute but when I returned I discovered our little man, sitting up, having removed his net and clutching himself.  HE NEEDED TO GO!  He didn’t say anything to me except “ah, ah, ah” but I knew.  As I explained earlier his bed has no side rails so I had pushed the second bed up beside his.  Climbing over it, I stood him up, unhooked his I.V. bag (he is still taking fluids intravenously), put the bag in my mouth and picked him up . . . we didn’t quite make it.  Suffice it to say I have been christened by our little patient in a “golden” way . . .

Sunday morning . . .

We experienced a relatively uneventful night.  Harriri slept fairly comfortably . . . Cecilia, our night nurse kindly chose to insert Harriri’s morphine dose into his I.V. instead of injecting him (he’s had enough of needles) but that meant a trip in to our room every two hours.  He did very well until Cecilia’s last visit around 6:00 a.m. when he was startled awake and thought she was giving him another injection.  He wasn’t happy.  Further, he had had an accident in his sleep (his only) and we needed to change the sheets.  Thus far Harriri has been sleeping naked ensuring that nothing rubs on his belly so clean up for us was easy, except (I would discover later) as I grabbed his I.V. bag and picked him up in the same fashion I had previously, this time I hurt him.

Like the other times we had headed to the bathroom, I carried Harriri “baby” style, cradled in my arms.  I think the incision is beginning to ache (or his ribs are beginning to hurt from the gas built up from his anesthetic) because this time he cried out.  Initially, I thought his pain medication was wearing off, but he continued weeping and moaning, anaumwa (sp?) “it hurts”, until the nurse returned and gave him an injection . . . this didn’t help - his disposition that is - it would however allow him to fall asleep again.

I would learn of my mistake later, when, needing to urinate again, Harriri opened his eyes and called out, “Mama, kujua (sp?)”, “I need to pee!” followed by, “hamna bebe” “no carry me baby style”.  I lifted the poor little guy down and he “waddled”, naked, to the toilet, he did his business and we returned in the same fashion.  It is now 9:02 a.m. and he is resting comfortably.  It is cold today and it is pouring . . . I only hope we are getting the same at home. 

Dr. Julius will make his rounds badaye (later) and we expect to be released.  Harriri’s second ½ liter of I.V. “juice” was just finished and hopefully, we’ll get the okay from the doctor to remove his sindano (needle).  The nurse is hopeful we’ll be permitted to give him his antibiotics and pain meds orally and so can stop poking the little guy.  He has been a genuine trooper and we are all very proud of him!

March 12-16th from Mama!

March 12 from Tumaini House!

Ayako, our volunteer from Japan was shaken yesterday when we told her about the Tsunami that hit home.  She was able to contact her family and no one was injured but her father was stranded, in his office, without a train home.  She left with some other volunteers this a.m. on safari and it is our hope that she is able to relax a little and enjoy her experience.  If it is anything like my safari was she will be duly impressed. 

Welcome to Candice, our newest volunteer from Toronto, ON. Canada!  Candice arrived yesterday with pencils, and toys and Frisbees and SHEET PROTECTORS (the plastic ones that cover pages, not mattresses), spices AND an oven thermometer . . . Enormous thanks go out to Christina, Domi and families from Germany for reaching out so lovingly to help our university attendees, Mary and Reward Minja.  Their and brothers Nelson and Kelvin’s bios are on our site at www.tuchifo.com “Minja Family”. 

And a mother’s worst fear . . . last night Grace came into my room to inform me that Raymond had been in an accident on a pikipiki (motorcycle).  Oddo’s brother inlaw Deo had been driving him back to school and they were struck by an oncoming vehicle.  It looks as if Deo’s ankle is broken and Raymond busted up his knee but there was no medical treatment for them immediately.  It won’t be nice if they have to re break his ankle to set it but “procedure” here seems to be to wait to set a broken bone, why I don’t know . . .

Happy birthday Zawadi!!!

March 16^th!

Happy Birthday to Zawadi (who got his stitch out yesterday, thank you Ayako) and to our volunteer Candice!  There will be cake tonight, although Harriri and I will miss it because we are headed to the hospital for his umbilical hernia surgery.  And speaking of surgery, none was necessary for Deo as his ankle turned out NOT to be broken . . . perhaps that’s why they wait, I don’t know, but we’re oh so very happy to hear that both he and Raymond are on the mend!

