Lynn Connell - MAJENGO

2012-01-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

Tatu....oh....she breaks my heart...she is 14 years old, and came to us last December, one of the older girls from one of the corrupt orphanage, age 14, wary, hard, tough, one can only image what she has been threw...when i first met her in January. We didn't have electricity back then, it only came in April, after three years of begging..imagine putting 77 children to bed in the dark. But at the end of our visit, we threw a big welcoming party for all the kids, with great food: rice, ugali, greens, cobs of corn, beans, goat meat and beef, chicken, a real feast...set it all out under the stars, with tables and benches nearby when a huge storm blew open the skies, big rains poured down and we all raced with platters of food under shelter squished into one of our newly-renovated houses, the children sitting on the floor with paper plates filled..clumps of mud a buffet table outside quickly set up and laden with wet food, the generator on full blasting the joy of music in the dark with Matt holding a flashlight as kids poured out and started to dance; they knew all the music, the lyrics, the African beat, dancing, wild, excited. They get the rythm. In their blood.
Suddenly Tatu....so hard and tough and staying away only a few hours before, now dancing as with the wind in her soul, eyes flashing, she grabs my hand, Tatu exploding with life, with hope. We connected that night in the pouring rain, the music, the dance. And as I left the next day for Canada, once again saying goodbye, tears of once again losing, once again connecting and someone leaving, falling, hugging, and once again sadly pulling away from each other. We are, their mama, their baba, with a hug, a love and then, once again, leave...

Coming back a few months later in October, I look for Tatu and find her there. Watching. Outside, away from the others. Crowding around. Filippe, I have known him from the beginning 3 years back, with big ears that stick out and buck teeth, the boy who was nicknamed "fearless one", who had been left alone for over 24 hours by himself, both mama and step papa gone... asking for bicycles. Five of them. The last time he asked for a car or a bus to carry them to school, walking the two miles to and fro, he was pushing for help...but bikes, sure we could do that. And all the while Tatu is standing back behind the crowd watching.

We spend a morning in and out of the shops finding oil paint in colours of red, yellow, blue, green back and white...in little cans, we buy brushes and get the kids to draw animals with felt pens on paper, and buses, and children in front of houses with mamas and babas....I head over the next day with the images and draw big and huge on all four walls of our newly-built office outside the orphanage for guests to come and visit....and the next day invite the kids to come and paint. Wow, it was insane with everyone of them crying ME!! ME!! ME!!!.!!!! I am going crazy, i tell them they are driving me craxy. but....They did it...covered in oil paint which doesn't come off, Proud of their work, every one of them painting....you have to see it...
The day the bikes arrive...they are carreening around the grounds, all of them taking turns on all five bikes...swishing and wizzing about, like mad...jumping off, falling off, laughing...crazy...
Tatu comes to me and says. Holding my hand.
Quietly.
"No mama. No baba. I have a sister."
I say to her, great, wow...where is she?
She bows her head and shakes it back and forth. She doesn't know. With tears.
Until a bike becomes free.
And with her wild skirts flying, she takes off, free.

Tonight here back in Toronto on the first day of the year, after a few days at the River House in Dunedin..i am back in Africa...Tatu...Filippe....Amina...Godlisen, (as in God Listen, oh i love that little kid..he jumps from the top of the bunk beds from one to then next, breaking them...!!! He wants to be a policeman when he grows up....). I once taught them how to swim....

I haven't written for so long..
Once you start something like this...it gets bigger and bigger...
There are things you can't write about anymore..Like the nights you lie in bed and hope with all your heart and dear soul that everything is okay over there....
Funny...it all begins with seeing 52 kids on a mud floor...you, and why you? have to do something about it...i say now, the right person at the right place at the right time...that's about all it is...I was there. Charles brought me kicking and screaming. I'd just been bamboozled by a corrupt orphanage director who threw me out of his lucrative orphanage business on the safari route, luring in tourist money, cause i was the whistle blower. I wanted out. Out of Africa. Weeping, couldn't stop, that day in our office. I'm leaving. I'm heading up to Nairobi...
I want out. I want to go home.
So he takes me on the back of his big old red truck to see 52 kids on the mud floor and hey they are kids. He says you've learned so much about orphanages...so why not put what you've learned towards these kids. Kids are kids. Over there in Africa it doesn't really matter, there are so many kids, like 16 million orphaned out there by HIV AIDS...who cares, in Charles' opinion..if one thing doesn't work out, move your energies to another....so we founded Majengo.
That day. March 2008.
And here we are almost 4 years later...we've got 114 kids depending on us. So. How did this happen? This isn't a situation where you go over there, somewhere, anywhere...and build a school, or a dam. or whatever...you start and orphanage and you build a house and move 27 kids into it, and all of a sudden, three years later you have 77 kids, with 37 more living out that you are responsible for, and you can't sleep at night.
you can't be there full time...no. You have your own kids and grandkids back home..and you are an artist and have friends and a life in Toronto, and in Dunedin and you are running an art retreat for people who want to paint, but all of a sudden you have this huge responsibility a long way away, but so very close to your heart, to your home...
Till tonight, i have been writing, in a more business kind of way.
And i have been very stuck. Writing about catch-ups on visits, on new facilities..on what we have to do. On structure. On administration. This year i have learned much about charitable status, about boards, about structure. Structure. About how it has to be done. About the administrative ends of things.

So. When you donate, I race to my drawer, haul out my bank book and thank you cards, and tax receipts, and photographs of the kids, and get busy...boy am i paranoid of getting it wrong...I got my good friend who is an accountant, Brian who brought in a bookkeeper. My gawd. Believe me, everything i am doing is A one...and if it isn't, it is out of ignorance.

Marci my good friend called today. A friend of hers who wrote me a cheque for $150. asked her, how exactly does the money go "straight over to the kids at Majengo", and Marci said, well, "i don't really know. Knowing Lynn, she probably stuffs it into her bra and underpants!!".

So...I told her what we do, i have to sit down and write it all out, as it is.....

From you...into our MAJENGO CANADA..or in the US, the Warren Majengo Foundation, who have had their IRS status for the last two years or more...
Every month..our local NGO Tanzanian agents over there, ICA TANZANIA..through Charles, the guy i have been working with for over five years now..send us a requisition of how much money the orphanage needs for the next month.
Our budget is 1/3 lower than the two other orphanages we visited..we work every time we are over there, with Charles and with our Majengo staff..to correct and keep our budgets up to date.
So we get the requisition, check it with our agreed upon yearly budget, and wire the money into the bank accounts of ICA TANZANIA. They send the money down to Mto Wa Mbu, where Charles distributes it for food, clothing, medical needs, cleanliness needs, education, staff salaries, etc..with receipts for everything...He keeps the financial statements which we receive every month...and on it has gone....for the last almost three years...
Do I worry. Sure i worry.

There is corruption and deviences and discrepancies everywhere on the planet.
It is your money i am responsible for. That is a huge worry for me.
Now i am painting for Majengo.
All the proceeds of my paintings go toward the orphanage..
I asked tonight a great old friend of mine to give up her life in Canada to work over at the Orphanage, to be our liaison there......yes...Kathie.....yes...think about it. Do it!!!
I haven't written for a long time, and tonight...it feels good to be back into the sheer bones of what we are all doing here...hey..there are 77 little kids over there...and 37 more living out in the community who depend on us...none of whom have a mama and a baba who can look after them...and tonight on this first day of the new year...i thank you all for being such a huge important part of helping them find a way to be part of this world, to grow, into leaders, maybe, of the future....
thank you..x

2011-12-27T04:56:00.000-08:00

Happy new year!!!!
It has been too long since i last wrote..so many wonderful things have happened this year with Majengo...they pile up and become overwhelming....thank you to everyone out there who has contributed to our ongoing operating costs of Majengo. Without you, this little orphanage that grew and continues to grow, would never be happening!
Summing up this year 2011....
January expansion of children: 114 children at Majengo now!!!
A couple of days before the chiming of last year's bells ringing in the new year, the Tanzanian government made a sweep of 5 corrupt orphanages along the safari route shutting all 5 down in and bringing 67 new children to Majengo. We weren't ready for this! Jamie and I'd gone over a few months before and renovated two new houses just behind our main Majengo house, so basically, and very basically! the beds were ready...but without warning, the buses pulled up and dropped off these new kids - scared, not knowing why or where they were going, without a single belonging to their name. Some of our staff were away on holiday, leaving the remaining 10 to cope with the onslaught! I could only imagine the chaos of feeding over 100 mouths at each meal, the new children stampeding the kitchen, our 27 original kids overwhelmed, and our cooks coping without knowing how much rice, cooking oil, vegetables to buy, always running out!! Peter from ICA leapt in and did an incredible job along with Hamidu our driver racing back and forth to town picking up groceries by the seat of their pants.

I called every morning, offering support - basically all i could do so far away.
The children were not in great shape. Desperate for food, and starving, they ate leaves off the trees, garbage from the street. Many of them sick, needing medical attention. On top of this, the former directors of the five orphanages rounded up the guardians of the children, and with lies of abduction and mistreatment, encouraged them to verge en mass into Majengo to take back their kids. The police were called in on behalf of the government. The guardians were interviewed, and those who could, who had the means, took back their children. The rest saw for themselves how, in just a few days, Majengo was treating their children, with a clean healthy environment and regular nutritious meals, three times a day - and backed off, thankfully.

January visit
Matt and I flew over a few weeks later, expecting total mayhem..but instead, amazingly, found the staff resting under a big old tree outside our open air kitchen, the children taking their afternoon nap- surreal, quiet! A short time later they crawled out of our three houses and flooded the grounds...it was a mob, but not unruly. Some played soccer in the neighboring Catholic Mission playgrounds..little groups of kids throwing stones into holes dug into the mud, some skipping, swinging, whirling about with spare tires circling their waists as hoola hoops. A little boy running a flip flop shoe up a mound of mud carrying a big stone, his version of a moving van...orderly, quiet...

Big staff meeting with 18 staff, our ICA team on ground, Matt and I, some village leaders, Raymond and Mayunga. The cooks, cleaners, night watchmen and teachers all telling their version of what happened when the new kids came, laughing, in retrospect.

Escalating budget!
Budget meetings: our annual operating budget skyrocketing from $50,000 USD to $80,000 now with 77 now living in, as opposed to 27!! 18 staff, up from 12....and another 37 children living out in homes in the community, but coming to Majengo by day, or being supported with medical and educational needs....WE are coping by the seat of our pants. But it is not good enough. 25 kids per house, not enough mamas to give them good emotional loving care.

We have to move the kids out into a much better environment.

Majengo Canada charitable status!!!
Warren Majengo, Matt with his family and friends, have generously covered most of the operating expenses over the last two years, about $6,000 a month!! Unbeliveably. Go on the website and check out Matt's Letter, in the Story of Majengo section, how he came on board. www.majengo.org. This truly a miracle.

But now with all these new kids, this additional $30,000 was simply too much!! I went back to Toronto, and applied for charitable status in Canada. Ten months later, with $7,000 in legal fees to ensure we were applying properly, I am thrilled to report that MAJENGO CANADA now has official charitable status, and can offer now anyone donating to Majengo from Canada, a tax receipt for their generosity. It has become extremely difficult in Canada now to be accepted.
Now, along with Warren Majengo's charitable IRS tax status...

We are on our way!!!

Our ICA agents on the ground....
Charles, our ICA project coordinator in Mto Wa Mbu on the ground, who co founded Majengo at the very beginning, is soley responsible for the logistics and financial operations of Majengo, moved his wife Grace along with preschoolers David and Derrick into nearby Arusha to be close to his family, currently applying for an online Masters degree in Public Health, will spend his time working at Majengo and in Arusha working on his degree. Doris and Joseph, directors of ICA visiting regularly, attending staff and budget meetings, keeping their eye on things and offering good local experience and advice.

October visits to other orphanages....
In October we visited 2 other well established orphanages: Rift Valley in nearby Kiratu and JBFC: just outside of Mwanza, a town on the banks of lake Victoria: INcredible was JBFC, run by Chris Gates, a tall, burly, sunburned wonder from Oklahoma who, at age 26 has accomplished a dreamof a lifetime for many. His JBFC houses 45 girls living in, in houses which support no more than 8 girls per house, with a permanent mama living in...a situation for which we strive. At this point we have 77 kids living in 3 houses....with two mamas per house, and certainly not the individual care we hope to achieve for our kids when we build our new facility....Chris's dream is to become self sustaining. He runs a primary school with 250 kids from outside the orphanage, each paying yearly fees to help keep the operating expenses of the orphanage intact. He has all kinds of animals: chickens, goats, cows, pigs, living on the land, and a great vegetable garden operated by the staff and kids themselves..a fabulous operation and one which we hope to emulate soon...WE learned so much. But especially the huge need to move our kids into smaller quarters of their own, small houses, with 8 kids per house..with their own mama to look after them...so important for their emotional health.....
With each facility, we realized the possible need to bring in a person from Canada or the US to work directly on site with our Tanzanian staff....communication has always been a challenge. I am believing the African adage that oral communication is where so many are most comfortable, whereas we in the west prefer emailing, a quick note, getting it down on paper, so easy for us to do, but also so alienating as well sometimes...In Africa..the spoken work, the handshake, the looking into each other's eye...the time to spend together, to learn, to seek, to quietly ask the questions, to discover along with each other... So keeping a regular stream of thought via the internet, via email, or skype, or the telephone with crazy electrical outages, blackouts, is a constant and often frustrating challenge...
It is only when i get over there, when Charles meets us at the airport, when we get settled into the van jammed packed with clothing and toys for the children and heading for Arusha, that the questions and answers begin their natural course to flow again, as if we have been together always.....without a few months of silence in between, it all begins to make sense.

Donation of land....
Our village leaders, Mayunga and Raymond, at a government meeting, local and district, presented us with 6 acres of land nearby to build our own orphanage facility. Already on the land is a half built primary school with 4 classrooms and office - a government project slated to be fully built by next year.

New Majengo facility:
With 77 children all living together in 3 houses..it has become increasingly urgent that we build our own facility. What we have now, has been totally make-shift, a place to house the unexpected but necessary expansion of kids last December, totally a temporary and urgent solution - a fly by the seat of our pants situation which solved a very crazy time. We had no choice.
But after visiting both established orphanages in the area in October we came away with some great ideas of the orphanage we hope to build, soon.

Our budget to get the children into better and smaller homes right off the bat is about $100,000. including a big communal kitchen with outdoor and indoor dining facilities and playground, next to the primary school the government has promised to complete by 2012. Once that is done, another $200,000 will afford us a proper volunteer house, library, computer room and recreation hall. A total of approximately $30o,000 to do the job well.

Buffalo meetings....
Great once-every-three-months meetings in Buffalo with Warren Majengo folks and Majengo Canada, keeping our eye on what is going on in Tanzania.. our 2013 new building group reporting back and keeping in touch with those two orphanages i mentioned above, arranging for Matt, Lauren, Rose and I to visit in October...pulling together the best ideas from both visits....organizing time lines and plans for our own new facility once we get our funding in place....our new website..thanks to Kym setting it up with people from McKissock in Warren, and to Maxine, Nancy and yours truly for pulling the writing and the pics together, it looks great...we're meeting Jan 07...a few days before I take off again for Africa...

2011-11-02T05:03:00.000-07:00

BREAKING NEWS!!! MAJENGO CANADA, now an officially recognized Canadian charity, able to provide YOU with Canadian tax receipts!! And more about that later...

Back home a few days, jet lagged, tired but thrilled with our October visit, we have managed to accomplish so much!! Briefly....visited two wonderful established children's homes, as they prefer to call them, not orphanages, in Tanzania....one JBFC near Mwanza...the other Rift Valley Children's Home...near Karatu, a stone's throw from Majengo.

And we're in the beginning stages of building a brand new facility for MAJENGO!!!

We learned and saw so much! Great ideas to move forward ..the govt has approved giving us 6 acres of land, flat, wide open - a huge cry from our current site, where we look after 77 children living in or should i say squeezed into three houses!

It is insane, but totally understandable. One year ago we were flying by the seat of our pants, with the government shutting down corrupt orphanages on the safari route, last December, and bringing to us 67 new children, freaked out, badly abused, starving, not knowing where in earth they were heading...

No warning. All these kids arriving by bus over a two day period!
Our staff, half on holiday, scrambling to keep up, especially with the food, dinners, cooking, cleaning clothing and washing kids. Big challenge...but we did it...with huge credos to our staff who managed to pull it all together, beautifully infusing all these new children into our once calm, together, well organized and quiet facility.

And huge thanks to our friends in Warren, Pennsylvania.
Our budgets skyrocketed overnight, from $55,000 annually to $85,000 now...not bad considering the support of 114 children and 17 staff, but way more than they can handle.

So it's my turn now...
As they say on CNN: BREAKING NEWS!!!!
MAJENGO CANADA just got our official approval from the Canadian Government to become a registered Canadian charity. Thank you thank you thank you!! As a result we can offer tax receipts for the first time, to all our incredible donors out there who have been supporting us over the last 3 years! bravo!!

Off and running....stepping into a brand new phase, our goal to raise $300,000 over the next 6 months toward the new facility..the situation now is desperate. With 77 wonderful beautiful children squeezed into three small houses, with not a lot of land in between. We feed over 100 mouths, three times a day, with 4 cooks spinning their magic out of one, not that big, outdoor kitchen. Lines of laundry swinging from post to post throughout the site... cleaners and children alike, scrubbing madly to keep all those clothes and children clean, every single day.

It is a miracle. We have managed to pull it off.
But we need more space for those children!!
Our goal: to give them every opportunity in a safe loving environment, to grow and blossom into happy, responsible and self sufficient members of their community.

Starting, with our new facility....dreaming, but I know, within only a short period, it will become a reality: here's the picture: lots of wide open playground space for the children to run free, soccer field, great climbing jungle gym with slides and swings, buildings designed with solar, skylights, with wonderful smaller dormitories, each with their own living in mama, sitting areas, study areas, bathroom, a big open library, dining hall and kitchen, rec room, with a nearby fully equipped primary school, goats, vegetable garden...chickens....the ideas go on and on..
.
I invite you to become a hands-on helping member of Majengo's TEAM CANADA!!

Revving up an exciting fundraising drive....with presentations, parties, sponsorship programs for every one of our 11 4 children, pictures, bios...raffles, paintings, exhibitions with all proceeds going straight towards this new facility. We need your help!!!

Please email me your ideas and suggestions for how you can help...lynnconnell@sympatico.ca
Lots of love, and huge thanks for everything, so far....xxLynn

2011-10-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Addis, Ethiopia! 7 hours here waiting for a 2:45 am flight to London and then home! Crazy, but you just relax into it; there is a great little cafe wedged into the middle of souvenir shops, duty free, clothing, misc...mostly woven scarves, shoes, African jewellery and dresses for little kids, leather bags...I'm sitting on a stool in the cafe watching the stream of humanity glide by... huge muslim community here, men and women wearing white from head to foot, the men in long wrapped gauzy long dress, groups dressed alike, a team of men in green, emerald green tops and long pants passing by, some dressed in what we would call pajamas, the matching designed fabric of the loose pants and tops...not alot of North Americans here tonight, mainly African from every country...in the women's washroom, next to the women's prayer room, a low sink where muslim women slip off their shoes and wash their feet before entering to pray, water everywhere, another woman bent over a piped in speaker spewing out an African beat, she is rocking, moving her hips and swaying, mezmorized.

It was an incredible week...Rose, Lauren and Matt from Warren flying into Mwanza meeting me at the hotel, and off we went to spend the afternoon and dinner with a fabulous guy who has opened an orphanage school on 46 acres on the lake, beautiful setting, 40 kids living in, all girls and another 250 coming everyday to primary school. We're researching back home different places to see; heading into building a new facility for Majengo by 2013 when our leases run out. Between this centre, and another one up in Karatu it becomes evident what works best for the kids: small houses, with 8-12 kids per house, each one with a live in mama to cook and clean for just those kids, a big communal kitchen is great with an adjoining dining room where everyone can hang out together, continuing the feeling we have now of one big huge happy family. Both children's homes supported primary schools, either on site or nearby, offering good teachers, English, and welcomed an ongoing flow of volunteers, mainly women coming from Canada and the US, and staying for a month or two, each one paying $35. US a day for the priviledge of working there. It works! Very exciting, and great that our team back home did a great job finding these facilities for us to visit.

Visited the 6 acre plot the village leaders of Majengo have agreed to hand over to us to build our new facility, about 3 miles down the road from our current site, big open field with a quarter built primary school at one end, a project of the government,promising to have it finished by the time we start to build. We are working together, the best way to do things over here. If you get the backing of the local village leaders, and then on up to the Executive director of the entire district who reports directly to the president of Tanzania, you are on your way..and we are!

Meetings all week, sometimes three a day! Focussing on 2013, the new facility, our education plans for the children, budgets....a great few days for me painting animals and children on the outside of the new Majengo office, with the kids. Finally getting to know them a lot better this time around. Education: lots of talk about sending our kids to the English medium private school a good walk away from the orphanage, someday. Here all the subjects are taught in English, a great advantage from the government schools where kids learn everything in Swahili, until they hit Secondary school, where they plunge into English. Still talking... getting to know the director of that school, Mama Anna who i am totally enamored by. Her views for me on education, and what is important for the growth of the children, for now and into the future make sense to me. But it is costly, about $400 per child per year for this special education; we've decided to step back, take a good breath and wait...our budget has exploding with all our new kids since December last, the three houses we rent Tiger, Serengeti and Kilimanjaro on site bulging with 77 kids, a far cry from the spaciousness of those other orphanages we visited early on in the week.

A big staff meeting with all 17 of our staff.. each one expressing big thanks and good feelings about where we are going, along with the challenges...Four of our Masai girls sponsored through 4 years of secondary school have gone back home to their Masai bomas, pregnant.

