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| Happy Birthday Princess Priska! |
First of all let me begin with happy belated Mother’s Day wishes to all mothers and especially to those of you who have taken on the love and support of a special, Tumaini child, whom you have chosen to provide regular care to. It is only through your loving and continued support that these children will continue to thrive and thrive they do and for that, my heartfelt thanks go out to each of you! Ralph and Michael, as our resident male sponsors I want you to know that we aren’t forgetting about you in our thanks here!!
Recent thank yous include the Simcoe Ladies Lions Club for inviting me to speak this past month, Sue C. for your generous donation, Doreen P. for yours and the Waterford United Church for oh so generously embracing us. I must thank Bettie M. for choosing Tumaini to support, and from Julie’s Spa in Burlington – Susan who asked her husband and children, for her birthday, to gift her with money so she could pass it along to us to help benefit our kids; and Connie, whose sons Nolan and Eddie, upon hearing about Tumaini insisted that part of their paper route dollars would go to us! To Danielle and her social club for your donations thank you and to Dianne D. who is retiring this week and asked that the excess funds from her gift collection come to us at Tumaini, thank you! I constantly marvel at the sources of Tumaini’s support and for each and every child you benefit, on their behalves, I send my heartfelt thank you . . .
I have been delinquent in updating you and ask your forgiveness. As many of you know I came home sick (am feeling much better now and thank so many of you for your well wishes). In the short time I’ve been home I’ve had not one but TWO fiftieth birthday celebrations, celebrated my husband Steve’s MUCH OLDER birthday (don’t tell him I wrote that in block letters will you?), celebrated Easter, AND Mother’s Day, as well as played catch up with the mountains of paperwork accumulated during my absence . . . soooooooo, things are catching up and I will be more vociferous in the future! I promise!
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| Raymond enjoying his burger! |
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| Me . . . 50 years ago . . . |
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| Happy birthday to our beautiful Mary! |
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| Connie (in front) caught with my powder! |
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| Emmanuel, soaking wet from bubbles!! |
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| Happy Birthday Marko (with Ester)! |
The children are WONDERFUL! They struggle to say goodbye to far away family. ie. departing volunteers like Candice, Ayako, Katya, and our computer guru and Science teacher, “Mr. P.”, Mathilde and Katie, but they are well. We talk often on Skype and their smiles say everything . . . after a month’s break (in Tanzania, primary schools attend class for three months and then have one off), our children are back to work and we must say thank you to our volunteers for tutoring them during their month break . . . I have promised report cards and they are coming but two are still outstanding (Ema and Lazaro) and so I wait for them to report . . .
We have some birthdays approaching . . . Marco (turning 16) and Raymond (21) will celebrate their birthdays on Saturday, Mary Minja (23), our university student celebrates on Sunday, Priska (5 and by the way happy birthday to her sponsor Cindy W!) and Connie (6) will get their cake on Monday and Ema’s ninth birthday is Tuesday! Boy is it fun keeping birthdays straight when you have forty children!
We are scheduling a yard sale, probably in early July so if you have gently used, saleable things you’d be willing to donate please send me an email at cheriemszucs@gmail.com and we can discuss a drop off or pick up if possible and thank you! Further thanks must go out to Heather C. for making us a quilt to sell at our upcoming fundraiser and to Cousin Nancy who has organized a sewing brigade, making everything from pillows to trousers and to the brigade itself? asante kwa upendo wako wa watoto (thank you for your love of the children).
Our cow is sick . . . quite sick and because she is on antibiotics we are without milk for the children and will need to purchase it until she is well again. Please say a prayer she heals quickly for that milk is needed.
Our Tumaini family enjoyed a wonderful Easter. The volunteers treated for them to go swimming on Holy Thursday. Everyone who has family was able to visit on Easter Sunday and then gathered back at home on Monday for goat pilau! Pilau is a rice dish made with spices and diced vegetables and the goat is roasted and then stirred into the dish. It is delicious! We’re hoping YOUR Easter was wonderful, Mother’s Day was celebrated as you wanted and for any of you who had a birthday in these past two weeks? Happy Birthday from watoto Tumaini! Be well!