Our hearts go out to the people of Japan struggling with this disaster.  I am receiving news here and there and all of us here at Tumaini send our prayers to family and friends . . .

Thank you to Michael for helping Oddo.  We have received your kind gift and I will pass it along to him.

A hesitant Liadi began school today!

Things are good here, quiet and peaceful after some turbulent times last month.  The children are oh, so very happy, healthy for the most part (except for Mwajuma who is home to go to the hospital to check out her appendix as she experiences persistent pain on her right side) and advancing academically at astounding rates!  Our youngest, Liadi hesitantly joined the other youngest members of Tumaini in class today.   He had stalled, claiming he would cry, then he announced he needed his uniform, once delivered there were no more excuses and he headed up.  He tried to tell me he needed a backpack to go to school but he's only going upstairs, with Latifa and Pendo and the other youngsters, and Teacher Winner!  There were two trips down to see me with emergency "dirty knees" which only I could clean for him but he returned to class and completed the day.  We are terribly proud of him and all of our Tumaini children each of whom is now receiving a quality, English Medium education which will give them a real chance!  

The children of Haradali, Mwajuma, Evalin, Margaret, Angela, Eliza, Emma, Lazaro and little Daniel are hopefully coming home for the weekend, our Young Roses students begin their monthly testing on Monday (did I tell you Francis got 100% on his last math test and is #1 in his class?) and Mary Minja (our university student) is home!  Reward will be home on Saturday and then we can thank Christina, Domi and families (from Germany) on “Skype”, hopefully, for their kind support of these very determined students, and perhaps even a call to Bibi Oma who has also helped them!  It would be nice to set it up.  Mary brought some of her school work home to show me and was disappointed that she earned only a “B” on two papers.  She is dedicated and disciplined and will study her heart out to be the best she can.  I’ll let you know about Reward's grades once he returns home . . .

And our wonderful Mary is home for a break from university in Dar!

Thank you to my sister Pam for our Skype chat . . . I’ve been missing home of late and it was nice to see and talk to you!  It’s now 4:54 a.m. and the roosters are just beginning to crow.  We still have had no rain . . . the locals will start to worry now because the long rains should have begun.

I will send photos of our special project, helping Upendo’s family with their home repair (new concrete floor, drainage ditch dug, new supports and siding, window and wall repair, and new beds, mattresses and nets for Bibi and children, oh and uniforms for Pendo and big sister Zawadi (Zawadi has hers and Pendo’s is coming!) . . . thank you to Pat’s brother Dan for your kind donation and thank you volunteers Tumaini for pitching in!  Another family made safer and given a better chance because of your kindness! 

And, do you remember the Chikira family of four siblings (Glory, Ayubu, Wema and Carol) orphaned and struggling to get by alone?  Well, their new toilet was completed today and we will plant as soon as the rains begin.  The house is repaired, the children equipped for school and soon a successful harvest will allow them, as a family, a good chance at building their lives . . .

We send hugs and well wishes home.  I hear you are getting our rain.  Be well and thank you, so very much for your continued, loving support of these wonderful children!

Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater Safari . . .

Could it be God's way of thanking us for the work we do here?  I think so.  This was absolutely, without a doubt, THE VERY BEST SAFARI I COULD HOPE TO WITNESS . . . BREATHTAKING, again, and again, and again . . .

For me it is the giraffe which represent true, wild Africa . . . That, and of course the twelve elephants we saw out our backdoor at camp . . . not in a preserve, not a park, but in the wild, in our backyard . . . spectacular!

A pride of what grew before our very eyes to be ten lions captivated us for almost two hours . . . and rested less than sixty feet from our car . . . Did you know that the stripes of a baby zebra are brown and that a herd can take over an hour to cross in front of your gari (car)?  And gazing down into the crater itself?  BREATHTAKING!!!!!!!!

Twelve elephants grazing in our backyard . . . WOW!

This close!!

Katy spotted the only elephant we saw in the crater . . . the rest were waiting for us at home!

TWO ANGRY HIPPOS . . .

Katy, Bibi Pat, myself and Mathilde - a safari we will never forget!

The pride is startled by a roar from Baba Kubwa Hasira . . . Angry Big Daddy!

And the cubs distance themselves from an angry patriarch . . .

An interloper is frightened away and things settle again . . . final count TEN lions!

And those?  Ostrich butts . . . yup, ostrich!!

And nature's circle closes with the remains of an elephant . . .