ON Saturday after an incredible few hours roaming around the big monthly Masai market, which is almost indescribable, but if you can picture small grass huts with legs of goat roasting inside, we join Masai men and women wrapped in the bright red and blue checked sheets, lounging on plastic chairs, a Morani warrior bringing in the leg along with a long sharp knife, cutting the meat off the bone into chunks put into a big round bowl in the middle of the table, we all lean forward and chew and chew till your jaw hurts, delicious! Stuff sold outside, laid out on blankets, stuff, everything you can imagine, clothing of all kinds, shoes, underwear, sports jackets, shirts dresses, plus jewellery, kitchen good, hardware, everything, this is the way the Masai shop, moving along from blanket to blanket, a goat and cow auction going on at the far end, packed with Masai and us....and that same day on to visit the Chief of the Engaruga tribe to his boma, meeting once again his two wives, children, and greeting his 95 year old father who sits at the entrance of the boma, a cluster of cow dung and grass circular houses, surrounded by a fence made from thorn trees, we make sure we bring the requested bottle of Konyaki, bending over to pay our respects, the young women bowing low their heads for the old man to spit into their hair. It is all part of the experience and on to the goat yard where Chief introduces us once again to our goats which we have purchased, one or two every year, who have had babies. I now own 9 goats...!! Named for my family back home! This year two new white ones, twins, bought for Pyper and Finn!

Culminating with a wonderful last night at Majengo with the children, all lined up along four long tables on benches, receiving juice and goodies as a good bye treat...a show of dance, song, and acrobatics a first with these kids for us, mixed with laughter, and tears, so difficult to say goodbye. They have become our other family away from home, these children and for us, it is heartwarming, these visits, and heartbreaking to leave...

Got to run and catch this flight!

homeward bound!! talk soon!!!!

check out our new website: www.majengo.org...it is pretty wonderful!

Lynn

2011-10-19T01:08:00.000-07:00

Update!! Jambo!! a great week....in Mto Wa Mbu...and today in Mwanza, a beautiful town built up on hills circling around the massive Lake Victoria on the west side of Tanzania - the second largest fresh water body in the world. I am hot, soaking hot, but happy at an internet waiting for Matt, Charles, Lauren and Rose to fly in from Kilimanjaro - flying in happy, dazed and exhausted last night. Me, i took a local bus all the way across the wild and rugged terrain of Tanzania bumping along from Arusha to have an adventure, leaving yesterday at 7am, on what they said would be a 10 hour ride, which turned into 15 hours on the slowest local bus anyone has ever ridden. Miles and miles of African villages, mud huts held together by sticks cow dung, busy markets filled with bananas, cooking oil, bright plastic kitchen attire, hardware, socks, bright coloured cotton and satin dresses hooked onto wire hangers and squeezed into small top frames expanding into huge voluptuous hips, swinging and sache-ing next to plumbing poles and women stooped bent in half stirring pots of freshly made ugali over open fires. Pulled in with wild lightening and thunder, mvua sana, much rainfall, me, tired and very cranky by 10:30 last night. Rasta...a friend of Dula, who regales me all the way from Arusha with stories of Rasta beliefs, meets us at the bus station. Goodbye to Colliette my good German friend who spends two months every October in Mto Wa Mbu, awesome, working by herself traveling into four primary schools gathering lists of children desperately needing uniforms, shoes, sweaters. She hits the local markets with Dula, her Rasta translator, to buy clothing for 200 kids in the area with money she raises back home all year. She visits Majengo laden with 120 single bedsheets and 70 pairs of Masai shoes made by a shoemaker in the corner stall of the Masai market, the money a gift from a German company interested in working with someone who uses his hands. Masai shoes are made from rubber pieces cut with a small sharp knife, away from old tires. Everywhere she takes pictures of children with the new sheets and masai shoes, to take home, a record of what a few Euros can do here in Mto Wa Mbu...

Last week a government inspector makes a surprise visit to Majengo, a program social workers are performing all over the country to all children's homes. For 7 hours she questioned our staff, and me: what do we do when a guardian shows up abusing a child? how many beds do we have for 77 children? are our kitchens clean? do we have fire escapes and extinguishers? what education do our staff have? what are we doing to help them? On and on with questions..and a visit around the orphanage, through our three houses, which just last week painted clean and fresh, across the grounds past outdoor toilets and showers, to the big open dining room area with the cement floor and high thatched roof, electricity now, with four tables lined with happy healthy children squeezed along benches eating a sort of beef stew, greens, and rice, a banana on the side. All is well.
On that day i interviewed Zack who came recommended by the private English medium school down the road. He stays with his sister next door at the Catholic Mission, from Kenya, having just completed his teacher's certificate to teach English. I am ecstatic. It is perfect. We have been trying to find a good full time English teacher to help our kids and staff learn English, since we started. Hopefully, Zack is the answer. He comes the next day to work with our staff and teachers setting up a schedule and began the monumental task of teaching everyone English by January 2012. Every day, 8 hours a day!
Visited the director Anna and her principal Mr. Thomas at the nearby private English medium school, where all primary classes are taught totally in English. The kids there can speak well after only a few months in class. We set out an idea where we hope to enrol all 51 primary kids into Anna's school, this January. It has to do with loaning her money to finish the building of three new classrooms, and for this, getting a year free for our children, and two more at half price. Matt comes today, we shall talk it over, he will visit Anna and her school and we will decide. For me it is a great idea. I have loaned money here, through my People Living with HIV AIDS program, where, after one year, all four HIV AIDS groups of 80 people, almost all women, paid me back interest free, in full - but in shillings, not dollars. USD can't be transferred back from shillings except at an exhorbitant (sp) rate, up to 25%. So how do i get my money back in dollars? Almost impossible. But if we can funnel the shillings back into great programs for our children, it will cut costs on the USD sent over each month in accordance with our budget.
Win win on every side.
Promised Charles i would paint animals, fruit, graffiti, children on the walls on the outside of the office, with the kids...but with great trepidation. He has the walls left white for this endeavour, but the day i showed up someone had painted them brown...ack! what to do? We had all the kids draw animals, buses, airplanes, birds, and children on paper, which with a highlight marker, two of the older boys and I drew huge on the walls, on day one. Then, with a lot of help from enthusiastic and impatient kids, painted those images white again - all 77 kids swarming me and the freshly painted images and coming away slathered in white oil paint indelibly stuck onto fingers, faces and hair. I am dreading the next day's job of colour.

I am trying to think of a way where only two boys brighten up the images with colour, but how to do that with all these kids, curious, enthusiastic, desperately wanting to paint! I give up and mix colours into lots of small plastic containers, hand out sponge brushes, and watch them go at it. Mimi, mimi. Me me...!!! ME! they are all shouting, stampeding, the colours, the brushes falling on the dusty ground, a mess! I am drawing as fast as I can now, leaves coming up from the bottom of the office up and onto brightly coloured animals, everything dripping wet with paint, with kids vying for pots of green, blue, brown, orange and red, splashing and splattering it, they make them come alive.

Hamisi, the night security guard at my hostel who has been painting the walls on the inside of our main house all week, appears with a can of black paint and finishes off the job by painting the ledge along the bottom, covering up the splatters and drips.

It looks incredible!! All painted entirely by the kids. A great day. I walked home well after dark alongside the long main road, past vast expanse of rice fields blackened by the night sky, sprinkling with stars, so dark you can see nothing but for the flash of bicycles coming into view just in time to jump aside safely.

I visit the children at the nearby Pambazuko children's home along the way last week, passing Colliette taking Tabia, the mama of those children to the market to pick up needed kitchen supplies, they wave, as i head over to their house. The kids racing out to meet me, one of the joys of each time i visit Africa, these kids I have known now for 5 years...coming from the very first orphanage i volunteered with back then, so long ago. I know them well, especially Elia, Sifuni, Jackson, Ruth, Zack, Justin, Melania and Fabiola...my daughter Seanna and Sierra coming to Africa two times laden with art supplies teaching these children. They are loved and blessed. Tabia and her husband Elias are their mama and baba, with my Swedish friends Kerstin and Berndt now in charge of supporting the 14 kids here at Pambazuko. It is truly a lovely small family, and a good example of how children coming from many tribes, orphaned mostly by HIV AIDS, can come together in one small house and become brothers and sisters together, with a mama and baba. We hope someday soon, at Majengo to emulate this example there, with the 77 children we look after, creating a new facility encompassing a number of small houses, each with up to 14 kids, overseen by a mama and baba, if our dreams can come true.
I set up my computer and roll back to 2006, when i first met those kids waving outside the rickety orphanage along the safari route, Home Comfort. Photos, hundreds of them, of us on safari with those kids, painting with them, drawing, and my teaching them how to swim at the nearby tourist campsite swimming pool, every Saturday afternoon for two years, until they raised the prices, and rules encouraging 'whites only', where we no longer go. Watching the photos, the kids crowding around the computer, entranced. Memories of images of them spanning the last five years, beginning as little kids, and now healthy, strong, and tall.

Today begins my final week in Africa...with Matt coming with Rose and Lauren, with Charles flying in from Kili to Mwanza, where we visit an orphanage set up by Jamie and our team back at home, to learn and see what they have done to make their children's home a success. Then back to Arusha tomorrow, to visit three more, and on to Mto Wa Mbu...a week set up of budget review, visits to Majengo with big staff meetings, time with the children and Doris, our ICA director, meetings with government officials and visiting possible plots for our new facility. Always a whirwind when Matt arrives, I look forward to his laughter and jokes, his enthusiasm, his positive energies and good sense. Catch up next week!
Have a great one....!! Lynn

2011-10-11T00:21:00.000-07:00

jambo!!
sitting here the bright morning sun blasting into the courtyard outside my office door, i can see a group of 8 men, lounging on tippy plastic chairs, engrossed, Swahili, Charles inside the closed door across the hall giving someone a test for HIV AIDS...emerges to tell me that these guys are planning a friends father's funeral, who can contribute what, who can go to the burial, tonight..in Africa they don't embalm and celebrate soon after the death..all the while i am waiting very patiently and very silently without complaining for one hour for this computer to connect into my blog, and finally, after many attempts, i am here. Bravo!
Wrote yesterday...and since then- a day later, reporting a great meeting with Charles and Abdul about our possible future orphanage facilities...I drew out the idea plans we have talked about, a big communal kitchen...a pre school, maybe a primary...with small houses big enough for up to 14 kids sprinkled about, a playground, goats, veg garden...library...we look at all three options for where this could be...a govt given plot, the land and houses we currently occupy, or the big plot across the road...Abdul settles on the one i like best...IF we can strike a deal with the owners of all three houses...plus two adjacent plots, with one, get this, adjoining the English medium primary school..where, if we can manage to reduce the private school rates with the principal...maybe our kids can go there...

it is now, all a dream...but dreams here in Africa come true and i'm banking on it...

And in the afternoon, sitting here at this computer with Charles working on staff and visitor policies...rules for child protection...another chart of our organization...one with the staff and their responsibilities..one with the names and ages now of the children...living in and next week meeting the guardians and the kids living out sprinkled around the community...our menu..
And last night, dinner of shish kabobs with little pieces of charred beef bbqed alongside a plate of chipsies...a boy from the streets slumped into a nearby chair, maybe 12, 13years old, he can't go home, his father beating him brutally, with no relatives or friends to take him in, watching the guy cookingthe bbq..watching us eat.
Charles calls him over...what can be done about this boy? As they talk in Swahili i see that look of such pain on his face, the way the mouth is open and set, drooping, holding itself there. i have felt it once in awhile in myself. that mouth, just open and hanging ...the eyes brimming hot almost with tears, shining and anciently sad...he sits down - i can't help myself, i rub his back, i am so sad and sorry..our orphanage is full ...and this boy, Charles calls him Msonjo cause he comes from the Msonjo tribe, but what is his name? has made his way on the streets, stealing and prostituting, whatever, anything to keep himself alive, and tonight talking with Charles and this white lady from Canada rubbing his back, he doesn't flinch. Waiting now for his dinner..

This morning at MiCasa, the cafe around the corner, i am lying on the floor showing Miriam the owner some pilates moves, and she invites me to run with her tomorrow morning at 6am! great...i am feeling good...much better than the days around missing Thanksgiving back at home...another day!!
but here...i copy yesterday...and see you tomorrow!

Jambo! Happy thanksgiving!!

I miss you all out there…tried to reach Canada last night, so many times, but every time someone picked up, a series of weird screeches sounding like the yelping of some wild animal emoting from this side of the planet! The lines went dead. Ah…I am lonely...

Mto wa Mbu..Saturday night, driving over here from Arusha we saw over 20 giraffes standing silently alone, or in groups chomping on the top branches inside a clump of thorn bushes, alongside the road. The sun setting, long dark and very tall silhouettes against the night sky. Welcome to Mto Wa Mbu….a supper of roasted goat chopped into small pieces and served on one plate for all of us to pick at, dip into salt and hot sauce and encircle with a right handful of ugali, the national staple in Tanzania, other than rice, sort of like thick crème of wheat cereal, hot, where you grab a clump of it, make a ball, stick your thumb into the centre to indent into a spoon-like scoop, to collect your goat and hot sauce!

Hamidu our driver without a car, but always with one of Charles friends from ICA lending transportation for us…this time a Masai guy called Henry - a safari driver, who speaks great English, who will be my translator I hope, when Charles is away this week…

Charles’ family, Grace his wife with his two little boys, David and Derrick moving from Dar to Arusha to be closer to Charles. Grace transferred her work as a nurse for the military..their worldly belongings being shipped in this week, with Charles at the other end receiving, then driving to Dar to bring his family back.

It is good. He needs to be near them.

I am sitting in my office at ICA Mto headquarters, with, in the next room one of our PLWHA people living with HIV AIDS support groups meeting Monday morning – a roomful of mostly women, wrapped in colourful cloth and magnificent and matching head pieces, great habari, jambo!! How are you doing? Karibu, welcome back!

My uncle lent them through ICA one year ago, four seed start-up money to embellish their small businesses, and here we are one year later, all four groups have paid us back. Great…meeting in a few days to determine success and challenges of that project.

Over to Majengo orphanage bright and early Saturday morning heralded by a stampede of welcoming happy children, showing us the new office they built this year just outside our main space. It is big, spacious, clean. Charles had the outside painted pure white. Yesterday I bought cans of oil paints to create a mural with the children…lions, elephants, giraffe, sun, moon, stars..whatever they want, in red, pink, blue, green, yellow…pouring rain today, so we start tomorrow…one of the older boys, an amazing artist. On Sunday surrounded by a mass of kids, I am drawing animals on one of those echo sketch pads, this boy takes it, erases mine and draws a much better elephant than I ever could; wow! This guy, who has just graduated from primary school will design the mural.

They’ve built a huge outdoor dining room, cement floor and thatched roof at the back of the group of houses we call Majengo. Philippe, one of the original boys, points up to an empty space on the ceiling and says TV…he wants a TV plus 5 bicycles for the older kids to run around in, and they shall get them somehow, this week. The inside of our main building, which we have occupied for the last 2 ½ years is filthy….the plaster crumbling – two years of a hundred little hands, n dire need of a paint job. Charles hired Hamisi from our overnight pension, we bought four buckets of good paint, brushes and plaster, and today they begin. Plus ordering 4new tables and benches and the promise from a local carpenter to repair the ones we already have, the slats holding them together broken down from a million little feet, kicking. We’ve done a lot in a couple of days.

Big talks about education. For the young kids under 7, a pre school on site with two great teachers, Glory and Grayson who speak only a little English; the older kids trot off to one of four nearby govt primary schools, but with no English….consequently, when they graduate after 7 years into English-speaking-only secondary schools, they have trouble.

On the side, four of our kids are being sponsored by a guy from the UK into nearby private English medium schools - a decision we have to discuss. Is it fair that only a selected few get to go to private school, the others waiting and hoping for their chance? Or who are we to deprive those chosen kids an English education? What is best for the orphanage? We have heard from other orphanages who observe a ‘no gift policy’, where each child must be treated the same, otherwise jealousy and discrimination can divide and erode.

Charles says the govt primary schools actually offer a better all-round education than expensive private English medium schools, but they don’t teach English. We have decided to bring one or or two really good English teachers on site and full time to teach our kids and staff..at least for a couple of years before we build our whole new facility. At that time, we may build our own primary school, one that teaches English and Swahili, in a government approved program. And when they get older, maybe a secondary school, or trade schools….

We’re considering options. We’ve created a 2013 group back home to research other Tanzanian orphanages to decide what kind of facility we want to build over the next two years. I toured 6 acres of land that the local government is offering us for free which includes an already half-built primary school, with four classrooms and one office. It is a big wide plot, open and flat, but about 3 miles away from our existing premises. Location, location, location.

Across the street from where we are now is a huge plot, perfect for our purposes, owned by a Tanzanian woman married to an American, who we’re checking into, re availability and cost. There ia a possibility of buying our existing three rental buildings and expanding from there. All options at this point.

Currently, with last December’s expansion, there’s no doubt, we are overloaded! Where once we had 27 kids living in with a staff of 12, we now support 77 kids living in, with 18 staff, with another 37 kids living out around the community, their education and medical needs! It was an emergency, we pulled together the best we could do. We’ve got three houses with 3-4 bedrooms in each, a dormitory system with as many bunk beds possible, and in the case of little ones, sleeping two to a bed. The dormitory system is common in Africa.

But we have seen also a system where smaller houses are built around one big communal kitchen and dining area, with each house supporting a mama and 12-14 kids, offering a much better sense of family…Kids in each house become a unit, a family unto themselves. A much preferred system, more expensive, but one well worth considering.

But for now, our kids are getting the best we can provide: a clean and loving environment, good food three times a day, regular medical check-ups, and clean clothing and uniforms. We realize this as temporary, excited by plans down the road for a much bigger and better facility for these kids.

Last night, Charles and I raced across a wide plain of darkened desert just outside of town, for dinner at our friend Abdul’s incredible, brand new lux and wonderful safari lodge. Outside on a stone patio overlooking Lake Manyara in the distance under a sprinkling of a million stars and almost full moon, a warm wind blowing, with a few glasses of wine and dinner fit for me! Any of you out there coming to visit Majengo, and going on safari, you must stay a night or two at this magical place. Abdul has hired Masai tribal warriors as his manager and security guards, adorned in beaded necklaces and great drooping ear lobes, dressed in red plaid blankets and carrying spears, they are stationed at every corner along paths winding through tall grasses to separate boma like guest homes, made of thatch and cement, fit for me! I helped Abdul a little last year. He had finished this incredible place, but had no water! He’d erected a pipe running from pure spring water some 20 miles away to his hotel. But along the way, Masai women chopped into it, collecting pools for their cattle…Not once, or twice, but along the route in a period of 6 months, a good 250 times!!! refusing to leave it alone, despite what Abdul promised and did for them! He gave up and tried to drill for water on his premises, but found it salty.

Finally, he built a separate line for the Masai, teaching them how to turn off and on the water themselves. Abdul’s hotel pipe now is strong with good pressure, the only guaranteed water source in the district.

Every time I come here it is a different experience. With Charles last year applying for his masters which would take him away from Africa for a couple of years, our ngo, ICA, wound down their main projects. Charles was refused his visa twice to the UK for no good reason, is moving his family to nearby Arusha, and plans to take an online masters in international public health from Liverpool. All good. He will be able to stay with his kids and wife, work on his masters in Arusha at home, and still coordinate the comings and goings of the orphanage in nearby Mto wa mbu.

But with no other major projects in Mto Wa Mbu…the office is quiet these days but for the mooing outside my window of a neighbouring cow and the incessant blasting of rap down the road, a rooster crows. We’ve cut our staff down to two, Hamidu who doesn’t speak English and Charles. When he takes off, I am on my own, struggling with kidogo Swahili, next to none! A challenge so they say in the struggling communities...a calamity in my world...but only for a few days...

And this too will pass….

2011-10-07T01:12:00.001-07:00

Jambo! still in Arusha, the exciting Arusha Savings Group Summit over yesterday...learned so much! To clarify, this entire group of reps from 43 countries, all over Africa, India, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cambodia...from Plan, World Vision, Catholic Resource Centre, Feed the Hungry, Kids International - all the big world-wide organizations coming together to talk about how they are organizing small VSLs...Village savings and loans groups, in their countries..where poor people form groups of up to 25 people, elect their own leaders and each person putting as little as $.25 cents into the pot each week or every two weeks. The total amount accumulates, and members can borrow at an agreed upon interest rate. This money is used to enhance or begin small businesses. Profits from it are used to better lifestyles of their families, support education of their kids.
It is an incredible model.
I spent alot of time with Jones, a great woman working in Zimbabwe, setting up these small savings groups especially with teenagers from age 13 on.... sometimes even with younger kids, from age 6 on! All wanting to learn how to save, many of whom have witnessed the successful results of their parent's in savings groups. The kids would borrow money from their parents to begin their investment. Then take out a tiny loan, buy sweets with it, and sell to other kids, raise a small profit with each sale...end up buying their own shoes, uniforms for school, and even helping their parent's with basic needs of their families. It is incredible.

This VSL group model is different from micro finance.
With micro finance, someone from the outside lends money to a small group of 5-6 people...with an agreement that this money will be paid back, sometimes at great interest, at a certain date, each member responsible for each other. When someone can't pay back, the others must jump in to cover.
Micro finance has been a great model for years, but has been abused as well.
I heard, at a conference last year on alternative investing in Toronto, a woman from NYC actually stand up on the stage promoting micro finance as a viable option for your money, say "a lot of money can be made from the poor! They always pay back, much more dependable than most people from the west!" Shockingly, huge interest rates of up to 40-50% were sometimes demanded. Often borrowers were illiterate, not understanding what they were 'signing', or in many cases, this was the only game in town for them to borrow. Yes the poor were paying back, terrified of what might happen to them if they didn't. Harassed by creditors, I have been told that they actually sold family land to pay off debts, even hire their children out for prositution, marry them off - anything to get the lender off their backs!

With VSL, outside money is not required which makes this model sustainable to the people in the group. Large interest rates are not incurred. The group decides and agrees upon the interest rate themselves. VSL is a model that was started by a Norwegian woman back in the 80s and has spread world wide...the people at the conference this week, some pioneers this movement, but all hugely enthusiastic about increasing the numbers from millions to billions in the years to come.

