Life is busy here in the USA. I have been working very hard w/a national non profit to promote a great feeding program for the village of Mwika. This program will help 750 children and adults everyday be fed 5 times a week for a full year. As our program blends together, I will share how it was built and how it is come together. I am also very happy to report that I am receiving 100 pair of reading glasses for my friends in Mwika. These glasses will be shipped by month end and Roland will have the opportunity to pass these out. He kept a detailed list of people that did not receive them when we did our eye clinic in February, so those, plus many more will finally have the chance to see for the first time in their lives.
Even in our unsettled economy, people still want to help people. This has been apparent at different places I have spoke about my trip. There is such GREAT need in this third world country and above all, I want to get them help. Maring'a Juu is the primary school that I have been partnered with for over a year. They have over 550 children (130 orphaned) who need so much help. The students have so little and the teachers have so little that it is hard to make a full school day successful. We are working on great projects to get these children and teachers the help they need. One of the teachers who became a very good friend to me said, just by me being there with them the last week of my visit, brought so much hope. Hope that others will hear about their difficulties, JOY that so many have reached out to them ie: sweater and t-shirt distribution, school supplies and letters and cards. They remain simple with no requests other than to be prayed for. So everything that has been received by the school has not gone unnoticed. I can tell you they are Thankful and joyful at everything they have received.
I am grateful for the support I have, for great friends and family and above all That God takes care of all of us.
Until next time ~
Cheers.
"The Happiest Day for Simeon and Sula"
Children's Book
Simeon and Sula Dolls
Purchase and help those who suffer
Hajiba (middle) widow who made dolls
Supporting the widows in Kenya
Simple Hope East Africa Director Charles Mpanda
Dedication of SHEA Food! Thank you Country Director Charles Mpanda for your help!
Building a bridge of love between our worlds
Hand in hand we help each other!
Matonyak Orphanage
Sharing Love with an orphan
Pam,
ReplyDeleteI want everyone to know I support your work and how proud I am of your visit to Maring’a Juu, Mwika and all of Tanzania. To see the video of you feeding the school kids as you had planned all 750 of them was very touching to me. I know your partnering with Feed my starving children is a much better use of financial resources than you could get purchasing, shipping and staffing the program on your own. Feeding 750 people a meal every school day for a year with their diligence to nutrition and a system in place will be amazing.
The Optometrist, what a great helper, that has helped you with the used glasses and how you could use his simple tests to match those donated glasses to people was most impressive. Giving away the sweaters from Morrison, IL and T-Shirts from Holy Cross, and the funds donated for the purchase of Goats were an added bonus. The work you finished the last week with Maring’a Juu has made a terrific video and I look forward to helping you prepare it for presentation as I convalesce from my few days in the Hospital this week.
Bridget, Libby and I are sooo happy to have you safe and home with us, but we know your heart has been blessed by all the concerned and helping people you have met here and in TZ. Your video of the slave trading port in Zanzibar has brought me to tears. I know it is a story not told to children in the United States too often, as most stories do not include the pictures of the gallows the slaves called home while they waited to be sold or killed.
A trip as successful as yours is worth writing and hearing about. I hope those of you following the blog, know the insight you will achieve with Pam’s wonderful experience. I hope you have patience with her while she nurses her husband back to health.
I am glad to have you home Pam and look forward to helping you plan for your next trip.
Tom