A Tumaini Spelling Bee . . .

Kelvin and Harry Potter . . .

In order to bring Kelvin's English comprehension along we work together daily on vocabulary . . . He is currently reading Harry Potter and as he progresses through the book he highlights any words he is unfamiliar with . . . there are quite a few pink highlight marks in his book and after he looks them up in his English/Kiswahili dictionary we review them together, putting them into sentences. Yesterday, he asked me to dictate the words to him for translation and spelling.



Christina and Mary were in the room and decided to join in. Kelvin got all but three right and the attached are Christina's words. They are as follows: 1. perfectly, 2. nonsense, 3. spend, 4. suggest, 5. hummed, 6. mysterious, 7. beefy, 8. moustache, 9. blonde, 10. opinion, (fidia is "fine" in swahili), 11. cloak (not clock but she tried), 12. flooded, (laumu is "blame" in swahili) 13. blame.

Spelling bee-ers Christina and Mary!

Boy are we proud at Tumaini! Recognizing that Kiswahili is a phonetic language (spelled how it sounds), and not having seen these words before, Christina did quite well for herself don't you think?

Liadi, cleaning up at home and "trucking" away the waste!

Liadi has learned to whistle . . . REAL whistling with ups and downs . . . not my monotone style.

 

 

Glory, Eliza and Jenny making good choices!!!!

 We enjoyed a big success after a bit of a downfall . . . Jenny, Eliza and Glory decided two nights ago not to listen to Mama Chi when she asked them to go to bed quietly, turn off the light and not cause "kilele". The shouted and sang and turned the lights on and off, entering, leaving and reentering their bedroom. Mama came and explained what had happened the next morning and, like all choices we make here, there were consequences . . . this time not so good. The girls were told that after supper and showers they would not stay up and watch a movie with the other children but would go to bed early. Well, each of them made wonderful choices and remained in their room until this morning when they came bounding down to greet me with the good news of the choices they'd made! Baby steps, one at a time and sometimes after one back, yes?

Kaka Michael (Gerehad's sponsor) your socks are too big!!!

The children are enjoying school and Mathilde especially, is loving teaching. This is Mathilde's second term volunteering at Tumaini and her experiences here have given her a definite direction for her future . . . she has decided to become a teacher. We will lose her next month when she returns to Denmark and university but we are so thankful for her love and support of Tumaini and so happy to have been fundamental in her finding her direction for the future!

New Mama Holdem!

We brought "Holdem" home! Holdem is the second cow we were gifted with this Christmas . . . our incredible thanks go to our very kind donors. Because of your help we began our morning yesterday with a big glass of milk for each child AND we'll have babies soon . . . BOTH Dorris AND Holdem are pregnant! We are still undecided as to how to proceed with poor Ranger who is so thin and continues to struggle.

 

 

 

And Mama "Dorris" will give us a baby next month!

 

Home for Mama Ranger, son Tumaini, Mama Dorris and new Mama Holdem!!  Asante Sana!

Stephano and Martha welcome Holdem to Tumaini!

"Pilau" rice with meat and spices, cabbage and pineapple. Lunch & dinner on Sundays!

A strange rash isn't fungal. . . I told Esther she was turning into a mzungu!!!  Any suggestions?

Wishing you all the best as your new years begin . . . health, peace, love and success at your ventures. With your continued love and support we are able to provide "tumaini" "hope" for these wonderful children each of you has come to love . . . be well!

 

Just a little more happiness . . .

Francis, Jenny, Esther and Gerehad off to Amani Primary School!

Rwekiza, Josephat and Marko, taller than I am now!

Angela and Margaret happy in their new, BIG GIRL bedroom!

We struggle with this fungus every day . . .

Inspecting safi (clean) shelves in the girls' bedroom!!!  Ohio Girls Rule!!

Neema says hello!

Pretty Pendo and a lightening bolt!!!!

Mama's room

Priska with her new scarf and earrings . . .

Martha is beginning to come out of her shell!

Peekaboo Neema!

Bedmates and buddies, Connie and Priska

and Pendo and Latifa!!

Eliza is a big girl!

Hanging out in the boys' room . . .



A smiling Stephano



Harriri and our comedian Daniel!

Bibi Ana and grandson Samweli.  We provide assistance to this family in the village.

Volunteers Stine and Anna from Denmark working with little Aisha and Liadi . . .

Breakfast Tumaini - Boiled egg, carrot bread and orange wedges.