Last year I sunk seed money (from my uncle, therefore from the outside), interest free, into four savings groups of 80 people, mostly women, all living with HIV Aids. These groups had been in operation for a few years, struggling along, not making a lot of profit, with more challenges than most - their money going toward good food to support their medication, travel to doctors, as well as toward basic needs for their families. So on Charles' advice we sunk this seed money into their pot, with a contract for one year. I am delighted that at this writing three of the four groups have paid it back in full. The last group promising by next week, the date of the loan last year.
Charles tells me it has been a success, with most of the people enhancing small businesses, like selling bananas and fruit at the market and along the main street, buying a little bit of land, renting a tractor to till it...and harvesting 150 times what they were able to make initially. Out of the profits expensive school fees have been paid for kids to attend secondary school, houses have been fixed, new businesses started.
I can't wait to hear all the stories next week during their paying back ceremony...great!
Jones from Zimbabwe tells me things are getting a little better since the opposition party is working hand in hand with the Mugabi govt..food in the supermarkets...a little fuel at the pumps...life a little easier..I'm told our western press embellishes stories, making them sound a lot worse than they are, according to the people living there. When i worked in Zim back in 2006 the US govt advised Americans not to visit. I was the only white I saw for a month, walking down the street, jammed into local buses. It was not what we were told. I never felt unsafe. The people were warm and welcoming. There was horrible sickness with an estimated 30% suffering the ravages of HIV AIDS, amongst terrible poverty, but in the midst of this I felt such resilience, banning together helping each other, community, joy, singing, dancing as well. WE can only imagine this at home in times of collective disaster. The ice storm; Sept. 11. the death of Kennedy, even Jack Layton.
People coming together, forgetting themselves. Working as a whole. It feels good.
Our truck broke down yesterday; Charles was unable to pick me up, so last night was spent buried into a book at the Naz hotel in Arusha...delicious after the mind bending intensity of the conference.
Today: the internet across the street from the Naz....a luxury...power on...rain falling softly outside, atop the crashing of traffic racing up and down, vendors selling shoes, fruits and vegetable, belts, cell phones alongside the road...and later, if Charles comes, off to the SOS orphanage just outside of town to check it out... starting to research other orphanages to determine the best way to go with a new Majengo facility to be built by 2013.
How many kids? Big dormitories or small houses with a mama and baba? How many staff, kitchens, toilets, government help?> restrictions? playgrounds, vegetable gardens, chickens and goats, pre school? primary...? I'm looking for an English teacher to hire full time in the interim...translators at the conference promise to send someone my way, someone qualified who comes from the Mto Wa Mbu village area...with family near the orphanage. All good...
Till then, I'm off to Mto Wa Mbu without easy internet access...
will get back to blog, when i can..have a great day! xxLynn

2011-10-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

jambo! hi from Arusha, arrived Sunday noon after a harrowing 2 days in the air and lounging on airport benches..Toronto, London, Ethiopia, Nairobi and Kilimanjaro! Charles at the airport with his wife Grace to meet me and over to the Naz, across the street from the best internet cafe in the whole of Africa I swear! It was cold..no kidding, cooler than the world i left so far away only a few days ago - meeting with Doris and Joseph, ICA Tanzania heads and Charles the next day, great...briefly getting caught up, things amazing at the orphanage, with our kids settling in, no one in dire need of medical attention...long talk about the new orphanage facility we need to build by 2013...either by buying the 3 existing buildings we already occupy and rent plus a few nearby plots, or by using the 6 acres of land the govt is giving us, not too far away from the orphanage and building fresh. I sketched out a quick idea that we've been talking about back home, especially emphasizing the small houses plan rather than the big dormitories we have now...they talked about a big operation here in Tanzania with three orphanages, called SOS which i will visit with Charles on Friday. Here they have about 15 houses scattered around, each with 5 or so kids and one mama in each house, and one baba overlooking the whole enterprise. a big kitchen to service all houses, dining areas in and out, playground, goats, chickens, eggs, vegetable gardens etc...sounds amazing...talked about education. When all those new kids came to us last December from the corrupt orphanages along the safari route, two of those kids were being sponsored by someone from the UK and sent, by day out to a private English middle school where they teach everything in English from the get go, pre school and primary. Much better than the existing govt schools where everything is taught in swahili. These sponsors came recently, checking up on their two kids now at Majengo, thought it was great what we were offering those kids, and chose little Pendo for a sponsorship this time as well, plus one more child. Had a long talk about this, whether it was good to have some kids take much better schooling outside the orphanage, yet living in with the other kids...and according to Doris and Joseph, it could cause jealousy, us and them etc...not a great idea...
they came up with the plan, if we can manage it financially to create our own pre school and primary based on the English Middle school way...which is regulated by the govt, the ciriculum being the same as in govt primary schools, but taught fully in English from the beginning..great idea...and by doing this we could not only offer this much better education to our kids, but charge neighbouring kids as well the opportunity thus becoming a little self sustaining ourselves.
RE the donor box over at the orphanage, an idea to request all visitors to put donations along with a note with their contact numbers into the box -
Charles and i are about to create a Volunteer guideline sheet, much needed as a lot of people are wanting to work at the orphanage, Jamie in Warren in charge of US donors and volunteers...
I'm off and running...
In the second day of a big savings conference, the first Arusha Savings Group Summit of its kind, held at the Arusha conf centre where they are conducting the international Rwanda trials...interesting. we have 250 people from 43 countries \across the world, all talking about their savings programs for very poor people, even with primary school children learning how to save, which i am most interested in. Yesterday after hours of small and specific sessions targeting the many aspects of village savings, many of which dealing with gender issues, culminating with a 'living room' discussion with the whole group, 5 people on stage...all men! The gender issue reminding me of what NA experienced in the 60s and 70s with 'woman's lib' which was really about equal rights, not the negative bra burning slant put upon it today...with women getting together, finding their own voices, empowering..men standing back wonder what the heck!! and sometimes denouncing the whole thing, or feeling intimidated a little or a lot...the same thing here 50 years later...
Thinking of Marg who lost her Ernie last week, my cousin David, and other friends struggling back home with such issues....missing you all and wishing you my love especially in these hard times...loving being back here, the colour, the noise, hustle bustle, the radiance, the joy, the everyday resilience...
Hey...did i tell you? Majengo Canada were granted our official charitable status from the Canadian government just last week!! We can now offer tax receipts to donors!! All set to hit the round running when i get home in November...love to all!! xx

2011-09-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

September 2011....Toronto, Canada

Hi everyone..all the best to you all!!

I am in the process of applying to the Canadian government for charitable status and am reminded of the great enthusiasm and generosity of so many people who made this very exciting project actually come true! The Majengo Orphanage! Thank you so much!!

I'm off to Tanzania in October...signed up for a great micro-finance conference in Arusha for a couple of days with a participant list made up mostly African people, very exciting. Our PLWHA (people living with HIV AIDS) micro finance project is coming to a close in October. So far 3 of the 4 groups have paid back interest-free loans my uncle donated a year ago..very successful, with lots of them reporting profits in small businesses, enough to enable their kids on into secondary school...

All is well at the orphanage. The 67 new kids who came to us last December have settled right in, our teachers giving them extra tutoring to bring them up to the levels of our original kids.

We're revising our website...just had a great meeting with the folks in Warren Pennsylvania to map out plans for the next year...our budget almost doubled with all these new kids...I'm praying for my CRA charitable status. Very exciting...

I sent the following letter out to all our Canadian donors who kicked off the first year finances to get the orphanage going....you guys were the first FOUNDERS. You may have heard the story, but to refresh, sit back and enjoy!

Like they say, we have come a long way baby…the above pictures are of the orphanage as I found it back in March 2008, with 52 little kids squeezed onto a mud floor in a dark, dank, leaking foyer of someone’s house – no furniture, no resources but for one teacher who gave a year of his time with no pay, and a few neighbouring farm women who came by to cook lunch for the kids – in most cases the only food they would receive all day.

These were the poorest of the poor kids in the district of Majengo, an agricultural community just outside the rural village of Mto Wa Mbu, Arusha, Tanzania. Back then they ranged from age 3 up to about 6…none were old enough for primary school. Many were found roaming from house to house without family, their parents lost to HIV AIDS…relatives and friends off at work, without a home.

Charles Luoga our local project coordinator took me to see these kids the day after I was kicked out of an orphanage on the safari route, overloaded with sick and starving children set up purposely to lure in tourist money. I was the whistle blower, and after working with those kids for two years, was forced out by their director who in fact had a criminal record, had spent time in jail, and was paying off local church and government officials.

I was devastated and determined to pack it all in and leave Africa for good. But Charles dragged me over to Majengo, and that is where it all began..

You wonder whether, if you knew what you were getting yourself into, like for any project - a marriage, having a child, renovating a house - would you have gone into it in the first place?

Sure, sometimes I wonder…But when I look into the faces of these kids now, and the so many others who have come to us since, I have to say YES YES YES!

It has been a harrowing experience and a miracle too, as I will tell you…but before all that, know that you guys were the first, the FOUNDERS…who got this little orphanage off the ground…I thank you so much!!

March 2008….We found a half finished house down the road and committed ourselves to fixing it up at our expense, for use of it. We figured the reno would cost around $15,000, but once we put in a cement floor, new roof, electricals, (although we wouldn’t actually get electricity hook up till last December! Imagine putting 77 children to bed in the dark!!), water, built an outdoor kitchen, showers, toilets, ran a fence of bougainvillea around the whole property, planted trees and flowering bushes, tiled, painted, new windows, screens, 17 bunk beds, mattresses, kitchen equipment, cleaning, clothing, and towels…we were up around $23,000 when we were finished!

February 2009. Off to Africa but desperately short of funds to finish the job, erupting into Tim Forbes’ wonderful “52 thank you’s!”email to which so many of you responded, sending me off again with enough money to finish off the renos and furnishings..

March 2009. Enter Matt McKissock from Warren, Pennsylvania, who called to rent our family cottage via the internet, so fascinated was he that he flew over to meet me sight unseen a few weeks later to check out for himself the conditions I described during our cottage contract. He came with two friends, for one week. We pushed with all our might to finish the job, moved 27 kids in the night before, and celebrated his arrival with a very grand opening. Matt met Charles and our staff, our local ICA Tanzania agents and government leaders and was blown away by the children, ecstatically racing around their new home, happy now with three meals a day, mosquito nets, running water and a team of 12 wonderful people to care for them. It was heaven. Matt stayed for one week, arriving with 12 duffel bags of everything we’d asked for, had the time of his life and took off with a film he’d made of the kids singing “Twinkle twinkle little star”. He promised nothing, but I sensed something was up!

Surreal. I’d focused on raising money to get the kids off the mud floor, and hadn’t thought for one minute about who was going to pay for basic ongoing needs: food, medical, education, uniforms, shoes, clothing, staffing and maintenance! Matt kept asking about operating costs, but it wasn’t till I got over there that we had the foggiest idea of our yearly budget. Insanity, really. But in retrospect, Matt would never have flown all the way over with such urgency had I appeared to be in control. It wasn’t that I wasn’t in control, I just couldn't focus beyond renovation at that point.

He went home and two weeks later wrote a letter to his family and friends that caused me to burst into tears in the crowded internet café. He committed himself and his family to taking over our operating costs of $31,000 for one year, and now, 2 ½ years later, these incredible people are still helping. If you want to read that letter www.majengo.org. It will make you cry.

With Matt on board, his mom Diana and her friend Jamie came over the next year. Matt brought another friend who teaches linguistics at UBC. I started going over twice a year: October and February…budgets, monitoring, working with the staff and kids and trying to learn Swahili.. Kids in our on-site pre-school went on to primary and now stand in the top ten of each class, year after year. In Feb. 2010 the village leaders brought 15 new kids to us for pre school, by-day, at the beginning crying and too scared to open their mouths, but soon fitting in to the growing Majengo family…

Until December 2010 we were whistling along with 55 kids, our staff happy with yearly bonuses and their own children helped by Majengo with the financing of their schooling. We had it made…

Until last September. I got a call from Charles. The government was about to shut down the corrupt orphanages on the safari route running through town. The director I worked with back in 2007 had been charged with sexually abusing one of the girls en route to Secondary School. She escaped and charged him. He spent a month in jail, was now pending court charges. The government could no longer ignore his behaviour. He’d wracked in thousands of dollars from unsuspecting tourists. They would close him down, IF they could find a safe place for the children. Maybe 20 kids, 30 tops, they said. I called Matt. I'm going on record, he said: "we have no choice. We have to help those kids. We will take them on."

I flew over in October. We organized the rental of two houses behind our main facility. Not an easy feat. Each house was overflowing with tenants who knew a good thing when they saw one. White people desperate for their rooms. We found them better rentals and renovated at our cost, and paid six months rent - the only way they would leave! Finally empty, we rebuilt them, new floors, windows, ceilings, the whole thing all over again, bunk beds, sheets, mattresses, towels….done.

And then we waited. I was worried; the shut down plan was kept secret from directors on the safari route. They were dangerous. Some were worse than others; one was running a pornography ring with the children. At this point we were told there were 5 orphanages slated for shut down. We had no idea how many kids we would be getting. I got shingles and took to bed. Not fun. Jamie flew over and together we waited. There was an election in Tanzania; the government was campaigning. Our two houses were ready; but we were waiting.

Charles arrived with shocking news. The same guy who threw me out for being the whistle blower, the one who was up for rape charges, was dead, thrown out of the back of a pickup which crashed into a lorry and flipped over on top of him. I jumped out of bed and went to his funeral, to see for myself that it was indeed him. 700 people in brilliant sunshine assembled alongside a dirt road with 8 guys in leather jackets and shades crashing through the dust and potholes on motorcycles leading a red pickup carrying a wooden coffin perched askew on back, the tall hand-made cross sticking out one end, sketchy lettering in white paint with his name, birth and death dates. I was the only white. And because of that, the honoured guest., pushed alongside the family behind the coffin threading our way into the courtyard into the house. Without question, it was him. He was the ring leader and now he was gone. In Africa, they say it was the word of God. He couldn’t hurt us or the children anymore.

Tired of waiting, I flew home.

Christmas, December 2010, the government sweeps in and shuts down 5 orphanages on the safari route, dropping 67 kids off to Majengo within a two day period, ages 3 to 14. The kids were freaked, our staff overwhelmed. Half of them off on holidays, with 67 new kids stampeding the kitchen, scared, bewildered and afraid - eating garbage off the street, leaves from the trees. I can’t imagine what our original kids went through either. But it couldn’t be helped.

Some guardians had been told lies about us, showed up the next day in revolt, demanding their children. The police were called in. The government declared Majengo the only officially-recognized orphanage in the district. The cooks figured out how much rice to cook. Over 100 mouths to feed per meal, three times a day. We called the staff every morning: Money wired over, food bought, kids checked for HIV AIDS, malaria, lice…washed and scrubbed.

Majengo now supports 114 children. Age 3 up to 14.

But we said: no more, we are at our limit. And then the police bring in baby Anna, age 1 with the skin-drawn, gaunt and wretched body of a 3 month child, wracked with hunger, with 3 days to live. Our cook Adhija takes her home that night, for now and forever, home to her family with five children of her own, bringing her back by day, the whole orphanage, staff and the children, feeding and carrying that little girl around till she is right again…
How can you say no?
January: Matt and I flew over to see for ourselves. I am expecting mayhem… as we drove up, we find our staff lolling under the shade by the outdoor kitchen, laughing, talking, the kids quiet and safe, tucked into their beds…the afternoon nap. The next day, a meeting with the staff, ICA, government officials - each person telling their stories, chuckling now that the worst is over, the kids have settled in.
These kids are happy - little groups squatting in a circle, playing games in the dirt with stones, or swinging, gyrating with a hoola-hoop or racing across the field playing soccer or just sitting around gossiping together, watching the day unwind, happy, relaxed, finally, safe and at home.

Budget day. New stuff needed, recorded, priced: big pots, 40 new plates, cups, bowls, utensils, cleaning products, uniforms, shoes, Vaseline, rice, maise, new toilets, showers, enlarge the outdoor kitchen, build an outdoor dining area. A huge water tank on a tower. An office. It never ends.

Our budget escalates, from $55,000 to $85,000 a year. And we are managing, or I should say, they are managing, well.

WE fly home, and meet up in Warren, Penn. How to pay for it all. There’s no going back, we all have to help out now. I’ve gotten off easy, with Matt taking over a good lot of the operating costs these last two years, but it’s too much to expect, now. I have to do something that I have been avoiding for six years now, applying for charitable status, creating a board, establishing MAJENGO CANADA.

What a long way we’ve come since we saw those 52 kids on the mud floor… thanks to hundreds of people like yourselves, both on this side, in Sweden and in Africa, cheering this little orphanage to become a substantial, healthy and exciting part of rural life in Mto Wa Mbu, Arusha…

Bravo to us all!! Big thank you!

And the pictures…at the top...of the kids at the beginning..of us all now, and of a local painting with the names of so many of you who have helped, from the beginning....

Enjoy!!

2011-03-21T06:59:00.000-07:00

Majengo UPDATES!! March 21...Happy spring...raining out my Toronto window this morning, dark and grey, not exactly spring yet..but hey!

Decided last week not to go over this month as i hoped. I've been over twice in the last 5 months and am going back in October...it is costly and better to save up here and get things done on this side....but still, am dreaming of being there....

I will miss our 2nd Majengo Orphanage anniversary party on April 1 (fools day!), plus the four April dates I was supposed to receive the money my uncle lent, interest free, for a 6 months term to 4 VICOBAS micro-finance groups back in November. I met with them in February...all going exceptionally well. Almost all of the 80 People Living with HIV AIDS who borrowed money had reported a profit in their small businesses during the 3 months time between November to February. They did so well that they were able to register their own children into Secondary School, paying the expensive fees of $650. for the first year.
An exceptional feat!
But consequently, having spent their profits for school fees, they are back to where they started. They asked that the loan be extended for another 6 months. Why not! Since I can't get back until October/November, we extended their loans till that time. More time for them to regain their profits, and for me to be there personally. Great!

Lots of great news from Majengo Orphanage thanks to Peter and Kissa keeping in touch regularly now, our communication issues more or less resolved, despite the difficulties with electrical blackouts, disrupted phone services, etc...

HEALTH:
The 16 kids who got chickenpox in January are well now, with only one small boy suffering. All 77 live-in kids were tested for HIV AIDS on March 5 with only 2 positive! This is incredible considering that most of the kids lost their parents to this terrible disease.

We have one little 5 year old girl, Vailet Alex who came to us in December. Her blood is weak. She is tired, listless..doctors at first treated for malaria which worked for a few weeks, but still the situation stays. They took her to the hospital in Kiratu, but discovered it could be a kidney issue where she will have to be taken to Arusha or Monduli, much bigger hospitals about 2 hours away for further treatment.
Our matron Glory has been away for three weeks now, as her older sister passed away suddenly at the age of 43. Glory thanks the staff and ICA for their wonderful support during this time. Martha, our Majengo treasurer took over the health and well being of the kids, sleeping every night at Majengo, assisted by Witness, our head cleaner. What i find wonderful here is how close the staff work together as a team. When one needs help the others pitch in willingly.

Grayson, our teacher is getting married in June...ICA and Majengo staff offered a portion of their salary to help pay for this wedding...money for the church and party afterwards to be held at Majengo, and just as much to be paid to his fiance's family, as dowry for her hand!

A November 2010 university study by Audrey Crocker from Texas focusing on why the kids from Majengo are winning top academic spots in all classes at Primary school discovered that, according to the staff, it was due to immediate medical access and treatment, followed by good food, loving attention, security and stability.

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS workshop...Saturday, March 19th...our ICA lawyer, Glory conducted a full day workshop with all the live-in kids at Majengo to teach them of their rights: rights to good food, medical needs, education and attentive loving staff and people looking after them. That they should not be beaten; that they must learn to respect each other, and their teachers, and most of all to respect themselves. Back in December 2010, the the 49 new children brought in from corrupt shut down orphanages, clung together with the children from where they came , but within a month they had integrated with all the kids both from the 4 other shut down orphanages or with the 28 kids already living in Majengo.

Even little Anna, our youngest child at Majengo is doing incredibly well. The police dropped her off in January. At 9 months of age she had the sick and weakened body of a seriously malnourished three month old - given three days to live. But Adija, our head cook, scooped her up and declared Baby Anna as her child, taking her home every night to her own family of 5 children. By day, Anna is the little queen of Majengo. Just four weeks later, she is now strong enough to sit up in the middle of a blanket surrounded by her adoring assembly of staff and children - the kids hooking her onto their backs roaring around with her, and she eats nonstop all day. Anna's parents are unavailable to look after her.

Considering privacy rights for Children, we are not allowed to post publicly the history of these children or specifics of what happened to their parents. But basically, every child we have at Majengo is among the most vulnerable and poor in the community, each one totally alone in the world without anyone to look after them - no relatives, neighbours or family friends. But now they are no longer alone. They live as a huge family among 77 other kids with a staff of 18 and another 30 kids sleeping out but spending most days at Majengo with meals and pre schooling. One big happy family. Not the best, of course. But much better than living on the streets, passed from guardian to guardian, with little care, food, medical needs or educational.

Thanks again, everyone out there donating regularly to support these children. Your generosity is making a huge difference! I wish you could see with your own eyes what your dollars are doing, and what just a few weeks of tender loving care can bring. When those new kids arrived in December, they were "scrounging like starved animals", eating anything they could get their hands on: leaves from the trees, mud and garbage from the road. They pushed and shoved at mealtimes, desperate for good food, or any food, eating sometimes 2 or 3 servings at a time!

But now they have settled in. When Matt, Ian and I visited in January they were lining up at mealtime, quietly and in order, not stampeding the kitchen...happy, relaxed and confident now that they were finally home. This could not have been achieved but for the patience and direction of our staff. They work hard to create an atmosphere of love and respect amongst each other and the children - and for their environment. They get together with ICA staff and village leaders twice a month to report challenges, ideas, to clarify job descriptions and needs and decide what is working well, what needs to be helped. The atmosphere we are trying to create is one of respect, love, competence and transparency.

Recently they agreed that Saturday mornings would be set aside for "compound cleanup", where all the staff and kids scour the grounds for garbage and things out of place..to keep their new home clean. Great idea~

Back in February at a huge staff meeting we learned of everything needed at Majengo now that our numbers had catapulted from 28 to 77 live-in kids! Since then, staff and ICA have bought everything on the list: uniforms and shoes, sweaters, school bags, paper, pens, chool and sporting materials, cleanliness items like shampoo, vaseline, soaps, disinfectants, etc...all the new kitchen needs as they went from feeding 40 people 3x a day up to over 100 people!

They have been busy: They finished building a security fence around our three rental houses to keep cows out! and the kids in!! They erected a huge 5,000 litre water reserve tank up onto a tower made of metal posts outside the main house....waiting now for electricity access which should have been hooked up when we paid for it in December.

They had signs made for the highway: "THANK YOU FOR VISITING THE MAJENGO ORPHANAGE", with arrows pointing to the facility and opened a Tourist Information Centre in the ICA offices to inform and attract people to the orphanage to see for themselves what is happening here. Before, corrupt orphanages on the safari route easily lured in tourists by keeping children sick and poor. Now, we hope to encourage those same tourists to visit Majengo and contribute donations into our secured Contribution Box, thus helping those same kids they saw out on the safari route, now being cared for properly. This month we hope to build a small office outside the facility as an Information Centre.

