From Mama under the Net . . .

April 11^th from Mama . . .

Anna lost her first tooth today.  Actually, I helped her lose it with some dental floss.  She was very brave and said it didn't hurt a bit!!!

I came across a few giggle machines hanging out in my bedroom this morning!



Anna, Glory and Esther . . .

Pendo, Liadi, and Rashid have all been sick . . . Pendo with a temp reaching 39.7 at one point suffering a severe throat “infection”.  I’m thinking tonsils will be in order.  Liadi went down with a stomach virus which had him vomiting, Rashid with malaria and big Anna with typhoid, probably from unsanitary drinking water at Makumira Secondary School.  All are convalescing but Anna’s seems to be lingering.

Long time Tumaini supporters Ranger Safaris Ltd. (Josephat, Rwekiza, Marko, Yusuf and Georgie) stopped by to say hello and gift our children with Rotary dictionaries (illustrated no less!), and always appreciated footballs!  Special thanks to Abba Moledina and son Ali, (not pictured).

Mama Glory, 30 years old, is in trouble.  Having misused her first tier ARVS (and Glory’s), Mama (and Glory) found themselves in failure.  I have written about how, when Mama Glory is healthy she decides she no longer needs her ARVS and stops taking them.  The result is that she goes into failure (the virus mutates and is no longer recognizable as the target of the medicine), thus the ARVS no longer work to suppress HIV from blowing up into AIDS.  Glory and Mama were both moved to second tier, however, and here’s the crux of the problem.  Mama has now experienced failure for a second time and there is no third option in this country.  Her viral load is off the charts and her CD4 count is plummeting.  There is little to nothing Dream (the local AIDS clinic) can do to help.  Bringing a third tier into this country is simply too expensive.  I marvel at this fact because we have multiple tiers in the west giving us a plethora of options for treatment but not here.  The doctor explained that it is like watching a person drown while not knowing how to swim.   

Connie and Liadi surprised me with a gift a couple of days ago.  They have been “refreshed” every day since, and although I love it . . . . Things are becoming a bit more barren outside.

A certain, slightly crazy and often silly young lady (Evalin) is seen here talking on her “Blackberry”.  She dialed the “number”, and began “chatting” away with Baba Steve in Canada. 

Most of you know that Oddo has worked for over a decade helping street boys in Arusha.  I had the pleasure of meeting three of them this past week when they finally reconnected with Oddo after losing touch for a few years.  David Shabani is one of those young men.  Leaving home at just nine years old, (his drunken father kicked him out), David got on the public transit (daladala) and travelled from Manyara to Arusha.  The fare was free because small children travel for free on the bus.  Imagine finding yourself, at just nine years old, alone, on the streets of a big city, knowing no one and having not a cent in your pocket.  Imagine how terrible life with an alcoholic father (his mother and two siblings had left already) must have been to make him leave.

David slept on the street, under bridges and scrounged for food.  There are numerous “mamas” on the curbside who prepare and sell food to passersby during the day and David offered his services to these mamas, cleaning vegetables or washing dishes in exchange for food.  He survived that way for two years.  During our conversation David showed me a six inch scar running down his abdomen just below his belly button.  He was slashed by an angry older boy who wanted to take the food he had.  A kind Samaritan picked him, bleeding, off the street and took him to a hospital where he was stitched up.  They cared for him for a couple of days but then returned him to the streets.  David was rescued by a teacher, Mr. Mdaki who found him on the streets and brought him to a care centre where Oddo was working as a counsellor.  Oddo and David met and began making different choices.  A home visit was made but David’s father had moved away.  David witnessed a murder at the age of ten, while he was still on the street . . . a boy “Obedi” just fifteen years old was killed by an older boy and David witnessed it.

Asked if he ever picked pockets or robbed people on the street David vowed that he had not, explaining his fear that “something bad might have happened to me if I had”.

David presents as a kind and gentle person with an easy smile and Oddo declares him to be “quite a football player”.  He speaks nostalgically and with sadness when he remembers his buddies still on the street.  “They just don’t want to try.  They want to continue to drink and smoke (marijuana), or worse.  They’ve given up hope for a better life.”  David hopes to be educated in hotel management and then press his best friend to help him with a job.  He watched his house buddies leave home to return to school, but felt lost again, with opportunities for himself.  We’ll do what we can to help this young man get where he needs to go . . .

Enormous thanks to Mrs. Peter’s 5^th grade class for your letters and pictures.  Check your mail.  Ours are on their way!!!

L/R Neema, Emmanuel and Christina . . .

Harriri and Esther with their letters from Mrs. Peter's class . . .

A local Widow’s Group makes place mats and bowls out of banana leaves.  I’ve purchased a few and will bring them home and make them available to those of you who may be interested in purchasing them.

We barely avoided catastrophe.  Gerehad decided to snatch our iron, left cooling downstairs after one of the older children ironed their uniform, took it upstairs to his room, laid it down onto a foam rubber mattress covered with plastic (for a bed wetter) and plugged it in.  He couldn’t figure out how to work the dial to turn it on and finally abandoned it.  I found it and Gerehad spent the rest of the afternoon in his room thinking about the dangers of the choices he made.

Nelson left for Dar es Salaam yesterday, headed to school, Form V (11^th Grade).  He met up with brother Reward and sister Mary, who are each in university in the city.  They helped him shop for a mattress and blanket, and then escorted him to his new school, Minaki. Before he left Nelson brought his school form to me (in Swahili) and asked for a photo.  I initially thought he needed one of himself but he wanted a passport sized one of me explaining that I was to sign the papers as his mother, for that is how he regards me . . . there were no words for a moment or two while I struggled to swallow the egg in my throat . . . although it will be interesting his explaining how the woman in the photo is his mother . . .  

And speaking of mothers (and fathers) heartfelt thanks go out to Mama Teri and Baba Gary for embracing this most deserving young man in support.  There are few more deserving young men on this Earth than he, I think . . . Asante, Sana!

Babu Michael and Bibi Dorris, Dorris had her baby and it’s a girl!!  We are a bit worried because Mama’s placenta hasn’t released yet and mama won’t let baby near to nurse.  Her udders were about to burst and so we “cautiously” milked her, filled a soda bottle and fed our new baby FIVE small soda bottles of mama’s milk.  The vet is on the way . . . I hope . . . We’d like to name her Maziwa (for the MILK she’ll be giving us one day!)  Asante tena and remember that a second baby is due in the months to come . . . all we can say is thank you so much for helping us care for our Tumaini family!!!

I am hoping you are well.  The container has arrived and is in Dar awaiting clearance which will be Oddo’s work.  He leaves tonight with Bryson and Raymond and hopefully will be home by Friday with container in hand.  Wish us luck.  The corruption here is shameful with little regard for the care of orphaned or vulnerable children.  Say a prayer that we meet someone, anyone, who cares that we are working so hard to help little ones here in need . . . be well!!