Zawadi (Joseph) and Daniel

For Mama Debbie and Baba Paul . . .

For Mama Debbie and Baba Paul,

Antony and his Bibi

Antony Salvatory Assenga, age twelve (we estimate but are uncertain and have requested baptism papers which will verify his birth date).  Oddo, my partner, was first made aware of Antony’s situation by a fellow parishioner who had visited Antony’s village near Moshi (about one hour east of Tumaini House) and crossed paths with he and his grandmother.  Oddo’s friend told him of the boy’s plight and condition and Oddo wrote to me in Canada explaining that, although we had agreed not to take any more children until all of ours are sponsored this particular little boy was in desperate need of whatever help we could provide and shared that he would go out to make a home visit and inspection.  We see a lot of sadness on these home visits and Antony’s was no exception.

 

Antony's bedroom . . .

Oddo reported back that Antony’s father became sick and died of HIV in 2005 and his mother in 2008.  Antony was initially sent to live with his Aunt in Dar es Salaam but she too, died in 2010 at which point Antony was returned to his Bibi and the home where we would meet him.

Antony's father's grave . . .

Born able to hear, Antony has suffered, for reasons unknown as yet, almost entire hearing loss.   He is completely deaf in one ear (left) and partially deaf in the other and had been unable to receive the medical attention he needed.  Nor could he attend school because there simply was no money.  Debbie, Paul and family, you have changed this little boy’s entire life.

 

I was in the U.S. speaking at my sister’s church in Ohio, the Springboro United Church and the Sunday school teacher, (Debbie) called me in to ask some questions about Tumaini and share some of my experiences with her teen class.   She was moved to help us and after a discussion with her family sent me an email enquiring about sponsorship support for a child.  Oddo had updated me on Antony’s situation by this time and I included him with two other children still requiring assistance and Debbie chose Antony.

We outfitted Antony's cousins with new uniforms, paid school fees and supplied new clothing . . .

By the time I first met this little boy last month, (he walked up to greet me at Mass – someone must have explained who I was) Antony had been sent to a specialist, assessed and begun treatment.  An infestation of chiggers (the same little darling mite whose eggs I had brought home burrowed in my foot) acquired by having slept with the family goats for security had cleared up and his ears were no longer seeping much.  Hearing that Debbie and Paul had taken on sponsorship support of Antony Oddo proceeded to locate a special school, near Moshi, which teaches both the hearing impaired and hearing and should Antony continue to improve (he told me his hearing is a bit better in his good ear) he will be moved into regular school.

(It is 8:28 p.m. . and the children’s movie just ended and, not wanting to go bed, several of them “dropped by”, knocked on my door for “ugs”, “hugs”.  Esther, Stephano, Angela and Glory, Margaret and Martha all encouraged Liadi to rap on my door insisting upon ugs before bed.  What could I do?  It was ugs all around!!)

Canadian volunteers Charlene, Rebecca, Meg and Diane see first hand the living conditions of the poor . . .

I visited Antony’s home with volunteers from Canada (Diane, Becky, Charlene and Meg) and believe the photos speak for themselves.  He slept just feet from where his father is buried, and just inches from the family goats.  Although bananas are plentiful and goat`s milk available, little else is accessible by his Bibi who does her best to raise her dead son’s child.  After our visit we brought Antony to Tumaini House for a few days (he’s been staying with a friend of the family in Usa while undergoing treatment) to get to know us a bit better and for us to prepare him for school.


A very dear young man . . .

Antony is a very dear little man.  Precocious and flirty, he is always tickling or tricking one of us . . . Completely overwhelmed by what is here at Tumaini House after leaving his village, Antony was curious and investigated every inch of everything/where he could put his hands on.  Every day I discovered that my refrigerator had been turned off . . . Unable to ride a bike, he would push one of ours around the outside of the house and Charlene‘s Mom’s homemade flannel pyjamas were an enormous hit with him!

Antony is respectful and courteous and very friendly, free with hugs and gentle.  He is so different from so many of the children I have met that I asked from whom he learnt his gentleness.  His Bibi told me his Aunt, her daughter had taught him, but a neighbor explained that it too, was Bibi . . . he has had good instructors.

Playing with a new toy in the car on the way home . . . his first self portrait . . .

Asante Sana to Mama Debbie and Baba Paul for embarking on giving this little man a future . . . Karibu Tumaini, welcome . . . come and meet him!  Oddo and I will visit his school this month and see how he is settling in and we’ll send you more photos but for Antony and his Bibi thank you so much for loving him . . . be well!