Our 2nd Anniversary party is coming up! April 1.

Two years ago on March 08, 2009, we officially moved 28 children into our newly-renovated facility, from the mud-floored dark and leaking foyer I found them in one year before. And how we have grown! It is so very exciting, and deeply rewarding.

Anyone wanting to help or hear more about Majengo, please email me at lynnconnell@sympatico.ca., or Jamie and Di at our Warren Pennsylvania US offices at majengo@mckissock.com.

On Saturday I ran out to the airport to wave off Ian Ashbaugh, his wife Becky and his parents from Pennsylvania as they fly over to Tanzania - Ian's third visit! They will spend a week at the orphanage helping to build the outdoor dining area and new office, spend time with the kids, maybe a little gardening, and then off on safari! I gave them a computer to pass along to Dr. John who treated me back in November with my shingle thing. He promises, along with Sister Monica at the Catholic Mission next to the orphanage, to take a big part in the ongoing medical health of the kids...

So that's it!
have a great week....

ps: I'm taking a 5 week course on Word Press blogging at CSI Centre for Social Innovation - I am sure we will see a great change in this blog, plus linking it all to Facebook, Twitter...and whatever, i am doing my best to leap into social networking..here goes!!

...and plus plus...i am renovating the top two floors of my house in Toronto's Anex to create the MAJOR STREET B - a B and B but where you have the opportunity to make your own breakfast...anyone interested..please call me: 416-951-6528.

2011-03-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

One month later...in cold rainy grey dark Toronto the good....
I am reading over my blogs of the last few months...got an email from a family member of a recently deceased director of one of the shut down corrupt orphanages imploring me to remove the name in my description of her brother's death, which i did. Now that he is gone, there is no point in naming him directly or dragging any of what happened up again, what was done was done. And i empathize with her, in that this man's children do not need to grow up and read directly of the deeds of their father.
Time to move on...and we all have.
I had no time to write of the last week in Tanzania before coming home...a great few days in Arusha where i met the director and scientist organizing the arrival of 40 international scientists coming from all over the world to inspect what they call Litolia, the feet of a mama, baba and toddler infused into rock near Ngoro Ngoro, a few hours away, reputedly 3 and a half million years old! These feet had been discovered 20 years ago, and for awhile had been uncovered and left to the elements, cracking and fading a little in some parts. Now, covered in moss they were about to be exposed to the best minds in the world to determine exactly how to perserve these feet. It was fascinating and so was this scientist I met at the Lush Garden Hotel.
Back to Mto Wa Mbu...working with Charles on our new brochure for Majengo to distribute to safari tourists at our new Majengo Visitor's Centre, he left the next day for Dar. The next morning beginning a typical day infused with frustration, my frustration, reminding me again and again, the merits of patience...ah....Up early to grab a bus up to Kiratu to the only bank which will spew money through my debit card, and WAIT! the machine is broken.. no money, then on to the ICA offices to meet with 4 Vicoba micro finance groups - the leaders of one are waiting outside under the shade of a tree..the door is padlocked, and after many calls and an hour later, we WAIT, Glory arrives with the key, her fiance had been sick and she'd taken him to the hospital. We get in but still with one group out of 4 represented, we WAIT...No one had told the other 3 groups to come, misunderstanding...we hold the meeting finally. My three canvas suitcases are not in the office as told. They were in the truck which went to the car wash, the bags thrown on the cement floor, and left there by accident...Kissa who is taking Charles' job has grabbed the all day bus to Moshi and back to pick up wired money arriving from the U.S., won't be back till nightfall, cancel meetings. But then...our last afternoon at Majengo:
We gather up all 77 kids and take pictures of them one by one in front of the grey stuccoed wall outside the main orphanage in groups: pre school live in kids, primary 1-2-3-4-5-7...all the live in kids, we take pictures of them alone and in groups, me with the camera and Peter sitting on a stool writing down their names and a description of their clothing: pinky shirt, Snoopie, uniform with shirt hanging out, one pink and one grey flip flop. Then we assemble them together with the staff behind and snap a few, make a little speech about working hard in school, and that we'll be coming back soon, and we love them so much, and we're shaking each little hand, or banging fists and some of us are crying and some of the kids too, little bodies racked with tears pressing up close to our legs, our tummies..it is heartbreaking to say goodbye.
That last night, dinner at Pambazuko the other Children's home with those kids who were rescued way back in 2009 from one of the 'bad' orphanages, the kids i first hung out with before discovering exactly what was going on...They are magnificent. Here we have a family group of 16 growing healthy kids who have been together for years, at first under the direction of corruption, and now at Pambazuko with a great mama and baba looking after them.

WE did magic tricks...three little blackbirds..do you know that one? showing them explicitly how to do it for friends at school....and then teaching them the Bunny Hop which they loved! Great singing and dancing for a few hours, pack up and the next day take off to Arusha with Peter, Kissa, Glory and Hamidu our to buy stuff for Majengo: kitchen and cleaning, all the uniforms, sweaters, shoes...the 5,000 litre rubber water tower tank and metal poles to build the tower, two pumps one to give as a thank you gift to the Catholic Mission next door who run an infirmary for delivering babies and who have been without water for the last three months!! and one for Majengo. What else...down the list...the truck filled with goodies, I stay in Arusha with Peter and the others back to Mto Wa Mbu...we get 1,000 brochures copies for $1 brochure, insane... remind me to bring them over next time from Canada...
And the long trip home...9 hours to Amsterdam...8 more to Toronto.
On the plane a fascinating guy whose an international marketing person, and a determination to drop my prejudices and join Facebook...maybe Twitter, hey why not!!
Time to get serious. We need help!!
Have applied for my Canadian registered charitable status..should get the results within the year. Got to get out there, make presentations, form a Team Canada, get the word out and introduce Majengo to everyone out there who wants to help the little orphanage that grew and grew...
I am so proud of our staff in Africa...if not for them, those 47 new kids would never be integrated so well into Majengo. They were abused, dirty, sad scruffy little stragglers, starving, without medical attention and certainly without attention and love. Today thanks to our staff at the orphanage and at ICA, those kids have come together as one big beautiful family, all 77 who live on our premises.
It is the government's preference to locate children into the community's homes of family, relatives or friends and neighbours rather than in an orphanage setting, so many of the kids coming from the 5 shut down orphanages have been relocated into homes in the community, but who come to Majengo for all three meals and schooling five days a week.

So far so incredibly good....
I write today three weeks after returning from Africa.

Charles is still in Dar, his father suffering a series of strokes, I wish his family all my love.
Kissa has taken over his job in Mto Wa Mbu, with Peter and Glory at ICA working with our staff at Majengo, daily visits, shopping, financial accounting, one on one meetings with the children. Helping with cooking, cleaning, we have lost two of our Masai girls who have gone back to their villages, Mayunga and Raymond, our government leaders on the lookout to hire more staff.
Sixteen kids and Peter got the chickenpox..a few have had malaria since i came home, with visits to Sister Monica at the Catholic mission next door. All good. They've added a snack at 11am for the little ones, in preschool...fixed the broken table and bunk bed...expanded the outdoor kitchen, built the tower for the water reserve tank, still waiting for the electrical hook up which we paid for in December. Shelves have been built and installed in house one and two, a fence now surrounds the compound. Our three watchment have uniforms, boots and a set of bows and arrows, instead of the guns they originally asked for, and flashlights. Done. A tailor has sewed uniforms for all 114 kids, shoes have been bought, sweaters and school bags. What else?

Money ran out to build the new Visitor's office outside Majengo and the outdoor dining room facility with the thatched roof and tables and benches for 100 people...waiting...

Just came back from a great three days in Warren...thank you to Pam at the McKissock offices working with me all day Wednesday on our new brochure..thanks to Maxine, Nancy and Judy for editing back in Toronto. A great dinner in the basement of the Presbyterian church and afterwards a presentation with a few slides and Matt and I up there talking about Majengo, those folks planning a mission visit in 18 months with 15 or so members of the church. By then we should be in the throws of building our own brand new orphanage facility, as our leases run out in 2013 for the three houses we now use. Jamie, Ian, Matt and all the folks at Warren Majengo, what a great team. We're planning an Art Auction/Majengo catch up in June, followed by my giving a two day art workshop geared for absolute beginners all the way up to advanced painters...fun, easy, informative, fast moving...using all kinds of medium: paint, charcoal, pastel, paste, collage, coffee!! Hope to get lots of would be painters out there for that workshop..all proceeds to Majengo!
RE organized our budgets and wiring of money to ICA Tanzania...way more efficient, with monthly financial statements and narration of the kids due before monies are sent across. Much clearer and easier for Kissa there, and great for us to receive monthly updates. Ah...we move along slowly, but as my friend Nancy up here in Toronto said last week, the amount work achieved by everyone re Majengo in three short years is astonishing, considering the distance across continents, difficulty in communication, differences in cultures, language, perceptions, ideas, finances, illnesses, deaths...... Incredible!

Ian is going back mid March, with his wife Becky, his parents and aunt, for a week of safari and another working with the kids at the orphanage. I am as aways tempted to go over! We are having our 2nd anniversary party over there on March 25, a huge triumph! especially with all our new kids and staff...and i am supposed to be there April 8 and 12 to pick up the loan money from the 4 micro finance groups...we shall see............

Till then....thanks to Judy Steed I'm doing three presentations at the Central & in downtown Toronto in the next month, with kids from their youth group and at a couple of big adult groups. Open and available to talk to everyone, and anyone..please call me!
Or email: lynnconnell@sympatico.ca.

Lots of love to you all....it is almost spring!
xxLynn

2011-02-03T23:07:00.000-08:00

JAMBO!! Expansion of Majengo Orphanage...
Jambo jambo jambo!! Finally i am able to get a moment to write to you, after an outstanding week with Matt and Ian here in Mto Wa Mbu visiting our Majengo Orphanage for the very first time to see for ourselves how it is since the government shut down 5 corrupt orphanages on the safari route and brought all 67 new kids to us the same day! Back home when this happened i had visions of uncontrollable mayham, and have to say I expected to see mobs of unruly kids with overworked staff worn down, all of them from the overloading of resources and facilitiles, spent and exhausted.
But I was wrong. That which I couldn't imagine possible to accomplish back home has been done here beautifully, and done well. And, it should be noted, without without our 'help' and 'assistance', thanks hugely to our local ICA group on the ground steerheaded by project coordinator supreme Charles Luoga, and his team of Peter, Glory, Kissa and Hamidu, the local village leaders Mayunga and Raymond and of course our wonderful Majengo staff.

What a relief and thrill to see for ourselves that first day visiting Majengo, to find the whole place filled with children, laughing, playing football and games of catch, throwing the frizbies, with little groups crouched down in circles taking turns at a game tossing pebbles into a rectangular system of little holes dug into the ground - like checkers. Some swinging up and down on swings or whirling around with hula hoops, or just hanging out in groups together, the older boys lounging under a tree acting cool and giggling girls dancing about, strolling along, holding hands, whispering amongst themselves. And the staff...greeting us, hugely smiling with warm welcomes and happy that we were there, shaking hands, introducing us to new staff, hugging hellos... Grayson, one of our teachers who has been with us from the beginning..hugging him with all my might whispering in his ear "oh my God, how has it been for you, are you okay?" both of us laughing and crying at the same time...the three Masai girls fresh out of fourth form secondary school examinations, huddling together as young girls do, gossiping and fixing their hair, some turning away as we approach, so painfully shy, and all of them, so beautiful...
I had been so worried back home.
We'd gone from a manageable, well-organized group of 28 kids living in, with another 20 or so living out, to a total now of 114 children - 75 living on site with 40 more kids living outwith relatives or friends, supported by Majengo. It is unfathomable to me how this group of people pulled it off, but they did, and did well. We held a huge staff meeting the very next day under a group of trees at the back of the compound while the children bedded down for their afternoon naps; we've added 8 new staff to our numbers, totalling 16 people: Killo and Martha, our sec and treas. who oversee everything, 4 cooks, 2 main cleaners assisted by 3 aforementioned Masai girls we've been supporting through secondary school for the last four years (thanks! Peg and Marion!), our 2 pre-school teachers Grayson and Glory, and 3 watchmen. We sat around in a huge circle, with Raymond, the village chairman solemnly opening this meeting with a one minute silent remembrance of two of our first founding donors, Tom Eberhardt and his wife Elinor from Minnesota who were killed last month while flying their small plane to a family New Years reunion in Texas. Then everyone spoke, one by one, describing how it was for them when these new kids arrived...

They'd been waiting and ready since November.
Back then, Jamie Bee from Warren and I made a trip over to help rent, renovate and refurbish two additional houses for the new kids we'd heard might come from a couple of orphanages on the main safari route. Maybe 20 kids we were told, and at that time we thought that was a lot. We had no idea what to expect. Glory, our teacher describes it like being a soldier standing ready and waiting for war to begin, waiting and waiting, but for weeks nothing happened.
And then all of a sudden, between Xmas and New Years, within a two-day period and without a moment's notice, a fleet of government trucks pulled up and poured 67 new kids onto our doorstep, filthy and dirty covered barely in tattered rags, poor, sick and hungry, a few carrying scarf-wrapped bundles of clothing, a crumpled photograph, a pen, a pencil, but most came empty-handed.

One thing was for sure, every one of these little kids were scared to death not knowing what in earth was happening to them.

The operation had been done swiftly in the early morning, the government health and legal officials sweeping in with official documents, rounding up the kids, and bringing them to Majengo. Guardians of each child were informed of the relocation by local government leaders, but lied to by former directors of the five shut down orphanages who incited them with rumours that their kids were being held in an unsafe place without food and proper care. The next day a large group of guardians descended on Majengo to take back their kids. Police were brought in with government social workers checking identification of guardians and children to verify that each child was indeed a vulnerable orphan in need of assistance, and not a director's relative padding the numbers in his orphanage to better lure in tourists.

Eventually our numbers decreased from the initial 67 kids down to a more manageable number of 43 live in new children adding to the 28 we already have, plus 40 kids living out. The whole thing adds up to 114 little kids for which we are responsible, between the ages of 9 months and 14 years - the most vulnerable and destitute of the lot.
While I am at it, we learned a few days later that the government's preference and intention is to always support orphaned children within their own community in homes of relatives and neighbours, and only in the most dire cases with kids with no one in the world to support them, will they license children into an orphanage setting. Consequently 40 of the children initially brought to us were taken back into their community, with an arrangement that we donors of the Majengo orpananage, would do our best to support them and their families with basic needs: food, medicine, uniforms and educational costs.
Story after story that bright sunny afternoon, each one fascinating in itself, and all recollected with knowing nodding of heads and great communal hilarity - easy to laugh at in retrospect - of the immense onslaught of filth and dirt, desperation, confusion, exhaustion and behavioural problems experienced in those first days - these new children stampeding the kitchen at mealtime, pushing and shoving to get at food and gobbling down great amounts of it, coming back for seconds and thirds, pretending it was their first time. In between meals, they ate everything we were told: leaves off the trees, flowers and even mud and garbage off the road - so impoverished and starved were they from the diet of their former homes. Our cooks went crazy at the beginning. Hadija and Nuruanna assisted by everyone who could help: our sec and treasurer, the cleaners and teachers and even our ICA staff raced over to help - the men pushing up their sleeves and working alongside the women, shockingly for African custom, men doing 'woman's work'! We hired two more cooks, Saumu and Mariam, along with everyone clocking 12 hour days, chopping, cooking and feeding over 100 people at each meal, three times a day, every day!
Ordering food was impossible getting the right amounts...the daily run became an hourly event, racing off to the market buying more and more rice, maise, cooking oil, flour in bulk, our carefully planned budget ricocheying (sp) out of control, with regular visits to the ICA office asking for more and more money....and how to plan menus? These new kids had never tasted meat, chicken, vegetables, fruit, eggs ever at their former orphanages, their diet consisting of porriage gruel and corn, now blown away by new foods and tastes, lots of them, consistently, and three meals a day.

And how about the heaps and mounds of washing...endless lines of t shirts, pants, skirts, underwear, blouses, shirts and uniforms pegged up together alongside three households of billowing sheets and towels blowing hot under the bright African sun. Let alone scrubbing years of filth off the kids, and keeping the houses and grounds clean. Hats off to Witness and Janet, our 2 main cleaners and Tatu, Aziza and Mwanahamisi, the three Masai girls brought in to help with the crisis. The work was, and is endless...

On top of it all, these new kids hadn't been given a chance to learn right from wrong, or taught responsibility and respect for properties. Things were being broken, beds, tables with kids jumping up and hanging from the shower spout pulling it down, toilets with cracked pipes spewing a misty haze of water across freshly-washed bathroom floors. One of the boys leaping from one bunk bed to the next crashing down into an accordian of rumpled sheets, matresses and broken splintered timber. Sec Killo in charge of maintenance throwing his arms in the air. Freshly, planted trees and flowers yanked from carefully-tended raised beds, to the immense frustration of very helpful German volunteers Berndt and his wife Rosie who'd come for a few hours and stayed now for 3 months, toiling each morning adding special lovin and hugs to the kids. Agh!! they describe over beers at the Carwash...they too throwing their arms in the air...oh, the mayhem!
But everyone couldn't stop talking about the great changes they'd seen in the children in such a short four weeks - scrubbed clean and shining, they were flourishing. Bright open happy smiling faces. They lined up at mealtime quietly awaiting their turn, confident now that there would be enough for everyone. Our youngest, little Anna, at 9 months, so weakened by lack of food and care she had the body of a very sick, on-the-verge-of-death three month infant. Today, even scarily small and frail, she smiles easily in the arms of her new mama our cook Hadija, with the strength to sit by herself.

Every staff person began their talk with heart-felt thanks to God and all the donors out there who have given them this opportunity to work at this incredible place, never complaining about the burden of all this extra work. Big thanks always to the ongoing support of our families and friends across the United States, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Australia. Know that your generous donations through the years have enabled these children who stand up in class with: "thank you for giving us a chance". Matt gifted a nice bonus to each staff member for their hard work, reiterating our requirements for each one of them: absolute and complete honesty, competence in their jobs, hard working and above all, they had to love these kids as their own.

We made a list of needs: Saidi our watchman asking for uniforms, shoes, flashlights and 30 bows and arrows for his two new security guards, Laiza and Maulidi; our cooks a long list of monster pots for cooking rice, maize, ugali, 6 water jugs, chipati frying pans, basins and pails for washing up, utensils for 100 people, plates, bowls, spoons...spatulas, wooden sticks..the list is endless. Our cleaners need mops, brooms, boxes of detergent, soap, aprons, rubber gloves, even gum boots...field trips and parties four times a year with goats, special food with an eye for both Christian and Muslim celebrations, our food costs tripling, medical visits to the hospital for malaria and HIV AIDS tests, an outbreak of chicken pox with 16 little smiling faces covered in spots...and good, ongoing medical care thanks to a great relationship with Sister Monica and the Catholic mission with regulaar visits to their infirmary right next door...

The list continues, with Grayson and Glory asking for primary and pre school text books, exercise books for all 114 kids, pencils, pens, reems of paper, bicycles, tricycles and sports things for the playground..ah what else...a 5,000 litre water reserve tower and tank, kitchen scales, an outdoor dining area for 100 people, with metal poles holding up a thatched grass roof, tables and benches, shelving for 8 bedrooms, bulk food storage, and office and a kitchen expansion....plus a TV, DVD player for Walt Disney, and radios....later...

We have no electricity as of yet, we paid for the hookup in December for all three houses, but so far they are operating in pitch darkness every night after 7pm, getting 77 kids ready for bed by flashlight...and yet we are assured as always, it will come, just be patient, wait!
Ah...patience...wait, just wait....for us A type North Americans not so easy....
Why? why can't they just do it? What is the problem? But always it is, wait, just wait....
Ah....om...whatever it takes to relieve the stress, and yet...one week into Africa and my nasty November case of shingles begin to itch, just a little, Monday...I get to the doctor yesterday morning just within the 72 hour limit for anti virals...this time it is very mild, only a few rosters making their way along my nervous system and dancing, as they say in Africa, always in waiting if you have had chickenpox to erupt into a full fledged very painful bout, but thanks to Dr. John i have fended it off this time...breathe.....

It is over access to money, always, over money and the lack of it here. Not there hopefully, here. If you don't bring it over in US dollars...you can't depend on your ATM card to work..it may, or it may not. And mine works only at one bank in the whole of Tanzania and always a challenge to get to that bank - one branch of which is mobile. So when i am desperate, which is a constant, we race from village to village to catch this truck on banking days, to withdraw yet another bundle of Tanzanian shillings. I never have enough and always need more. We transfer from Canada or America easily to our ICA Moshi headquarters account, but it can take a week, and then a few days to get it down into Mto Wa Mbu Majengo, and always, when i am here in times of transition, or crisis, I need it now!! Hence the dancing shingles, not good for my system - so next time I will come prepared!
Oh my gawd!! day two of writing this..
Yesterday steaming happily along and wham!! the electricity crashed. Blackout!!!
I lost a whack of writing, it is so very frustrating...but you just sit quietly, if you can, and breatheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

Just posted the above part..hope you can read it..and thanks to everyone out there sending me emails...sorry for the quick responses and hope you have a moment to sit back and read a bit of this.. Where was I with yesterday's lost writing..?
Reflecting, this was an incredible week, an exuberent little group of us this time: Matt, myself and Ian, his second time and one of the main movers and shakers at Warren Majengo Foundation, a big bear of a man encompassing a very gentle soul, comforting, quiet, watchful and listening, savouring early morning walks with an eye to the opening skies, a big heart skipping with each exotic bird sweeping across the horizon, and always his Nikon ready. I can't wait to see the photos he will bring back home - a great little group, Matt, Ian and I, a steady flow of laughs, provoking discussions, observations, and lots of bantering with me taking the brunt I might add, all in good fun, thanks to the 'boy's club' of Matt, Ian and Charles - Africa is a man's world still...disconserting to me that around a table of all men and me, I was invariably the last one served, the last one to whom the waitress comes around at the end of the meal, to pour hot water over sticky fingers...no offence, but, when in Rome...ladies last!

