AND A SHIP SETS SAIL!

Loading, and loading, and loading, and . . .

We're crossing the Atlantic!  Mediterranean Shipping Company contatiner XCLU75111175 is on it's way to Spain and there are so many people to thank!  To those of you who wish to remain anonymous but know who you are, for purchasing the container AND shipping it here, to your staff who worked so hard to get everything together from your end, to your family who began the ball rolling in the first place, Asante Sana!  Often, when we reach out to help someone here in desperate need, their response is, "I have nothing to give you to show my gratitude, but God will thank you for me" . . . the same applies here!  Hundreds and hundreds of hours have gone into purchasing, collecting, sorting, washing, packing, and loading.  Our children are truly blessed and from Oddo and myself, for every minute of those hundreds of hours, THANK YOU!

All of this has come from you!

To friends, volunteers and donors in Canada, hundreds of YOU, who purchased and collected and donated and then came to our farm and sorted and packed and packed and packed and then loaded and finally waved our container away . . . thank you so very much!  There are so very many of you that I will miss someone so please, know, how very grateful we at Tumaini are, for the continued love and support you show us.  Tractors and and a new television, and computers and clothing and desks and chalk boards, and tools, and TOWELS! Wheelchairs and sofas and books and books and books, and toys and BIKES!  Shoes and PJ's and dishes and tables . . . thank you, thank you, thank you!

And To Dave Egles and family and staff at HES (Home Energy Solutions) in Barrie, Ontario and B.C. for ensuring that we have a solar installation in our container . . . and to Mike O'Connor at Northland Logistics for working so hard to iron out some of the inevitable "wrinkles" we experienced in getting this contaiener on its way . . . Asante Sana!  Did you know that our empty container got into a car accident on it's initial trip to our farm and was delayed as a result?  Or, did you know that a driver inadvertently parked our container at a depot instead of taking it directly to the rail line so it wouldn't "miss the boat".  Well, Mike did . . .  We did miss that first boat but are loaded and at sea now . . . thank you again! 

We can track our container, which should arrive in Dar Es Salaam on March 2nd . . . where then we will begin the arduous task of negotiating AROUND the sad corruption of this country to get all of those beautiful donations here . . . to our children . . . to our family!

Asante . . . Sana . . .

Habari kwa Tumaini . . .

"Shida" . . . "problem" in Kiswahili . . . shida leo?  BED BUGS!

New mattresses? 490,000 Shillings, soda/beer to thank the volunteers for washing 14 beds? 45,000, bug spray 62,000 . . . having the good Lord hear our prayer that we got ALL of the BED BUGS . . . priceless . . . oh, my . . .

 A number of months ago one of our volunteers went on safari, and "camped" wanting to save money.  She came home infested with something and, unfortunately, not all of that something left with the volunteer.  Camping may have saved her money but it has caused us a mountain of grief.

Unknowingly, we moved our beautifully constructed bunk beds into our beautiful, new volunteer house last fall.  Unfortunately with that move we carried the bed bugs along with the beds.  Over the Christmas holiday they were "discovered" (a rather lame word for the obvious)and we began the tedious work of ridding ourselves of them. 

We prayed that none had been "left behind" at Tumaini House where our children sleep but we didn't pray hard enough . . . today, while changing sheets, one of our Mamas discovered our little friends.  Katy and Mathilde, who are now experienced in eradicating the darlings, and with help from "suddenly itchy" volunteers Anna, Dallas, Jon, Stine and with Lohai and Jeremiah, we dissambled seven sets of bunks, removed 14 mosquito nets for washing and treating, "packaged" about 250 lbs. of children's clothing and blankets, to be insulated in plastic and "cooked" in the sun until any chance of survival has passed, laundered 30 pairs of pyjamas in boiling water (and remember we're still trucking our water in daily), as well as every towel in the house.  I know, I know, bed bugs are everywhere, but couldn't they just be everywhere . . . else?  

"Cooking" the children's clothing in plastic ensures nothing survives there.

"Where do we sleep Mama?"  Liadi and his new hat . . .

Connie and afternoon snack, carrots and cucumbers . . . and a ball!

Pendo and her "lipstick" with Kaka Francis looking on . . .

Three little "big" girls . . . Martha, Neema and Glory!!

Mary is off to the Dream Clinic for her monthly check up and CD4 Count!

Kaka Lohai . . . bad barber . . . BAAAADD!(Yes this is Jenny after the power went off . . . mid cut!)

Mwanhamisi- Ten years old and never able to attend school . . .

until now!  With love and thanks to Mama Lisbeth and friends from Norway!  You made this possible!  She is off to Haradali!!

And a smiling Esther just wants to say, "Hi"!

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!