Busy, Busy . . .

Tearful goodbyes to Nurse Cratchet (okay, so it takes me awhile), Becky and Mama Corosho (she can explain) and Meg after a busy and full two weeks volunteering their love and kindness to our kids . . . later tonight Mama Lizbeth and Matz, (Jon will stay with us awhile longer) head back to Norway . . . thank you thank you thank you. . . Karibuni to Stine and Anna from Denmark joining us for three months and Dallas and Luke from Canada!  Luke, sorry about those aching muscles but the kids just don’t see that many men, ask Michael or Mark, and speaking of Mark, sorry I missed your early departure but please know how grateful we are to have had you visit and karibu tena, come back!!!

First one, and now a second front tooth out . . . Zawadi is "withling"!!!

After the whirlwind of Christmas chaos for all of these children, we are just beginning to settle back into our school routines.  Class I, (first grade) began yesterday with twenty students and Teacher Winner who is very capably assisted by volunteers Katy, Mathilde and Robyn!  Stine, (Happy Birthday tomorrow) and Anna are working with little Aisha and Liadi (we practiced our printing together this afternoon), and best of best of best news????  Esther, Gerhad and Jenny were tested and earned admission to Amani Primary School for second grade!!!!  Amani is the 6^th best primary school in the country!!!  School photos to follow as Oddo, just brought them home and we need to purchase uniforms!!!  All three LOVE the school and are ready to return Friday (Tomorrow is a national holiday celebrating the Zanzibar revolution) and “soma sana”, study hard and speaking of studying hard . . . Francis brought me his homework when he got home and we reviewed things together . . . 100% across the board!  He’s going to be #1 again!!!!

Our little Christina's big girl teeth can now come in properly, we hope!!

Just a happy Harriri!!!!

Kelvin, Angela and Margaret are very happily settling into day classes at Haradali and Evalin, Ema, Lazaro, Vitalis and Paskali (Lohai’s brothers), chose to board!  Oddo and I head to the Moshi wholesale market on Friday to find school shoes . . . no we didn’t leave things until the last minute . . . the best value for school shoes in this country are made by Bata and there are three stores in the city of Arusha, 30 km. away.  We measured our children and headed to town at the beginning of December to beat the crowds only to be told, “a new shipment will be in closer to the end of the month”.  Well, that shipment came three days ago and we were there, (no, Mathilde was there), shopping . . . no go.  We returned to discover that yes, the shipment had come, but it did not include the five most popular children’s sizes. 

Pendo - What a Big Girl!  Ears pierced and pulled a tooth . . . not a whimper!!

I enjoyed my first shower in a week today . . . no buckets for me!!!  And electricity so the shower was HOT!  And we helped Pendo take out her first baby tooth!!! My collection is growing!!  Zawadi’s other front tooth fell out but he doesn’t remember where!  Colds and sore throats are healing and the family is doing well!  I checked on Dorris, our mama cow who was resting comfortably in her new stall and the roof should be finished over her tomorrow!  Lohai’s squash (he discovered he LOVED it when he was in Canada) is in flower so we’ll be enjoying that soon!

Mary Minja, at university in Dar, had a break-in at home and all of her clothes were stolen.  We've sent her some money to tide her over and are assembling a package of clothes to send down on the bus.

Rose, our Mana OVC Scholarship winner just aced her national exam

It has been incredibly HOT, but last night and tonight the winds are blowing like mad . . . the dogs still bark and the roosters still crow all night but somehow the kilele (noise) of it is becoming normal . . . we hope the container will arrive by the end of February but keep your fingers crossed . . . Thank you again, and as always for loving us . . . it is only with your continued care that we can thrive as we do!  Asante for that!!!

Back to School and Lost a Tooth!!!

Evalin is happy to be returning to Haradali to begin Class III

Francis beginning at Amani School #6 best in the country.  He is #1!!!

Our driver Jeremiah delivery precious cargo to school!

Lazaro returns to Class II, # 5 in his class of 65!!!

Margaret and Angela begin Class III

Vitalis (l) Lohai's brother and Emmanuel head to Haradali!

Vitalis, Kelvin, Angela, Evalin, (front row) Emmanuel, Lazaro, Paskali and Margaret back to school!

And Zawadi, which means "gift" in Swahili presented his closed fist to me saying, "Mama, chukua", Mama, take.  Inside was his first lost tooth!!!