The meeting with the heads of government, last Friday, with Matt, Ian and I, Charles along with Mayunga and Raymond, our two local political leaders who have helped us immensely in the day to day running of the orphanage, bumping along in his Land Cruiser with driver Abdul into Monduri district, the seat of govermental officials. Representing the president of Tanzania was District Commissioner Jowika Kasunga, along with his District Executive Dirctor, the Chairman council officer, the Community development chairman and their government social worker Dennis who has since moved into Mto Wa Mbu specifically assigned to work with the children at Majengo.
Kasaunga welcomed and thanked us for taking on the responsibility of the children coming out of the 5 shut down orphanages, confirming the government's position to work with us at Majengo, to validate this orphanage as the only governmentally approved orphanage in the entire district, and to put his stamp of approval on how we were looking after the children. It is a great honour to our staff and ICA that we have been given this responsibility, after much inspection and official visits from this government. My turn next to describe how Majengo started in March 2008, visiting 52 little orphaned kids squeezed into a damp and dark mud- floored foyer, leaking and without furniture with one lone teacher in charge of this makeshift daycare. The kids had been gathered and brought there by neighbours around Majengo district; some had been living on dusty roads, begging food along the way, without a place to call home. Farmer's wives volunteered time and a bit of food for noonday meals - basically the only meal those kids could count on all day. Back then, along with ICA, we made a commitment to help, went home and thanks to all of you out there in Canada, raised $25,000 to renovate and furnish a nearby building with bunk beds, tables, benches, and school desks.
One year later i got a call from Matt McKissock from Warren, Penn to rent our family cottage, we got talking about Majengo and incredibly a few months later, he and two friends flew over to to see for themselves...and miraculously, two weeks later, Matt joined Majengo with a resounding commitment to fund our operational costs for one year.
Now, it was Matt's turn to speak..
Well, you have to know i love this guy...we've known each other for two years now, and not only has he opened Warren Majengo Foundation to fund our operating costs, he is frightenly smart, a person of his word, ethical, humble (his friend ian would have something to say about that!), self-depreciating, an incredibly creative businessman, passionately committed to Majengo, very funny with great wit and smart alec comebacks, this guy is a magician too!
Both he and Ian enchanted and entranced with juggling and magic tricks, disappearing coins and yellow silk handkerchiefs everywhere we went, attracting mobs of kids and adults alike, awestruck.
Fast forward and skipping back to our government meeting far away from the land of mystical magic, Matt takes the floor scrolling through his IPAD and landing onto a picture of his two children, Jacqueline and Jake. As we sat their wondering what he was up to by introducing his kids, who, he said, have everything in the world they need, maybe not what they want, but what they need, that he hoped and intended to provide these 114 children of Majengo the same opportunities as he would his own children - not just now, but over the long run, through primary and secondary school, and even on to university or trade schools depending on each child's ability and direction. To look after them as best we can, to provide them their basic needs, with good nutritional food, a good clean healthy place in which to call home staffed by people who genuinely care about them, with regular medical checkups and treatment, with all the things needed educationally to help them excel in this world..these children who have seen enough in their short lives, lived through such horror, and abandonment, loss, starvation, abuse..now it is our utmost intention to give them a chance at a life.
I can't possibly reiterate what Matt said that day but i would have killed to have had his talk on video. The government leaders sat in rapt silence listening, and at the end the head of the Monduri government, Mr. Kasunga, admitted to being speechless, with vitually little he could say to come close to the sparkling eloquence of our dear Matt. Oh. as I am writing this with all honesty, I know that Matt will read it someday, and in the back of my mind I do wish he were here for me to flash back a witty smart alec remark of my own to catapult him back to reality. But secretly, between you and me, this guy shone brilliantly that day.

We shook to the government's confirmed ownership of the Majengo orphanage, to their promise to assist in any way they can, and with a firm commitment on both sides to make this work in whatever way possible, finalizing it all in sweet African collaboration: "We are together".

And lastly, the workshop that would determine in merciless black and white exactly what we were up against - budget day Saturday. We gathered upstairs at the Zanzibar that hot sunny day, each one of us armed with reems of paper, estimates, our calculators, with lap tops ready on excel. Hour by tedious slow hour, beginning with food. How many kg. of rice in one bag, how many bags per week, per month...and on it went, for maize, flour, sugar, cooking oil, vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, eggs each item discussed and meticulously entered into the ledger, monthly, annually. Uniforms, sweaters, shoes, sports shoes, flip flops, girl's special underwear, playclothes; the array of kitchen and cleaning needs, the cleanliness list of disinfectant, soaps, toothpaste and brushes, how and how often..medical, house visits, travel, parties and field trips, education needs, salaries, communication, breakdowns, maintenance, whatever. Monthly, yearly, contingency.
Simply put. WE NEED HELP!! Our budget has easily doubled, more so. I have applied to the Canadian government for Charitable NGO status, Majengo Canada, with all my legal fees generously covered by Brian Iler, of Iler Campbell Law Firm...thanks Brian! We are reaching out further now, to family, friends and their families and friends, corporations, foundations, anyone willing to help us make the dreams of these 114 children come true.
Majengo website: http://www.majengo.org/
This blog...emails or phone calls to Warren Majengo Foundation or me when i get back to Canada, so incredibly gratefully received.
I dont' know what else to say. But that we are determined not to let this slip...it will happen, and we can do it, but we need your help!
Matt came up with a great idea to open a Visitor's Information Centre in Mto Wa Mbu, to invite safari tourists to visit Majengo, this time set up with a metal contribution box equiped with 3 padlocks: one for ICA, one for the village govt, and one for Majengo. We hope, that while before safari tourists unknowingly poured thousands of dollars into the pockets of corrupt orphanage directors, that money will now be directed to help those same children, but this time each penny going straight into the Majengo coffers for the needs of the children.

Budget day. I am a basket case by the time it was over, my brain stretched and exploding.
And still we weren't finished.
Day after day we worked with the details. How about an English teacher, how much does this cost? The outdoor dining area, the water reserve tank, text books? Uniforms for the watchmen? What is necessary, now? What can wait? Endless figuring, on and on, detail after excruciating detail, changing, crunched up wads of discarded numbers, adding up the whole thing again, starting over...
We drive Matt and Ian to the airport.
En route we meet Doris and Joseph, our Tanzanian ICA directors for a last stop goodbye dinner, cementing our relationship between the donors in Canada and the U.S., ICA Tanzania, the village government leaders and the orphanage. Abdul rushes them off to the airport....
And I head back to Arusha...4 days now, a bit of a holiday away from Mto Wa Mbu and the mind-numbing budgets... off to a new hotel, the Lush Garden, wonderfully quiet, clean and not at all expensive, a little European in its way with spanking white duvet covers, tiled bathrooms with strong hot showers, a pharmacy, hairdresser, restaurants and shops across the street and right next door this brilliant internet cafe...bliss!!!
And now i bid adieu!
It is strange writing this thing...you have no idea out there who might be reading it, maybe no one! but it gives me great comfort to share my thoughts and ideas, and especially the summary of last week...the ongoing saga of the little orphanage that grew and grew...Majengo, in Swahili this means "a building up"....
and thanks to all of you who have helped make that happen...

big hugs....till again.....Lynn
ps...i'm heading back home by the weekend...give me a call!

2011-01-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!! a freezing cold day in icy grey Toronto as I squeeze the last few things into my bag. Packed and ready to go!
Very exciting..
Three huge black duffel bags with wheels, $15. at Kensington market a total find! Maxine and i for two days...first of all at the Goodwill on 'half price' Friday! Max at one end and me at the other the cart in between, we had a blast! Incredible kid's clothing, great quality and so cheap, unbelievable. Four big garbage bags later we are out of there, back home, rolling and packing. Oh and the other great thing, my good friend Sylvia Safdie's son Dov owner of American Apparel shipped 250 t shirts up last week, printed on the back MAJENGO...packed.
You get two bags under 50lbs. I have three...with one overweight, but it's worth it..88 little kids over there with almost no clothing! we are desperate...!!
The other great thing..i've spent all week back and forth with Jeff at McKissock on the email, writing, gathering bios, photos, newspaper clippings and today, finally! Got them into my lawyer up here as our MAJENGO CANADA Charitable Registration application..yeah!! we have a board of 5 amazing people...all ready to go once we get approved..keep your fingers crossed. If i get it, we will be able to offer tax receipts on every dollar donated - a huge benefit to us, and to you!

Sister Sue from the Catholic mission just called to tell me they have a few thousand dollars collected for me when i get back....and a safe and wonderful bon voyage! Yes!!

Meeting Matt and Ian at the airport at 2...this is a huge trip for all of us..short..with Matt and Ian only one week, but what a week it will be...
Meeting Doris, director head of ICA Tanzania for breakfast Wed am to iron out both of our responsibilities and finances for the orphanage, with Charles...and on to Mto Wa Mbu. Meetings set up with the government people..got to get our numbers down. They brought 60 children to us a few weeks ago...but we can realistically only look after 40 new kids as well as our 28, well. We've want a GREAT orphanage, not a big one! Some of those kids were brought down to MtoWaMbu from cities and villages hours away to pad the director's pockets...some weren't orphans..and others have guardians living hours away who should be taken back to their home towns, and put into orphanages there. It makes sense.
We are now looking after 117 children....88 living in, and the rest out, but being supported by us with educational needs, uniforms, medicine, etc....too much!!

So government meetings...but right away off to Majengo to be with the kids...to see for ourselves how it is, how these new kids are coping...they have been abused for years by corrupt directors, malnutrition...poor health...but a few months down the road i know they will improve. I'm told these kids are so very happy! Huge smiles on their faces...love being together with all the other children of the orphanages, 5 of them, that were shut down. And what about our first kids..the 28 living in with us for almost 2 years! How are they adjusting with the 'invasion'...oh it will be amazing...
And our staff..how are they, cooking and cleaning for 100 people now every meal...3 x a day! With three houses, not one. I can't imagine.
And school..how many at our pre school now? We have Glory and Grayson teaching, but do we need a fewmore teachers? How many going to primary down the road. What are their needs: uniforms, sweaters, shoes..school bags for 100 kids! Shocking!
But we will do it...
I am thrilled Matt could take the time off work...that Ian is coming to shoot wondeful pictures of the kids..their new houses..
I can't wait to see Charles, and Peter...everyone there...so much to see, and learn and talk about..and finally, budget time....up until now, $41,000 annually for about 55 kids and 12 staff...and now...double that? we shall see! And oh, we paid for electricity in all three houses a few weeks ago...will there be light?
Got to run..a few minutes to go....
Next time..from hot sunny Tanzania....
Take care...talk soon....xxLynn

2011-01-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

To those who have generously donated toward the huge expansion of our Majengo Orphanage...!!!!! With your help, we have raised $8, 685. up here in Canada over the last few weeks, and I can't thank you enough for supporting us at this very critical time.

As I have written the last few blog posts, the Tanzania government shut down 5 corrupt orphanages on the safari route through the middle of our village, three weeks ago, and dropped off 60 new kids to be added to our orphanage! In many cases these kids have been badly abused, neglected and intentionally kept sick and poor in order to lure in more tourist dollars.

We now add these 60 new live in kids to our current 28 children - between the ages of 9 months and 13 years - totaling 88 living in children we now look after. (plus an additional 20 children living-out with relatives, assisted by us either with educational needs, food, medicine, etc. ) Totalling well over 100 children! Plus staff!

Your contribution will go a long way to helping pay for:
Food, shoes, uniforms, medicine, educational fees, basic needs....!!

This is an emergency....
And a triumph too, that the Government of Tanzania closed down 5 corrupt orphanages on the safari route., and entrusted those kids to us.
Preparations:
We opened and renovated two new houses next to our main facility, in October.
We built 17 bunk beds per house, with new sheets, blankets, mosquito nets and mattresses.
We've moved 25 kids into each house...both with a mama matron.
We're operating out of one outdoor kitchen, with 4 cooks, creating 300 meals a day.
4 cleaners, to wash sheets, clothing, houses and kids.
2 teachers dealing with with 43 preschoolers.
A secretary and treasurer who pull it all together, pitch in and do everything.
2 security guards.

This has become a massive undertaking, and scares me to death!
TODAY’S UPDATE:
I am going over with Matt (see below) for a couple of weeks, leaving January 24th.
I’m in touch with Majengo everyday, they have hired 4 new people to keep up with the unbelievable demand of work, especially cooking and cleaning for 88 children, 14 staff day after day, week after week!! I can't imagine!
We will work on budgets, who and how many kids are going to what schools? Measuring uniforms. Shoes. General clothing.. How many in our in-house pre school?
Do we have to hire more teachers?
Pictures, bios, histories of the new kids.
I toss around all night worrying about this, but from them, I'm told that they are coping!
That the kids are happy, with huge smiles on their faces!
But it must be crazy.
I'm dying to get over there and see it for myself.

BACKGROUND:
In March 2007 I was taken to see 52 little kids, all orphaned by HIV AIDS, on a mud floor foyer, one small window, no furniture, leaking roof with pools of water here and there.
One teacher, Grayson.
The neighbours pulled this daycare together, bringing in bits of food for lunch, the women cooking over a fire in the back yard. One outdoor toilet, a hole in the ground.
Together with local NGO, ICA TANZANIA, we decided to take this on.
We found an unfinished house down the road to fix up.

In 2007-8, thanks to the 250 people who helped out, we raised $25,000 to renovate and furnish this house - we have it for 4 years, rent free.
So engrossed to get Magengo up and running, I wasn’t thinking, staff, food, education, medicine, upkeep!
Operating costs!
Matt McKissock of Warren, Pennsylvania called to rent our cottage that summer three days before I was leaving for Africa.
He was fascinated. What are you doing? How many kids? Tell me more!!
With the cottage contract, I sent pictures of the children we hoped to help.
He fired back a cheque for $500.
Over that weekend, he became obsessed. He couldn’t get those kids out of his mind.
On Monday, he called three times: what were the operating costs??
I had no idea.
We didn’t know how many kids, how much staff, cost of food, uniforms, shoes...I would know when I got over there.
He kept calling. Tuesday, Wednesday. Could I come down to Pennsylvania. No.
Who was this guy?
Finally. I told him, if you are so interested in Africa....why don’t you come and see for yourself!!! Right! I left for Tanzania Wednesday night.

One month later, he arrived with two friends, for one week, with 8 duffle bags stuffed with everything we asked for: computers, clothes, shoes, school materials, maps, ABC charts.
They met the kids, played, sang, and did juggling tricks, got to know the staff, village leaders, our ICA local organizers....and made a movie.
Matt went home and made a commitment.
To raise funds with family and friends, to cover our operating costs!!

When I got that email, I bawled my eyes out!
$41,000 a year! 28 kids living in; 25 living out but coming to our pre school with breakfast, lunch and dinner. At that time 10 staff. And these wonderful people were committed to supporting us fully, not just now, but for the years to come.

WE demand four things from our staff: to love the children, 100% honesty, competence and to be hard working. We pay them well, and support their own children’s education.
Up until now things have been running smoothly.
But with 60 new kids!!
It is a HUGE DEAL, Our budget will double this year.

I have promised Matt that I will help...and again, for those of you who sent checks, I thank youy so much!! Every bit counts, believe me! I am in the process of applying for Charitable Registration in Canada. So that soon I hope to be able to offer tax receipts.
But until then, I can not.

For anyone who wants to help out, please send checks payable to:
Lynn Connell, 284 Major St. Toronto, ONt, Canada M5S 2L6

and in the United States, where they CAN provide tax receipts:
The Warren Majengo Foundation, 218 Liberty Street, Warren, Pennsylvania. 16365.

TEAM MAGENGO:
Majengo is a hands on operation in Tanzania...There are no ‘middle men’.
Every cent we raise here goes straight to the children..

I am putting together a group of people here in Canada who would like to get more intimately involved: to get the word out, to help with fundraising, to help organize speaking engagements, to involve their families and friends. WE need all the help we can get!! Please call me if you are interested! It is the most important and worthwhile work I have ever been lucky enough to be part of.

I wish you all the very best in the new year...and again, thank you so much for helping to change the lives of these 88 little people...truly...I wish you could come over to visit yourself!
And if you can...please call me!! 416-951-6528.

Please pass this along to friends....if I could do a slide show presentation at any of your organizations, groups, friends, let me know!!!

XxxLynn
The picture above is of the new kids who just arrived from the corrupt orphanages.
How different they look from pictures we have posted of our 28 live in kids who have been with us for 2 and a half years...thank you again!

And on a very sad and sober note...
I've just learned that TomEberhardt and his wife Elenor and their dog, while flying in their small plane from Minnesota to Texas the day before new years..to visit family...went down in a farmer's field, with all killed. I am devastated...

Tom and Elenor gave us $6,000 right at the beginning to rebuild and renovate our orphanage facility....he belonged to the Rotary Club...keeping them in touch with everything we have been doing...even the night before the crash, he stood up at a meeting andtold them ofour expansion, the government shut downs...
He had promised to finance our new facility to be built by 2013....a commitment he made to Charles and I on one of his visits up here toToronto...how terribly sad...
Tom and Elinor will be in my heart forever..such wonderful people and i extend my deepest wishes to their family and friends....I am so so sorry......

2010-12-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

TODAY'S UPDATE and THANK YOU LETTER!!
thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
for your generous donation toward the expansion of our Majengo Orphanage...!!!!!
I was blown away!!

Your money will go a long way to helping with the 60 new kids which have been added to our already 28 living in, plus staff! Total 100!
Food, shoes, uniforms, medicine, education, basic needs....!!

This is an emergency....
And a triumph too, that the Government of Tanzania closed down 5 corrupt orphanages on the safari route.
And entrusted those kids to us.
Preparations:
We opened and renovated two new houses next to our main facility, in October.
WE built 17 bunk beds per house, with new sheets, blankets, mosquito nets and mattresses.
WE have 25 kids per house...with a mama matron in each.
With one outdoor kitchen, 4 cooks, creating 300 meals a day.
4 cleaners, to wash sheets, clothing, houses and kids.
2 teachers with 43 preschoolers.
A secretary and treasurer who pull it all together, pitch in and do everything.
2 security guards.

This has become a massive undertaking, and scares me to death!

UP UNTIL NOW:
a bit of background....

In 2007-8, I raised $25,000 to renovate and furnish our original Majengo facility, thanks to the 250 people who helped out!

So engrossed to get Magengo up and running, I wasn’t thinking, staff, food, education, medicine, upkeep! Operating costs!
Matt McKissock of Warren, Pennsylvania called to rent our cottage that summer three days before I was leaving for Africa.
He was fascinated. What are you doing? How many kids? Tell me more!!
With the cottage contract, I sent pictures of the children we hoped to help.
He fired back a cheque for $500.
Over that weekend, he became obsessed. He couldn’t get those kids out of his mind.
On Monday, he called three times: what were the operating costs??
I had no idea.
We didn’t know how many kids, how much staff, cost of food, uniforms, shoes...I would know when I got over there.
He kept calling. Tuesday, Wednesday. Could I come down to Pennsylvania. No.

Who was this guy?

Finally. I told him, if you are so interested in Africa....why don’t you come and see for yourself!!! Right!

I left for Tanzania that Wednesday night.

One month later, he arrived with two friends, for one week, with 8 duffle bags stuffed with everything we asked for: computers, clothes,shoes,school materials.
He met the kids, played, sang, and did juggling tricks, met the staff, village leaders, my ICA local organizers....and made a movie.
He went home and made a commitment.
To raise funds with family and friends, to pay for our operating costs!! And these wonderful people were committed to supporting us fully, not just now, but for the years to come. With the intention of supporting all these kids all the way through, secondary school, high school, even university. To really make a difference, to change the lives radically of hundreds of children. Who now have a chance.

It was a miracle.

When I got that email, I bawled my eyes out!
$41,000 a year! 28 kids living in; 25 living out but coming to our pre school with breakfast, lunch and dinner. At that time 10 staff.

WE demand four things from our staff: to love the children, 100% honesty, competence and hard working. We pay them well, and support their own children’s education.
Up until now things have been running smoothly.

But with 60 new kids!!
It is a HUGE DEAL, that the government has closed down corruption and entrusted us with those children.
But our budget will double this year.

I have promised Matt that I will help...
I am in the process of applying for Charitable Registration. So that soon I hope to be able to offer tax receipts. But until then, I can not.

TEAM MAGENGO:
Majengo is a hands on operation in Tanzania...There are no ‘middle men’.
Every cent we raise here goes straight to the children..
I am putting together a group of people here in Canada who would like to get more intimately involved: to get the word out, to help with fundraising, to help organize speaking engagements, to involve their families and friends. WE need all the help we can get!! Please call me if you are interested! It is the most important and worthwhile work I have ever been lucky enough to be part of.

I wish you all the very best in the new year...and again, thank you so much for helping to change the lives of these 88 little people...truly...I wish you could come over to visit yourself!
And if you can...please call me!!

XxxLynn
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE, in CANADA: cheques payable to
Lynn Connell
284 Major St. Toronto. Ont. M5S 2L6, Canada.

In USA where you will get a tax receipt!cheques payable to
Majengo Foundation
218 Liberty St., Warren, Pennsylvania. USA 16365

BLOG: I am in touch with Majengo every week...and post updates on my blog....
lynnconnell.blogspot.com.

2010-12-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

BIG THANKS!!!!
Thanks to the many people who responded to my last fundraising quest!

You are helping to change the lives of 118 little kids.. all orphaned by HIV AIDS…day by day….with their basic needs: food, medicine, education, clothing, uniforms, staff, shoes….

WE have raised almost $5, in two weeks with more promised…
Remember: every bit counts….

BEFORE: with 28 live in and 25 live out but fully-cared-for by us…$41,000 yr.
NOW: with 60 new kids, 6 new staff….we have skyrocked to $90,000!!

Yes…please read on…we need your help!!
If you missed it, here is my fundraising request!!!

Hi everyone..!!!
Most of you know I have been working in Tanzania for the last five years...with HIV AIDS prevention, orphanages Masai girls education and micro financing.

I am writing to you to ask for support at this giving time of year. WE have an orphanage called MAJENGO (building up) running beautifully, thanks to a lot of your help over the years.

It is a success story and one that I am very happy to be part of...but now, because of its success, we have been asked to take on more kids.

56 more kids, age 4 to 15, all orphaned by HIV AIDS...
It is a huge complement, and a challenge...

We need money for basics: sheets,, towels, mosquito nets...food, medicine...education, uniforms, shoes.
Please read on if you would like to know more...
Have a lovely few weeks, and Happy New Year..
xxLynn

Government stops corruption on safari route!!

Government asks MAJENGO ORPHANAGE to take on 56 new kids!
Yesterday, the government walked in and shut down 5 corrupt orphanages along the safari route!
These were set up as businesses by corrupt directors hauling in hundreds of dollars weekly from unsuspecting tourists.
Two of these directors had criminal records, had been imprisoned with charges of rape and sexual abuse.
Children were kept poor and sick, undernourished, some dripping with HIVAIDS liaisons without medical care.
Safari truck drivers were paid to bring in the tourists.

MAJENGO ORPHANAGE opened March 2008 in the village of MtoWa Mbu,Tanzania, not on the safari route! NO CORRUPTION!!
We found 52 children, orphaned by HIVAIDS on a mud floor collected by neighbours and friends, set up as a day care and renovated a home..
Big thanks to the help of many of you!
Majengo supports 51 kids – food, clothing, medical, education - with a preschool and staff of 10 - beautifully
Up until now Matt McKissock, family and friends, through the Warren Majengo Foundation, in Pennsylvania amazingly supports our yearly budget of $41,000.

Thank you so much!

56 new kids arrived yesterday from the corrupt safari orphanages!!
We moved them into two newly-renovated homes next to Majengo - 24 kids to a house, 2 to a bed.
I am told they are really happy!! Three good meals a day...a safe beautiful environment, with people who love them.
Our needs have become huge. We need clothing, medical needs, food!
Now!!

I’m hoping to raise $20,000 before VALENTINES DAY!

I am in the process of setting up a registered charity in Canada, which takes up to a year, so I can’t offer you a tax receipt sorry!
What I can offer my absolute promise that 100% of all donations will go straight to supporting these children.

Team Majengo!
I invite you become an intimate hard working part of Majengo....
We are all volunteers; every cent we raise goes straight to the care of the children – there are no middle people…
I would like to put together a group of very interested people to help me..with contacts…setting up speaking events (small groups or large, it is all important!), fundraising….
Please let me know if you are interested, this has become for me the most important and rewarding project I have worked on...

Please help!
In Canada:
Cheques payable to
Lynn Connell
284 Major Street,Toronto, Ont. M5S 2L6

Or for US donations: Where you CAN receive a tax receipt!
Checks payable to Warren Majengo Foundation,
218 Liberty St. Warren, Penn. 16365. USA

thank you!!
xxLynn

2010-12-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

HI!! Hope you had a great Christmas and holiday...

Below are excerpts from PETER BEGGA… our liaison from ICA TANZANIA…..
I thought you might like to hear it from the people who work directly on the ground…at Majengo:

My explanations in italix!

NOV 22/10
Written before the 67 new kids arrived, when we just had 28 kids living in. with 25 more coming in for preschool everyday:

They are all doing great and working so hard with their classes because they are going to sit for their end of year examination to move to another level of their classes in January.

Greyson and Glory (teachers) are having evening Classes everyday for the primary two and one children to make sure they become the best students in their classes and make Majengo Higher. For the last two years our kids have stood top 10 in Primary School - big thanks to amazing work of Grayson and Glory!

The Catholic Church mission hospital next door is very good - at first we took four kids over there and sister Monica, the clinic officer, treated us so nicely by giving good treatment to our kids on time and all the pills we were given from there. Yesterday we took one kid who was playing football and knocked his thumb with stone. This shows that we are starting good relationship with the Catholic Hospital and in future they will be having a boarding house - this will reduce the cost of transport to our kids to the far hospital.

Staff are all doing well and they are well prepared to receive the new 40 kids. WE thought there would be 40,but there are in fact 60!!!

We cannot tell how many staffs we are going to hire until we have the new kids and can tell how big job it is and how many staff we need - when time is ready we will let you know.

Witness (cleaner) she has somehow recovered - she is training the 3 Masai girls who we have been sponsoring through secondary school, on how to keep the house clean and washing the clothes. They love the Masai girls and said they are hardworking girls and love the children.

Their names are; Mwanahamisi, Aziza and Tatu. They are so happy to be here and they said they are looking forward to write a letter to you to thank you for the good support you gave them.

Audrey the American volunteer girl, she is doing wonderful job here teaching English to our dear staff and older kids, helping cooking and bathing the kids with Witness during the day.

The priest and family in House 2, we have got the house ready for them to move into. I hope this is going to take place this week and start the renovation on house 2 that can be done within this week.

The Government has not yet shut up the orphanages yet - remember we had an election. Most of the officials have been away to different areas of the country and they are now settled. Last Friday I met with Mbasha and he said the process will take place soon. I don’t know how soon it will be because since you were here, I could hear all the time the word soon.

For me, soon will be after I have seen the Kids in.

Matilda (Masai girl who has been working at Majengo) has been given the school fees - she went to school yesterday but I have not heard from her.

DEC 15, 2001:

Dear Lynn and everyone,

I would like to let you that the government leaders came today to Majengo to check for the houses if they are ready.... they did appreciated for the work done and they said tomorrow they are going to bring the children in.. They are going to close the 3 orphanages tomorrow and the other 2 orphanages on friday..

My worry is we don’t have the budget for the coming childen. Denis (govt social worker) is sleeping to my place today and tomorrow I will be working with him for listing the names, ages and class of the children, then later to visit their family for bios...

Yes if possible we need to get more flash light.
RE: the electricity ; all the plans are in place I think you need to contact Charles to give you the figure how much they negociated with the electrician to hook up the 3 houses.

I will let you know what we need when we get the kids in place and see how exactly number of children.

I wish you all the best.
Kind Regards,
Peter.

DECEMBER 16, 20010
MY NOTES:
Hi
Just spoke to Peter, then Charles...

Yesterday 43 kids from 3 orphanages arrived at Majengo!!!
Yikes!!! I CAN’T imagine how they are handling these numbers…
Primary kids (age 7 and up), put into House 1;
Preschoolers (age 3 to 6) into House 2.
Everyone helping cooks...who are now cooking for our 28 kids, plus these 43. And 12 staff.
Kids brought clothing of sorts.
Home Comfort (formerly Judica territory), angry...”you are taking our kids!” etc.

Limo (Huruma), our former director at the beginning, thankful we have all his kids..
Govt arrested him for keeping kids so poorly,,no toilets, both genders stuffed into one room, food etc... keeping all the money for himself. He has been in jail before for sexual abuse with the children, Martha. Our treasurer, thinks they will imprison him again.

Tomorrow govt moving in to close last 2 orphanages: Could have another 20kids by tomorrow afternoon!!

I am freaking out due to the numbers..we thought there would be 40 tops.
Govt screening children’s guardians next week...to weed out kids who don’t need help. Hopefully we will be down to 40-45 next week.

Mbasha (govt leader), Dennis (govt social worker), police, health officer, legal officer) plus Peter, Killo were there for the shutdown.
Charles says no fear from angry orphanage directors...tho Peter is worried.

I am stressing re staff help...we need more staff, quick!
I don’t want to burn them out. So far Charles says they are fine.
Kerstin and Berndt (Swedish donors) are arriving today, thank Gawd!
PETER and CHARLES are DOiNG AN EXCELLENT JOB!!!

MONEY:
Charles is going to make a financial statement re the $2,000 just sent, and the $820. Says there is about 800,000 tsh left from the$2,000. The rest went into renovation of house 2.
There should be enough here to buy utensils and cooking things for the kids...and more..they will keep us posted.

ELECTRICITY:
WE need to send over the following to hook up all three houses:
1-for electrical pole for all three houses plus hook up –
TOTAL: $1,618.USD
This money will be accounted for by house owners for further rental time.

STAFF BONUS:
Charles will investigate school fees to determine what bonus’ we can offer the staff to help their kids with educational costs. as we did last year.

NEW BOARD, Majengo.
Charles has chosen the most influential and knowledgeable people:
1. Dr. John, Head of HIV AIDS in Monduri district.
2. National Park ,chief warden
3. Catholic priest next door: Vincent Makoha
4. Dr. Felix, head dr of health centre. Kilongoni
5. Mariki...headmistress Manyara secondary school
6. Anna: head director private primary school at Anna Academy where Charles’ son went.
7. 2 influential government reps...

So far so good
I will call Peter and Charles again tomorrow..
xxLynn

DECEMBER 17, 2010
We now have 67 NEW KIDS!!!! Plus our 28!!!!! Total today: 95 KIDS!!

According to Peter...they are very very happy!! They LOVE Majengo – the clean beds, the sheets...the food!! And the washed clothes!! And all that space and kids to play with....!!
He says it is insane, basically.

Peter is the only one left at ICA...Charles and Glory (lawyer are coming back Sunday, thank the Lord!!_Hamidu our driver is there.

Money:
Charles gave Hamidu 600,000 tsh ($500 US)....I told Peter to request whatever they needed for new utensils etc...whatever! Charles should have an additional $200. (from the $2,000) and $840 just sent, USD.

Staff
Desperate now for new staff.
I told Peter to get Mayunga to get onto 2-3new day staff over the weekend.
Our staff are giving suggestions for whom to hire.
Current Arrangements!

Cleaning: Witness, Glory and 2 Masai – cleaning, washing clothes and kids.
Cooking: Our two cooks, plus 2 Masai, and Martha.
So far it is under control!!!!???

Sleeping:
House 1: 28 kids: Witness with 2 Masai girls in House 1.
House 2: 28 kids: Matilda with Eve (Masai) in house 2. (Matilda and Eve both leave in Feb for teacher’s school; they will return and work for us.
Majengo main house: our current 28 kids, plus Peter said 10 more..but that doesn’t add up!

DEC 18, 2010
Budget:
Right now, today they are coping...for a few days, but soon will need a big boost!!

They are coping.

ELECTRICITY:
I have agreed with my uncle to donate the money required for ELECTRICITY hook ups....$1,618. I think it should go through our Warren Majengo Foundation.
Jamie/Jeff...please let me know transfer details...
Jeff please send money through today, I promise to reimburse!!!

REPORT FROM LYNN’S CONVERSATION WITH PETER, SATURDAY NOON, DEC.18.
Read below – I added some other info onto Peter’s letter re what he wrote and then from out conversation.

Cooking: they have 2new cooks....total 4 now...having trouble figuring out quantities...88 kids!!
All money Charles gave Hamidu has been spent for food.

Charles coming tomorrow. I will talk to him today.
NEED: 60 utensil kits (plate, spoon, cup) each 3,000 tsch.... $441.000 USD

Clothing: We need at least 2 huge bags of assorted children’s clothing. Cost ? - we are looking into it.

Medical: Peter talked with Sister Monica from Catholic Centre re malaria tests for all kids.

When Charles comes, I am going to get him to arrange for a nurse to give them all HIV AIDS tests.

Security: our guard’s dad died yesterday, of course! He is off to the funeral. Mayunga provided 2 new security guards now.

Masai girls allowances: we have 4 girls who I have been sponsoring through secondary school for the last 4 years:
Eve, Mwanasamisa, Tatu and Aziza. They can work for us December through end of February, 3 months maybe more, depending on their marks which they get in Feb.
The ones who passed will go onto high school, 2; years. The others will go to teacher’s college, or nursing...the ones who failed..well, maybe they will come and work for us.
I have realized that it is not their fault if they fail. Last year only 19% of students passed out of 4th year secondary. The govt has built many new schools, but no teachers or books, etc.

Our Matilda who is wonderful, and was the head girl of the school, didn’t make the marks to go on to high school...but will go to teacher’s college in Feb for one year, and then comeback to us to teach! It is all good.
Allowances: 4 girls @ 50,000 month - $40.USD.(for personal needs, they live at Majengo and eat there). They sleep with the kids, as assistant matrons, do cooking and cleaning. Without them we could not cope!!!

4 girls: 50,000 month = 200,000 ($175USD))month to be added to our budget.
1 boy: There is one very smart boy who I also sponsor. I told Peter he, and all the others who i have sponsored who are finishing 4th form, have to come and help!!
He can do sports with the kids, clean grounds, etc.

Staff Christmas bonus’: Charles is looking into their children’s education needs....we will come up with total soon...last year we gave it to them when I was there in March.

NEW BUDGET: I will talk to Charles when he returns, likely Monday>
HEADS UP:
WE WILL need to add on food, medical, staff and Masai girls salaries.
EDUCATION: in January, kids 7 and over will be going to Primary. 6 and under will be at our in house PRESCHOOL....
We have to provide uniforms and shoes for them all.

Electricity: Thank you Jeff for sending over the $1,618 USD needed for hooking up all three houses. It is dire that they do it now!
I will mail you a check today as my contribution to this monumental feat!!.....

My gawd!! This is pretty incredible, and I am sure a first. Peter is the only one from ICA there right now, with driver Hamidu...when there is work to be done, PETER is magnificent. Right now he is going full tilt, and I thank him!!!

Good luck in your fundraising!!
xxLynn

DEC 19, 2010
Hi
Charles is on the bus now to Mto Wa Mbu.. thank goodness...
Talked to Peter this morning..
They took 55 kids next door to the Catholic church today...to pray...this is great...I hope they can do the same for the Muslim kids as well.

They had just finished lunch:
80 kids, 12 staff (2new cooks), 4 Masai girls...Total: 96!
He said they are having a food crisis...I will talk to Charles in five hours, about money. I want to know where we are at, what they need..
Talked with Matt yesterday, right now we are in survival mode. Jeff he gave me permission to ask you to send whatever necessary to keep us afloat.
This will all settle down as the days go by.
I am going to make a budget with Charles in the next few days...

Grayson caught 4 kids from Judica’s Home Comfort getting romantic (sexual), whatever that means. I think those kids were taught how to have sx, for pornography.
We talked about the importance of working hard on behaviour, that they must conform to our Majengo values.

Our current kids are watching, gawking I am sure!!
Philip is out there making new friends!

Talk soon...have a great Christmas....happy fundraising...xxLynn

2010-12-16T08:19:00.000-08:00

GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN ORPHANAGES!!
HI EVERYONE!!!
EXCITING news, today!!!
Just spoke to Peter Begga, our local on the spot liaison for our Majengo Orphanage in Tanzania this morning!!

Yesterday, the Government SHUT DOWN 3 of the 5 corrupt orphanages set up on the main safari route as businesses to lure in money from tourists.

In two days, they then transferred 67 children to our Majengo orphanage, which they declared the only official facility in the entire area.

Over the past three months we renovated two houses next to our current Majengo orphanage and outfitted them with 38 beds, matresses,sheets, mosquito nets, tables, benches, etc at a cost of approximately $15,000 USD.

Thank you Warren Majengo and Canadian friends for your ongoing work with fundraising for this incredible project!

This is a MONUMENTAL happening..the first time a fully official government body has committed itself to stopping corruption in the entire Monduri province.
Maybe even in the entire country of Tanzania!!!

And Majengo was chosen to look after these children, many orphaned by HIV AIDS.
They have been terribly abused over the last 4 years that i have known and back then worked with them. I have seen children with HIV AIDS unattended, their open liasions dripping from arms and legs. I have seen bunk beds with three beds, the third fitted between the bottom and top,with no room for the children but to lie down.
I have seen children going hungry, while staff filled their plates.
I have heard stories i can't repeat here, of pornography, of rape, of emprisonment.
I have seen wealthy directors with criminal records, paying off local officials to keep them quiet....to keep their 'contribution boxes' full....

And now, they are shut down!
Right now, as i write, the government officials are in meetings with our 10 staff at Majengo, and our local ICA TANZANIA colleagues. They tell me the kids are 'happy'!! That the corrupt orphanage directors were taken by surprise, that our staff are ready to go! That we need elecricity hooked up...that they need money for food!! our budget will expand..
I am calling Peter in a few hours to get the latest details..

In the meantime..for an intimate view of what is happening at Majengo, sent to us by Peter yesterday, before the SHUT DOWNS...below....talk soon!
xLynn

MAJENGO ORPHANAGE END OF YEAR STAFF MEETING.

Introduction: Today on 10thDecember 2010.
All Majengo Staff decided that should be set-up the end of year meeting which took place yesterday at Majengo Orphanage classroom and the main purpose of this meeting was to discuss the matters concerning Majengo throughout the year 2010 and to have new innovative ideas and working plan for 2011 and the new 40 some children whom we hope to receive them when time comes. Renovation for the two houses is well done. The priest and family finally got out and his house has been renovated and is ready for the children to move in….the only process we have for now is to wait for the government to shut down the local orphanages and handover the children to us. So until now we have no idea when will this take place but we hope if it wont take place this week then it will take place early January because the government officials will be going for x-mass and New Year holiday.

People who attended the meeting were;
MAJENGO STAFFS: Kilo (Secretary) Martha (absent) Greyson (Teacher) Glory (Matron- Teacher) Hadija (Cook 1) Nuruanna (Cook 2) Witness (Cleaner) Matilda (Asst: Cleaner)
MASAAI GIRLS VOLUNTEERS: Eva Mwanahamisi Tatu Aziza
I.C.A: Peter. (Coodinator)

Peter opened the meeting by thanking all the members for attending and give them congratulation for the big job they showed up for year 2010 and give them thanks giving on behalf of I.C.A and the Warren Majengo team. They all smiled and the meeting started by giving chances for the staff to speak out their views throughout 2010.

Grayson: (Teacher) He thanked God for his guidance through faith for started the year 2010 well and now we are ending and open the new page of 2011.
He said, “if we figure out in percentage we did this job in only 15% so we have to work so heard so that we can at least go beyond.”
Success we got such us the renovation of the 2 houses where by we are going to have new children this is good idea because we expanding and this will bring our dream of having 1000 children in years to come.
Also we had some challenges through out the year such as we did not have the electricity where by we stayed in darkness especially when our flash light got damaged.
It will be good idea if we will have the electricity starting 2011 because we going to have more children and more houses.
This is my special request to our beloved donors so that we can protect our children especially at night.
He finished by asking all staff to keep the good cooperation than ever before so that we can have a very creative and good team.

Witness: (Cleaner) She thanked the Majengo staff and the Warren Majengo Team for the wonderful job they have done in 2010.
Special thanks to our donors for the things they bought such as new clothes, towels, bed sheet, mosquito nets e.t.c
I am kindly asking them to continue supporting us and God will bless them all.
Special thanks to Majengo staffs, Lynn and Jamie for their support when my Husband passed away they did great job by giving me support and word of encouragement which made me feel good and I am getting recovering.
She asked the staffs to come up with new ideas so that can help for the rebuild of our Orphanage.

Hadija: (Cook) She thanked all for being healthier throughout the year 2010, and said we should keep up the same sprit incoming 2011 because we are going to add new children.
On my side, kitchen department we have no problem we have prepared well to cook nice and delicious food for our children I have no problem with that.
But my big issue is we will need more cooking pots and serving dishes so that we can keep our food hot all the day.
The idea of adding new children is good as we all knows that we have got a lot children who need support so we have no way out we have to do the job to help these Children and I have no doubt about adding new children.
In Kitchen they need cooking port, plates, spoon and cups
Otherwise she thanked everyone for the job done God blesses you all.

Nuruanna: (Cook 2)
She thanked God first and all Staff members for finishing the year 2010 well and ask each and every person to continue working so heard so that we can see the good future of our Children.
And she said if in any way or another she has gone against the expectation of each member of staffs she had apologies and she asked the workers to forget their differences if there is any and create a very big team which will help our children to grow and become independent.
She reminded Lynn for the promise she told the staffs that she was going to support the staff Children to school and give them loans which will help staff to solve their basic needs at their family. some of them have just received their children support Fund but nothing like loan so she was just reminding Lynn if possible to give us loans so that we can provide our family with all basic needs they need this is because the life expenses have gone so higher and we cannot manage to solve everything we need.
Otherwise she asked the workers to come up together and continue working so heard since we are going to have more children as soon as possible.
She wished each and everyone good healthy and prosperous new year.

Glory (Matron-Teacher).
She thanked GOD for we have finished year 2010 and now we are going to open the new chapter of 2011 in a special way she thanked the donors from Warren Majengo for the good job they have worked through out the year 2010 and asked them to continue supporting the children of Majengo orphanage so that each of us will be proud for the protection, care, love and the big support we provided for our children.
She thanked the good cooperation between I.C.A and the village leaders for being together all the time of difficult for the help they provided especially when we needed help.
We as the human sometime we might have gone wrong from one another as a matron she said let us forget our past and let us continue smoothly.
She mentioned some problems she faced as a matron such as; the house did not have the electricity through out the year.
Although we had some flash light which got damaged and up to now we have only 1 flash light which Jamie bought but it can’t light for each room so it is very difficult to perform my duties at night incase of any danger.
I am asking our donors to figure out the electricity connection cost so that we can have power in place especially now because we have 3 houses and we are going to have more children it will be difficult if we bring these children and we have to power in place.
She also insisted that starting next year she should get an assistant so that she can get some relief of resting at least one week per month.
She also mentioned successes we had through the year 2010 such us; Eating well good balance diet,
The classes has been good to our children because of the teaching materials brought by the donors and the sports activities such as football, netball and handball.

Matilda: (Asst. cleaner) She thanked God for everything he has done into her life and thanked everyone for being kindly to her.
She also thanked Lynn in a special way for her big support of her four years of secondary school and now she promised to continue supporting her in a collage, but bad news she went to collage late one week and they refused to receive her so she is going to join next year in February per now she is at Majengo continue to work until time comes for her collage next year in February.
She also thanked the donors for their good ideas of adding more children which makes her feel so good that years to come we may have no street children in the village of the mto wa mbu and the rest of Tanzania.

EVA: (Maasai girl) She thanked Lynn so much for changing her life for not getting early marriage and attends school which makes her feel so good and happy life.
And now she decided to volunteer at majengo orphanage she thanked members of staff for keeping her healthier, eating well and being treated well by majengo staffs.
I promise that I am going to work so heard here at Majengo and make sure that I play with majengo children and make them feel happy so that they have people who can share good time with them…
God bless you all.

Mwahamisi, Tatu and Aziza: (The 3 Maasai girls)
For them they said they have nothing to say but for what they have seen they have never seen such an organization in their life which takes care of the orphans the way Majengo is doing.
They promised to work so heard so that they can show up their thanks giving to Lynn for the big support she gave them all of four years of secondary school.
Also they have asked one request for Lynn if possible to have some pocket money for their own basic needs while at Majengo because girls have got some problems which has to be solved each month such as Vaseline, tooth paste and other girl’s matters.
Otherwise they are real enjoying being at Majengo more than when they have been at their village.

KILO: (Secretary)
He thanked all the members for their good cooperation through out the 2010.
He reminded that we all know how difficult this job was but we used a lot of our energy to ensure this job is done he thanked everyone for creating experience of their own.
He reminded the staff members to continue with their good heart and sense of humor to support our donors to fulfill the expectation of everyone and see the good future of our children and see beautiful fruits from them as they keep growing.
He said ahead us we are still going to have a huge and big job, but there is no fear we have to face it and do it so that we can be accounted and remembered for the job done when these children became independent. In especial way he thanked the donors for their big job of making contribution, fund rising of both money and clothes, we have nothing to pay back to them but promise to them that we are going to anything possible to ensure this job is done.
He agued the staffs and said in any institution people usual have misunderstanding I am sure in any way or another we might have wronged one another but all this might have laid work done let us forget our differences and open a new page in 2011 so that we can have new ideas so that we can expand our majengo Orphanage by having our own building, school and sports ground.
The idea of adding new children we do appreciate for our donors for their support we have prepared enough to receive them and work for them.
He asked for the request of salaries for December and January to all staffs to be paid on 20th Dec 2010 so that they can budget for Charismas and New Year for their family.

Peter; (Coordinator).
He thanked all the staff members for attending the meeting and congratulated all of them for the huge job they have done through out the 2010.
He said we had a very busy month for the renovation of the two houses we thank God they are all done.
The job ahead us is to receive the new children we are still waiting the order from the government to shut up the local orphanages and bring all the children to our orphanage and this might be next week if not early January.
But Mr Mbashe the government person said he is going to come this week with his team to shut the orphanages “so let us be like the soldiers keep hearing the bullets but cant see the enemies”
Let us get prepared to have these children any time from now.

Re: the Catholic hospital… by Sister Monica.
So far we have treated 14 children since we started the relationship between the catholic hospital nearby Majengo and the Majengo orphanage it has been almost one month 2 weeks.
In special way I thank Jamie Bees and Charles Luoga, for the nice talk with Sister Monica it has real helped treating our children all the time when they fall sick even at night.
7 of our children had malaria, Loveness, Abdi, Amina pendo’s sister, hawa, sharmira, Swarehe and Raheli.
Witness and Tatu took the children to the hospital and they were given first priority to be treated the nurses were so kindly and lovely after being given medication late evening sister Monica came to majengo and see how these children were doing which was very good and amazing.
So we all agreed that this is the best hospital we have got.
Sister Monica has gone to Nairobi and she will be back before Charismas so she said she is going to open an email address so that she can start communicating with Jamie and everyone from Warren Majengo.
I have also attached some pictures of our children when they were treated at the Catholic Church hospital.

Re: Majengo Children. They all started the holidays since 1st of Dec 2010.
So they are all at the orphanage we are making gardening and cleanness with them all, they are very happy to do such activities.
They all did great at primary school as usual Amina is the best student out of 123 students,
Hawa got the second position, Jenifer got the fourth position, Godlizen and Neema got the fifth position they had equal marks, amzing.
Sebastian got ninth position and Filipo got fiftieth position.
In pre-school; the following were the best 10 scholar,
1. Latifa 2. Neema 3. Juniour 4. Juliana 5. Godwin 6. Abdi 7. Anisha 8. Anna 9. Hilda 10. Haruni.
P/S we are going to celebrate the Christmas and New Year so we are agreed with Lynn that these parties should have their own budget since they were not in the budget I am reminding Lynn to see on her budget book and see how much we figured out for these two parties so that you can send the money on time before Charismas.

I would like to express my special thanks to Lynn, Matt, Diana, Jamie, Ian, Kym and whoever is involved in this project for helping the Mjaengo orphanage Children in one way or another.
We do real appreciate for the big support.
We promise you that your contribution has been used in right way we kept all the records of what ever we have used.

We have nothing to pay you back but we are asking for those who have never come to Africa please come and see how beautiful these Children are and the lovely scenery such us National parks, cultures and weather changes.
Kym thank you for the Majengo Books and the business cards they are all lovely welcome to Africa, Ian’s Mother and Dad you are welcome to Majengo we have heard that you will be coming soon next year.
Otherwise we wish you a Merry Charismas and prosperous New Year 2011.
God Bless America, God bless Canada, God Bless Tanzania.
“IN GOD WE TRUST”

andthen another:
Dear Lynn and everyone,

I would like to let you that the government leaders came today to majengo to check for the houses if they are ready.... they did appreciated for the work done and they said tomorrow they are going to bring the children in.. They are going to close the 3 orphanages tomorrow and the other 2 orphanages on friday..

My worry is we dont have the budget for the coming childen. Danis is sleeping to my place today and tomorrow I will be working with him for listing tha names, ages and class of the childen then later to visit their family for bios...

I will keep you posted when we receive them...

yes if possible we need to get more flash light but I am going to ask charles to do that because tomorrow we have the children....

the electricity ; all the plans are in place I think you need to contact charles to give you the figure how much they negociated with the eletrician to huke the 3 houses.

I will let you know what we need when we get the kids in place and see how exactly number of children.

I wish you all the best.

Kind Regards,

Peter.

2010-11-16T05:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE!!!!
Hi!!
I wrote this this morning to a friend...who asked for a brief update!"

"Government forced to shut down 5 corrupt orphanages on the safari route, set up as businesses by evil directors who jam sick and poor children into cramped quarters to lure in wealthy tourists whose drivers get a percentage of the stash!!
Majengo Orphanage (ours) asked to take in 67 new kids from these orphanages!!
Majengo setting up two new homes, staff, furnishings.
Shutdown will be within a month.(all going well).
Key orphanage director, killed in car accident on bumpy road to Handeni reportdly to visit local witch doctor to combat recent rape charges with orphanage children.
Burial: 600 local people, and me!!"

There is book in here, I know...
and as i lie in my drugged state of shingles...images float forth, and back, words,paragraphs, ideas, brilliant, but that will never surface again....

But one thing I want to write about today as I'm remembering Jamie over there this time just a few weeks ago...and today is her birthday...
It looks like a lot is happening over there, and it is!
It is huge, monumental, a first!!! a huge honour for Majengo to be chosen by the government as the orphanage they have picked to take on the kids, wonderful!!

..and, on the other hand, day by very hot and long day, things crawl along slowly...no matter what you try to do.
I flew over in two days notice!! Back in September.
WE were on the verge of a huge government shut down.
I had to be there!!
The government assured me. Charles assured me.
"WE are together", they say...or "are we together?" but in this case, YES, WE ARE TOGETHER....Majengo Warren is committed to taking on new kids; the government too, in shutting down corruption on main street! Yes!!
Okay. so, let's go!!!!

Well...that was 10 weeks ago, and guess what!
It hasn't happened. Yet.

I have come, gotten shingles and come home.
Elia and Jackson moved into Pambazuko, after three years on the main road. They are now home with their friends, their family.

And still. We wait...
We've secured two houses behind Majengo to rent and renovate.
We've built 19 bunk beds. We've bought sheets,mosquito nets,matresses with plastic. Towels for 50 new kids.

Jamie came from Warren Pennsylvania Oct. 19th.
For 3 weeks. And she says, nothing happened.
But it did.
All the while I was laying in bed she was over there every morning.
Checking out the houses. Meeting the tenents. Arranging for new digs as we moved them out. Understanding budgets, logistics. Challenges. Problems. Big problems.

Working in Africa, is not always easy. Or fun.
Things NEVER happen the way they are 'supposed' to.
Things are NEVER on time. African time.
People are NEVER there when the promise to be.
They NEVER have whatever you need with them there.It is in the office.or at home. Or back at the room. NEVER there.

You wait.and wait and wait.
You sit. You wander. and you go back and stand. or sit.
They are speaking Swahili, you sit.
And don't understand.
You watch faces; you wonder; you try to imagine what they are talking about: the priest who won't leave house number two? the two boys, house one tenents, who are out selling beads, not packing their clothes? Not leaving.
No. More than that, the election.
You offer ideas.
You wonder if you are being heard. And then again, why should they listen?

Jamie was there for three weeks.
Alot did happen during that time.
House one got emptied and renovated. Walls came down, windows enlarged. Rooms made. Painted. Beds moved in....
Waiting.
But more important.
Her smile lit up Majengo each time you came.
The kids ran to you. The staff got close, could see, know, that you cared.
You visited Witness when she was sick.You brought her gifts.
You gave presents to the others.
You asked questions, you listened to their answers.
You cared.

You took time with everyone.
You did what you could.
When you could. With a smile.
You cooked for me.
You checked in everyday.
You brought wine at night.
You made me smile!

thank you...
What i guess i have learned from all of this...is WAIT!!!
Keep your expectations to a minimum and miracles will happen.
You can't push...ever...
It does't work, it won't work!
The river has its flow. Stand by and watch the ebb....
As they said: it will happen.

Just not when we were there.
So know you did what you could, what anyone could have, but with a bigger smile, a bigger shine....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
xx

2010-11-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

JAMBO!!
GOVERNMENT ANTI CORRUPTION FORCES ABOUT TO SHUT CORRUPT ORPHANAGES ON SAFARI ROUTE!!

WITCH DOCTORS, PICKUP TRUCK TURNS OVER, ORPHANAGE DIRECTOR IS DEAD!! BURIAL CEREMONY, ELECTION! 67 ABUSED CHILDREN WAITING FOR A HOME!! and in the midst of all of this...i get shingles, or if you live in Africa: herpes zoster!!! What you see is a thousand nasty red boils bursing out on your rib cage all the way round to the back! Days and dark nights of writhing pain, endless waves of stubbly blunt knives jabbing into your rib cage on a repeated basis without relief, over and over..like having a baby, but with no baby to wrap into your arms at the end of the day, constant, deep, and jabbing.

I thought for awhile i was dying.

Mis-diagnosed, mis-medicated, and when i got the right pills, they were too weak in intensity.
Before the job is over, i make my way back to Canada...
with a little story to think about:

From Ethiopia to Washington i'm doing pain killers and sitting across the aisle from a white guy with two little black childen, one on each side for 15 hours, watching him carefully tuck one into her seat belt, hold the boy in his arms as he begins to wail, and talk, and wail all way from nightime into morning.....gathering both gently as he makes his way up to the toilets, and back....a long journey home. So as we are about to land,i ask him..s whats up? what can this be about? He and his wife have adapted these kid from Ethiopia. they have two of their own, age 5 and 7...and these kids are 3 and 6. Oh my gawd! The entire family had visited to meet their new children a month before. Lots of fun with their own kids playing with kids from the orphanage...taking them toys....laughing, singing songs..a translator helping them to communicate with the brother and his sister they would soon be welcoming into their family.This man went back a month later, with all the immigration papers intact, a suitcase of new clothing for these kids, toys, and a world of best wishes from family and friend..of course it would take some adjusting..it could be difficult, but so far so good!

Well, James set himself up in a guest house near the orphanage and brought his new children over. The little one, the boy age 3, threw temper tantrums allweek, and when he began to wail...he wouldn't stop...he spent most of his time with the boy, while his sister demanding attention, and not getting it, turned her back on him and the project. Refused to get dressed, pack, or leave....huge heaving crying bouts, both of them, while James became more and more worried that perhaps they had made the mistake of their lifetime.His wife had been a lifesaver, warm and positive on the phone everyday with advice from others through the internet who had done this, it takes time. a lot of time. breathe. it will be better when we get them home.

I had four hours to wait in Washington. and so did they. Immigration into the U.S. can be a pretty heafy challenge at any rate, but with two little beings from another universe who don't speak English. Man! The little guy had a silent meltdown lying under the rows of stationary chairs in front of us, looking morosely into the flooring. His balloon broke. he went limp into a petulant "I'm unhappy" mode, wilting into the floor refusing to come our, but it is quiet, quite harmless and i'm told that was nothing. He is very cute, and knows it, a sweet round face with big black eyes..and a little nose that he wiggles like a bunny. When i copied this...he reached out and slapped me hard in the face...we turned this into high five when he twisted his body and shot me a mean kick landing the full side of his good American shoes on my shin.

Cute. but scary. At 3, i was afraid of him.

She was my angel. we held hands and danced through the baggage area....the huge expanse of the airport and by the end she was calling me mommy. This wasn't good. Her new mommy was waiting in Atlanta with the other two children. OUr goodbyes were quick and sad for me, vastly bewildering to her, reaching out, grabbin, her eyes darting in fear - yet another one leaving. The massive huge ness of what these people were doing.

At the handprint immigration desk, Jim stood with tears running down his naked, raw with feelings, face, revealed terrible biggest fears that this could damage his own children permanently.....

Later, in an email...he describes their trip to Atlanta:

"...Too bad you missed the flight to Atlanta. There were two Semagen tantrums (which are a thing to behold) and 3, yes, 3 vomiting episodes between the two of them. Not to provide too much detail, but we were thoroughly soaked and stinky by the time we met teh rest of the family. And thanks so much for your pictures - they'll be cherished for a lifetime...

The adjustment here has been fairly tough as expected. I think we're ok with everything except for how poorly our other children are dealing with it. Although we prepared them as much as possible, they have no idea how to deal with the intrusivenesss, the tantrums, the screaming, the snatching of personal belongings, and most of all, the new competition for parental attention. Megan and I are struggling to learn how to deal with it and meet everyone's needs as best as possible. I hope the scars won't be too deep before everything settles."

I can't get this family out of my mind.

Back home to Toronto, a circus of pain killers every four hours...anti virals, anti nerve and anti itch for the hives i have since acquired. I'm scared, the pain could become chronic - I've been drugged out, bedridden, a week of hallucinating images.

Couldn't speak, or write...so sorry to those who expected to hear from me.

Back to:
September 2010:
I jumped on the plane with two days notice.
TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT ABOUT READY TO SHUT DOWN CORRUPT ORHANAGES!! They just needed a place to put the kids.
This was monumental. This was the moment we have been waiting for, praying for, to get rid of the corrupt orphanages on the safari highway running through town. We had written to our embassies, we had implored the Tanzanian government to do something about this, but until now, nothing.

At times we were afraid for our own lives.

Before I left, for my own safety, I deleted a blog describing and naming those responsible for the onging corruption of orphanages on the safari route. These places of horror for children, had specifically been set up by corrupt directors, as businesses to lure in well healed safari tourists. I had written furiously about children packed into rotting intolerable rooms and intentionally kept sick, hungry and poor to enhance the haul. I knew what i was talking about. I had worked with the king pin of one of these orphanages for two months before realizing what the whole thing was about. This guy, was now up for rape charges, afer sexually abusing one of the older kids, while he was taking her to secondary school. Four years ago, I had worked at his orphanage, and fell in love with his kids. Was devestated when i found out what he was doing, and became a whistle blower, imploring others to stop working for him. Back then i wrote it all on a blog, and received threatening emails. He'd spent time in jail, had a criminal record, and carried guns in his car.

I'd been threatened with my life once before by this guy.
I deleted the piece.
And now, the government was now about to shut him down.

They could no longer ignore the rumours, the facts. Some of them could no longer justify the bribes they were receiving, too many children were being hurt, and too many people knew about it. He had been paying off church members, politicians, local village leaders, and safari drivers who had been rewarded for including his orphanages on their tour packages for the last five years. By all accounts, he had racked in thousands of tourist dollars, still holding those children ransom - victims, and until now with no one to help.

It was to be a takeover, and it had to be kept quiet.
Any leak of government plans, and they were afraid he would run.

He was up for rape charges in November. He had legally handed his orphanage over to one of his key workers, and was no longer officially in charge of that one, at least not on paper. But everyone knew he was still the boss. This new operator had been his key connection to the world, as he spoke and wrote English beautifully. He was the one who answered emails and phone messages from donors around the world, on behalf of the director. He was the one who kept unsuspecting donors in touch, encouraging monthly payments, lifetime offerings.

The director was still at the second orphanage he had opened on the other side of town.
It had 16 children, in two rooms...the house was close to the road, with no area for the children to play. The toilets and showers were outside, at the back, a makeshift kitchen outside, a fire.
No books, no classroom, no tables or chairs - it did what it was supposed to do, it tugged at the hearts of anyone passing through. There was a 'contribution box' in the front room, painted white with hand written letters, 'please help us'. It pulled pocket books out of pockets, checks books out of purses. It made new friends every day, every month, every year.

And still the children were sick. Undernourished.

The rape charges seemed to have been the last straw. He had left the orphanage with a girl to drive her to a government secondary school, but stopped somewhere en route. He raped her and kept her his prisoner for a few weeks, until she was able to slip away and tell her story.

He was arrested and put in jail for a few months this winter, but was now out on bail.

After signing over his first orphanage, he intended to convert this second one into a daycare, where he could add more children, and not have to deal with sleeping arrangements at night. The job could get done by day for far less work, staff and hassle. He seemed to have it worked out, now all he had to do was get through this ningling court case.

A big of back history.
Four years ago, i was drawn to a rickity little house on the dusty safari route sprawling with children, dressed in rags. Everytime i arrived, they flooded into me, one little boy entranced by the dark nail polish on my toes, a small girl dripping with HIV AIDS liasons sitting on my lap, with drooping eyes and no energy, but ensconced there, one hand wearily swatting the others away. Back then, there were 16 kids living in two rooms, with two beds in each room, sharing sometimes four to a bed. there were no shelves, the few raggidy clothes they had were dropped in piles on the mud floor. No tables, chairs, benches. No books, toys, art supplies. Nothing.

Nothing but their big beautiful smiles which greeted me each time i visited - their willingness to pick up a few words of English, learn songs like Head and Shoulders, and Doe a Dear....I couldn't resist them. During my time off from working on HIV AIDS presentations and projects, i made my way down the road to see these kids as much as i could. I took them swimming in the safari tourist campsite pool, and was astonished at how easily they learned, jumping in, laughing, not afraid. Each time they drew pictures, of their lives, of mama and baba, of times gone by, of the orphanage, of lions, and giraffes and elephants. A lunch of chipati, boiled egg, samosa poolside, and we were on our way. The treat of a lifetime for these kids; and something we would consider pretty ordinary back home. We rented a bus and took them on safari, living ten minutes from one of the worlds best parks to see the animals, and they had never been.

I loved those kids as my own.

The director of this orphanage seemed happy to see us each time we arrived laden with fruits, vegetables, oily paper bags of samosa, soda...treats for the children, and for them I bought two more beds. I had a big dining table made, with benches, and a couple of chairs....I measured the small horrible rooms for shelving and brought them in.

When Seanna, my daughter and Sierra, age 8 arrived, they brought a suitcaseful of art supplies and worked with the kids every morning for a week. Sierra went back to Canada and raised over two thousand dollars for these kids. I decided to adopt one of the boys, Elia and bring him back to Toronto but discovered that in Tanzania you have to live there for two full years before they would consider you as an adaptive parent.
I was heart broken at the time.

But not half as heart broken as to when i slowly discovered exactly what this place was all about, where they money was going, and that this indeed was a lucrative business which i had helped expand! And I wasn't alone...
Volunteers from Sweden, Australia, Austria, Germany, Israel....we were all in this together. Each one of us adding our own skills and ideas to help these children.We formed an international team...i was the sponsorship chair, arranging for money to be committeed for each child for schooling through their secondary years....but when i discovered the corruption I dropped away and by doing that, lost track of these kids loved for almost a year. Slowly, as the truth dawned on the others, we all left that orphanage, sick with worry that that director would carry on as he always did....with new volunteers, with new money.

We were sickened by this discovery. One couple had given him $5,000 to buy a new plot of land for a new facility. Yes, he opened the second orphanage, but continued with his fragulent ways. Back home we contacted our embassies and wrote letters with proof of what was going on.
We had to rescue those children we had all gotten to know so well. One of us, our Austrian volunteer, managed to contact the guardian of each child, and persuaded that relative to bring their child home. Within days the legal guardianship of those kids was transferred to us. We hired a wonderful couple as mama and baba, and rented a home for them to set up in...one by one the children were rescued....all except two: my little guy Elia and his friend Jackson, who were sons of mothers in the director's tribe near Arusha....

In the end, the Pambazuko Children's home was born..with 16 children from the 'bad' orphanage and a mama and baba.
Of course, the director simply replaced those children with more kids and went about his business increasing his income with a second orphanage he set up along the other side of town. This way the drivers could dip into each place, the tourists unsuspecting that they were owned by the same guy.....the drivers taking a percentage of the fill.

Pambazuko grew healthy children...today, we have 13 there all from the original grouping. They are in incredible health, big, bouncing, healthy. Their mama and baba care for them as lovingly as their own...

MAJENGO!!!
But it was the Majengo Orphanage to whom the government came to to ask to take new kids, if they shut down corruption on the highway....
Of course, we said yes, we had no option.
That was back in August, then, we waited for weeks for the government to make a move.
Charles finally called me, get over here: the time had come!

Jumping ahead....
First two days, met the government official in charge of the shut down and his social worker who would help with the children. They'd done routine checks and discovered not only those two orphanages on the highway, but three more, and had decided all five had to go!
I travelled to the government town of Monduli and met the chief executive officer of the entire region; we talked corruption. I committed Majengo to taking on the job of relocating the children into our care. We thought there would be about 20 kids, but now with 5 orphanages, the numbers had exploded to 67!!!
Of course a lot of those kids could have been relatives of the director, or even his own kids! Or plants to make their orphanages look crowed. The numbers would decrease once we interviewed the children's guardians.
But in any case. We needed more space.
Working with village leaders Mayunga and Raymond in Majengo village, we located two houses behind our majengo orphanage which would work well, we could share the outdoor kitchen and facilities, staff....Mayunga contacted the house owners.

We were on our way.

We went into both houses and measured the rooms, went back to the office and made a floorplan. Determined the bed counts, 19 bunks!! and went out to estimate costs!
Still having problems with my bank card...only one machine and that not working!
Cashed my $5,000 'in case' money into shillings and put a downpayment on the beds.
Roared into Arusha and ordered 38 mattresses with plastic covers....
Downpayment. Sheets, blankets, mosquito netting.

Ah............
we did all that...
we also lent out $9,000. to 4 Vicoba micro finance groups of people living with HIV AIDS for a six month term, no interest contracts...it was an incredibly busy time!

But too much stress. I got shingles and took to bed, and fortunately Jamie from Warren Pennsylvania arrived. Charles, on sabatical, returned from Dar es Salaam and took over estimates and negotiations with house owners...

In the middle of all this...the director mentioned above was killed in a trucking accident en route to Handeni, reportedly to invest in witch doctor power. I went to the burial and was overwhelmed by the emotion. Strange the way life goes. This was a guy that we were really afraid of, especially if the government shut him down, thus destroying his financial basis. WE were going to be the recipients of the kids in his two orphanages..and i was certain that he would not be pleased.

Tho the owners of those two houses approved of our taking them over, we still had to help their tenents find new lodgings...which meant finding them places much better than the one they were leaving...and helping them with a further six months rent. We had no alternative. We were desperate for those houses next to Majengo, and those people had a right to our helping them, if they agreed to leave.

Three weeks later:
House one vacated, renovated and furnished, ready to go!
House 2: priest and wife still there, squatting, refusing to leave.
Charles in talks....
I went back to Toronto, saw my doctor, and took to bed with percaset and a few other nasty heavies...Jamie coming home today!
Government busy with country wide Tanzanian election...no time for shut down..

Me...feeling a wee bit better...you can find me in bed, Toronto.
will write again....

2010-10-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

JAMBO today...happy Thanksgiving Day to Canada!! If i weren't here i would be up at our cottage on Lake of Bays...tonight preparing the roast turkey, the dressing fried up with onions, celery, poultry seasonings, thyme, sage and others...carrots chopped into little bits ooozing with melted butter in the big old wrought iron frying pan my dad once used....mixed with stale chunks of brown bread...amidst the laughter and craziness of kids and grandkids, Pyper and Finn racing at top speed through the old kitchen, little Eve toddling behind...Sierra stirring the gravy, oh i miss you all so much!
Back in Africa....today Sunday, a day of rest....by the pool at the Twiga tourist campsite i talk with safari goers from all over the world about our little orphanage that grew and grew, just down the road from the campsite. so often they plead to come with us, to show us something real of Africa, a great way to meet people - to raise interest and maybe funding...
Yesterday our big meeting with our staff at Majengo,with us at ICA...we'd just come back from the market buying 29 pairs of shoes and green, blue and yellow sweaters to match the colours of the Tanzanian flag...
We start by doing a go around with the cooks, cleaners, night watchman, secretary, teachers and the treasurer, so everyone knows what everyone else is doing - the details, which i am told doesn't happen ever..usually the higher up sec and treas keep the info to themselves but here we are trying to do something different, to keep the transperancy (sp?) and corruption down. This is partly for my notes, but also for anyone out there interested in the meanderings both positive and problematic the day to day of orphanage running: basically, everything is fine, the 15 new kids we brought in last April have settled in and adjusting well. At first they cried at the site of new children and adults to deal with, hid, ran away...but now are making friends. Big problem is that they arrive in the morning filthy and need to be showered down, and then back into dirty clothing, which makes them feel inferior to the kids living in the orphanage. We agree to send them home with a month's supply of laundry soap, oil, toothbrush and paste...and reiterate that our budget holds that we can buy uniforms for all the kids, not just our 28 living in.

Martha the treasurer took the older kids to a Masai village to get a sense of how the people live from different cultures so close to the orphanage..this was a great success; she bought lunches out of her own pocket and hopes that we can add to the budget Field Trips in the future. Witness the head cleaner complained that there was no locked up place in the whole orphanage for their cleaning supplies: brooms, mops, cleaners, etc. I suggested our locked pantry where we keep the dry foods, but learned the govt inspectors would see this as an infrigement...the two showers and toilets we built outside have never worked well, the owner will have to look into this, so we decided to put a locked door on one of the shower stalls for the cleaning stuff. Done.
I suggest that some of the Masai girls we have been sponsoring through Secondary school could offer us some weeks of free volunteering once they finish their exams.. the concept of giving back....all agreed.
Our two cooks would like us to add four big hot pots to their utilities...to keep rice and ugali, etc warm..with such a number of kids, they start cooking dinner at 3 in the afternoon, stone cold by dinner. The pots are $150 US each..so maybe one will do, for starters....
The new watchman needs mosquito lotion and army boots.
He has had two incidents since April: one a guy was caught peeking through the windows of our matron's bedroom in the middle of the night, and two, some guy got into the indoor kitchen area and stole his warm jacket, running across the field after him, the thief dropped the jacket, so all is well.
Grayson the teacher would like tricycles for the younger kids. He said they have trouble walking all the way to primary school, could we provide transportation..that means a car. Not likely i think, not now, anyway with our budget on the rise...
Shelves..the kids get into the shelves in the classroom, and when the teachers arrive in the morning they are in shambles...books, papers, crayons, chalk, spilling out all over the floor..need doors and a lock...i suggest it is good for kids to have access to books, but they assure me that in Africa kids read on schedule...i still think our books could be out in the open for some quiet kid to read..but...hey, this is their custom...
Killo our sec needs an office...he is embarassed to greet govt people in a room filled with children and food! They want our bougainvillea fence to include thorns, and a gate with a lock...to prevent older kids from running in and out, they don't now but they worry about the future...Water...often the community water is shut off. they are stuck with 28 + kids with no bathing, etc..they want a 2,000 litre tank dug into the back for auxiliary needs. Toilet needs fixing. Prefer hole in the ground to Western toilet...can we change it. All 6 solar lights no longer work. Can we invest in a big solar panel for the roof? $300. Can someone research installation, etc.
Chairs, the plastic ones we bought last year were demolished by exuberent kids...we need 5 wooden chairs. I suggest a sofa for the living space, to relax in..but they say the kids will slice open the cushions with razor blades!! Horrified i ask, where they get these? The school gives them out as pencil sharpeners, they stick them in their pockets, so often the cleaners find them there while washing clothes....Can we bring over 5 good pencil sharpeners for the school? the kind you screw onto the wall?
Sheets, towels. threadbaren...or with holes...clothes fades and ragged. desperately need clothing for older kids, aged 6-12....
and finally the English teacher we hired part time is too busy with her school..they are looking for a replacement...
three hours later, sitting on wooden benches - it was a great meeting...not so much to do...just these odds and ends...and things will settle in till we get back in Feb/March...
Friday we had the first two presentations of the loans given to the first two of four PLWHAs groups. I described this process of VICOBAS..small banks, much like the micro financing projects, but these are groups of people living with HIV AIDS..who have formed together to make four groups, each person buying up to 3 shares, pooling their money, and lending it out at 10% to each other or someone outside the group. the group monitoring the lending and savings. Well, we added seed money donated by my uncle David Pretty, thank you David!! he is a wonderful man of 85 years, was the president of North American Life INsurance in his days, has never married, without kids, and is now bequeathing his money to very worthwhile causes. He agreed that we could use $9,000. US to loan without interest these groups, for a six month period. The presentation was exciting!!
They have gone through a three day intensive workshop on everything about small businesses, the running of them, saving, the books, receipts, etc...lending... and are very smart and savvy now....very serious..and with full intentions to pay back the money in 6 months.
My only problem is getting it out. The one ATM in Tanzania that i have located which will accept my debit card is on the blink now, since Thursday...and i am unable to withdraw money, even for my own use! Nightmare. Where once at least i was able to catch a bus and race to the mobile bank in various towns, it is no use, so we wait!
and wait! African people have unlimited amounts of patience - compared to me anyway. I awaken yesterday to no bank, and no water in my little hostel. So you dole out a handful from your precious bottled water supply, add soap and do bare minimal washing. That for the day. Hot, dusty, but so busy now, no time for worrying about these small things. By nightfall it comes back somehow, with miracles.

At the presentation of the money Friday, each person stood up and spoke of their small businesses: bananas and vegetable growing...chickens and eggs, farming, welding, small shops, retailing clothing, etc. etc...cooking by small fires at the side of the road chipatis,roasted buns, breakfast foods...anything to make a few shillings to feed their families..With this loan, they dream of expanding these businesses, making more money, each and every one of them, mostly women, only 12 men in the total of 90, they hope to raise enough to educate each one of their kids, maybe build a small home someday.

we counted the number of kids dependent on this group..well over 150....and this was with just the first two groups...the numbers of kids will be over 300 when we finish next week with the last two groups' presentations...if i ever get the chance to withdraw what we have promised!

that's about it. last night at the Double M a big dance show...with mostly guys prancing and dancing, and being wonderful, huge crowds, lots of laughter and fun.
Have a great thanksgiving...to Canada...and to everyone else...
Bidai...see you later!
L

2010-10-07T03:44:00.000-07:00

JAMBO!! Thursday afternoon, Kiratu...an hour up the hill from Mto Wa Mbu, passing two huge transport truck rollovers lying on the side of the road - we have a very good driver in Hamidu...pole pole..slowly slowly....I AM PRETTY ecstatic at the moment _ having tried four other computers at the internet cafe which didn"t connect either to this blogsite or to my sympatico mail>>>this was the last chance> the others have gone to the market to buy 28 pairs of shoes, uniforms and clothing for the 28 kids we have living in Majengo. Of course i can't go, being a white mazunga, the price would gallop like a Masai cow racing down the road less traveled. Am a bit speedy, just to give you a sense of my day so far, woken up by Muslim Call to Prayer at 4:30, seemed to go on all night with the loud speakers shouting out wakening the followers, get up get out of bed, you can lie down forever when you die but right now on your knees...on and on they go, with dark shadows struggling from warm blankets across blackened dirt roads filled with pot holes of water from last night's rain to the Mosque on the main street of town. Ah 4 30...some meditating - my mind racing with the work we are doing here, off and running from the moment my plane set down last Friday afternoon.
My daughter says this blog reads like someone high on LSD, but i can assure you it is from lack of sleep that i speed. Money, and lack thereof. I am in the middle of a big project which requires Tanzanian shillings, lots of them. My debit card, which only worked in one ATM bank last year in the whole of Tanzania it seems...does not work there this year. Instead, and i count my lucky stars, it works in the only traveling mobile bank in the entire district. I climbed all the way up the hill on Monday to this town to discover it gone somewhere else...got smart, and learned the schedule, so most days we spend driving around after this bank, hoping for it to be where it is supposed to be. But this morning, up here in Kiratu, to my dismay, the ATM was out of order. Man..the frustration. And then these computers, but right now at this very moment, my day is going wonderfully well.
\Back in March i read a book on micro financing and became obsessed about putting this incredible concept to work, somewhere in our little village of Wa mbu...Sure enough the opportunity arose with 80 or so mostly women living with HIV AIDS virus who meet in our office weekly....ah ha!! this is the group!! Briefly, we gave them a three day intensive workshop on all forms of small business recording, saving, receipts, locations, clients, and especially all the information around the concept of micro financing: where people who have no collatoral at all can borrow small amounts of money, and pay back weekly, with interest during a period of 6 months.
I knew very little about this concept, after interview each person about their family and health history, dependents, and their small business work: banana selling on the road, chicken raising, egg selling, farming, irrigation, agriculture, retail clothing, etc...we had a pretty good idea of what each person would like to borrow. But had no idea how to do this, how to monitor a project of this magnitude.
OUR STaff at ICA were excited about the project< but it would be a huge undertaking for them< administration wise>
bACK IN Canada after meetings with the head of PLAN CANADA, and many other very well experienced people...and a three day conference on sustainable responsible investment with financial planners, bankers, etc...i learned that for my purposes micro financing would not be a path i could choose. The interest rates demanded by micro finance institutions tend to be very high, and my group of HIV AIDS survivors were very limited in their funds.
Incredibly i learned about VSLAs, from a great guy i met along the way, Village Saving and loan associations..where the groups themselves set themselves up by buying a small amount of shares and pooling their resources, lending the amount out with a 10% INTEREST rate to either members or people on the outside< where they monitor the loans themselves>

BACK IN Mto Wa MBU last saturday morning at a very exciting meeting with the three heads of each of the four groups..after explaining my choice of not going the micro finance route, they explained the details about their VICOBA'S...small banks...much like the above mentioned VSLAs...but in this case, with people so marginalized by the HIV AIDS disease and unable to invest even a small amount, we decided that i would offer them seed money to assist them on their way. My dear uncle, David had given me a portion of the money he had from selling his cottage last year, allowing me the ability to invest in these four groups.
WE asked them how much they needed, so it was their decision as to how much they would borrow. Not ours. \each group is divided into small groups of 5 people who monitor and are responsible for each other. The main group meets weekly, with a rep from our ICA TANZANIA...to tally up the weekly loans and credit. In 6 months they are required to pay back the entire loan without interest.
HENCE WHY i have been trailing the mobile bank daily desperately trying to withdraw the money i have promised them!
They drew straws as to which group would get their loan first. Today i managed to collect enough to assist two of the four groups, with formal presentations scheduled this week, contracts to sign in front of government officials, etc...soda and a big hurrah African style to celebrate.

And Majengo, each day running all the way over there. To spend time with the kids. Teaching English, singing, drawing, writing...dancing....Today, after they collect the 28 pairs of shoes and clothing, footballs and exercise books, pens, pencils, etc....our first orphanage staff meeting with our two cooks, cleaners, teachers, secretary and treasurer to discover together the successes and pitfalls of the last six months....yesterday leaving the office two boys outside, one sobbing into soaked fingers, the other tattle taleing with a story that this boy had run away from home the night before after being beaten by his father, who was drunk and displeased with something he did or didn't do. We brought him back into the office, with a role of TP he blurted out his story< had indeed run away and slept on a nearby porch without the cover of blankets alone overnight. He is ten years old. He is afraid to go home, his 4 brothers and 2 older sisters have all either run away or left to escape the rath of the father. Starving, we bought him some chipatis and a couple of bananas from the women on the side of the road, and headed over to Majengo orphanage where we were scheduled for a meeting> I am sure this boy had no idea what was happening to him. Our cooks cut up some mango and made him tea. Filippe one of my favourite kids with wide ears and a huge toothy grin took him under hand for an adventure with the other kids, by the end of an hour he was laughing and smiling, playing on the swings. |We took him then over to spend the night with a grandmother relative of his, but discovered that by daybreak he had run away from her home, head tailing it down the road, exclaiming to one of our orphanage staff that he would be back soon.

And so it goes.

Election in three weeks in Tanzania, the streets are filled with green and white placards, megaphones on trucks, people dancing and singing in the streets...it is likely that the reigning party will get back in, but the opposition is strong, great arguements and discussions abound.
I have discovered another meal for me, a huge change from the rice, beans, greens and tomatoe sauce i ate every day for two months last year, lunch and dinner. The other night i came across MIrium who owns the Mi Casa restaurant soaking a sort of bun into a small bowl of delicious vegetable soup! You have no idea how excited you can get for a change of taste, and this one is delicious!!

this computer>>>>ALL SET to go back and edit what my fingers have flown through, only to discover that i can't put the curser into the middle, end or beginning of a sentence without deleting the entire paragraph!

We have no idea back home our technology, the ease with which our expectations glide across known terrain...while here it is a celebration to barely connect with the internet!
time..running out...racing to finish without DELETE!!
have a great day...thinking of you all..missing those great kids of mine and my grandkids on this your Thanksgiving weekend...such a long way from home...have a wonderful one!
xx

2010-10-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

JAMBO!!
I am back in Africa!! Arrived last Friday...grueling...Toronto, Washington, Rome (for an hour on the runway!!), Ethiopia, Nairobi and \kilimanjaro!! HOme!!
Decided to come over...with three days notice...Charles is leaving for Wales Monday, well he left today, but we had three great days working out logistics, meetings... it is incredible to be back...but will miss him dearly..

Visited Majengo on day one, half dead, but so happy to see the kids...they seem taller!! Happier, more alive, with it...or maybe it is because we have gotten to know each other a little better, the trust woven through the tapestry, now of what has become their lives...things running smoothly here...

Setting up four Village Saving loan Associations too...instead of the hugely high interest rated micro financing...love it! Will describe it all fully next time...running late on my internet....
Miss you all out there!!
xxLynn

2010-09-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Jambo!! Hi!!
Greetings from Toronto...we are WAITING!!...waiting to hear...
Every day calling Charles..in Tanzania....what is happening???
Jamie from Warren...packed and ready to go....but we have to wait!

Mto Wa Mbu..Tanzania....POSSIBILITY!!!
40 more children needing homes....and if this happens...we are ready to take them in!

Two weeks ago. I am on the phone to Charles...he is about to take off to Wales for his Masters in Public Health in a few weeks..he tells me bout these kids...without a home...
I call Matt...
Matt McKissock from Warren, Pennsylvania, President, Warren/Majengo Foundation, told me 2 sumemrs ago at our cottage that this was the most important work he has ever done...that his dream is to expand our Majengo Orphanage from the 40 kids we started out with March '08, to 1,000 kids in 5 years!! He blew my mind.

And now this!!

Matt is a huge thinker, a visionary....
He shocks me with his exhuberence..with his immense drive, with his commitment..it goes way beyond any dream i could have ever conceived.

Well, last March..we added another 15 kids into our Orphanage...15 of our kids had reached the age of 7 and were heading off to Primary school...some still lived in with us, some lived out with relatives or guardians, but at this stage, they were finished with Pre School at Majengo, We made a decision, to pay the schooling expenses (uniforms,, shoes, books, school fees) for the kids who had left us but were living out, a decision to carry them all the way through Primary school till they reached age 14, and then what? Well, there is secondary school for those who make the grades..costly, about $650. US a year, for four years..and for the others, maybe technical training...electrician, plumber..but that is down the road...

And at a meeting with the Village Elders last March...in speaking of our dream to expand our assistance in any way we can, Matt said: "...if any opportunity comes up, we will do it!!"

Possibly now..the time has come.

We are still waiting..to get the final word from the people in charge of those kids....I am calling Charles everyday.

As Matt said to me on the phone that day:
"How can we NOT do it!!"
So Charles..we are waiting..you are on your way to school..God help us in putting the logistics of this together while you are away. But ICA has wonderful people...and Jamie from Warren is ready to go. I plan to get over there late October.
There are houses to rent: beds to build, sheets, towels, kitchen things to buy. Staff to put in place. it is huge..but we have done it before we can do it again!

AND MOST OF ALL..WE NEED HELP...
THESE NEW SPACES WILL COST AGAIN, ANOTHER $30,000 TO PUT TOGETHER AND RUN ANNUALLY...
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!
Please contact me: lynnconnell@sympatico.ca
or google the Warren Magengo Foundation, in Warren Pennsylvania.

be a part of it all!
We are totally non profit. We all work totally as volunteers.
WE pay our own way. Every cent raised goes straight to the Orphanage, to the children.

Keep in touch!!
LynnConnell..Toronto Canada....
www.lynnconnellart.com
416-951-6528

2010-09-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

MAJENGO UPDATE!!!!

Bits and pieces, from Peter: (mostly in his own words…)
(Peter is our communication liaison between Majengo Orphanage, ICA Tanzania, and to us, the donors in Canada and the US>

June through Aug 30, 2010 …
Again, problems with internet access..you take the bus all the way up the hill for an hour to Kiratu, spend another hour writing ‘huge stories’, and the electricity goes..I know it well! But here we go!

Now that i'm home, i'd love to upload images to you..but blogspot is having a problem, wouldn't you know!!

Refers Majengo…
Staff: the team work is so fantastic: all workers are well committed, last week Kilo and I we were blocking the toilet which was filled with dust and waste and dirt water - the water system blocked and we managed to unblock and took us 8 hours.

In the cleanness areas Witness and Matilda are doing great work cleaning the house 3 times a day, bathing the kids two times a day, washing clothes everyday - its big job but they are managing it with good team work from Glory and Martha.

Kids!!
Greyson is amazing in class - all kids love him so much for his concern to them - he has 3 classes a day from 8 am to 12pm pre-school kids; from 3pm to 4:30 pm, he teaches primary one kids and does revision with them of what they have been taught at school, and from 5pm to 6:30 pm he teaches the primary 2 kids to make them stable in their subjects.

Yesterday, Greyson and I have taken all the kids for the salon to cut off their hairs they are all looking so smart……

Kids of primary, they have started their holidays and the have been given one month of holidays so they will be resting until early July. I am so happy to see that our kids are still performing better in school and down are the details on how they performed;
STAR STUDDED!!
Primary one; (age 7)
1. Amina Ayubu,
2. Muazi Self,
3. Barick,
4 Sharimira Adidas,
5. Ramla Masunga and
6. Alex.
So our kids took position 1 to 6 in primary one.

Primary two as follow: (age 8)
1. Amina Bakari as usual
2.Mariam Yakobo.
3.Neema Raymond
4. Sebastian
5. Godlizen your best swimmer.
7. Jenifer.
10. Hawa Ibrahim
13. Raheri
15. Philippo
This is the position of our kids who did the best work out of 112 kids in their class.

We have also an English teacher who teaches the staffs and the primary two kids she is very good teacher..they learn a lot of new words.

I have got time to sit with the elder kids and interviewed them of what they like in future…
Amina said she loves being a doctor and single in future and helping the orphans around the world.
Philipo said he want to become a president of Tanzania..
Hawa said she want to become a pilot…
Godlizen, he want to become a army commander…..
Miriam wants to be \nurse…
Sebastian wants to be teacher……
Neema wants to be a teacher….
Jenifer wants to be a business person, and work with white people I think as a tourist….

The new 15 kids (which were added into Majengo in March ’10 as pre school, living out), they are doing well and catching up with the environment - they are lovely to each other..

The new kids are all okay but two of them needs a lot of caring.. Hawa Rashidi, she has stomach problem and she might need operation time to come I talked with her mother she said that she took her to the doctor in Monduli hospital and the doctor told her that she needs operation so we have to confirm if that will help her,... another one is called Rebecca she has nose bleeding most of the time during the day so Glory and Matrida always very close to her to ensure she is getting medication on time, but also we are going to take her to Karatu for check up by the special doctor...

Otherwise all kids are fine and this Saturday, Sabina and I are going to have HIV AIDS testing for all new kids.. I will let you know when we are done..

And more…
Martha the treasurer had malaria last week but now she is well……..
Hadija the Cook she has gone home in moshi for 5 days one of her relative passed away so she will be back on Saturday … so Martha and Glory helping Nuana in the kitchen………

Hadija and Nuruana are all back..

Nuruana's husband Vicent is now okay and Hadija's daughter she is also fine..
The staffs are doing great Job as always... yesterday Martha, Kilo and I we were arranging the store rearrange all the packages to be in order and made fumigation for insect and mosquitoes so that to reduce the causes of malaria for our kids..
The security guide he is very good and committed; he stays outside all night long protecting the orphanage now Glory has no fear any more...

Last Monday, kids were taken for malaria check up and only two of them had malaria that’s Pendo and Loveness.....we are now looking for assistant cleaner because soon Matilda will be leaving to school.......last month Witness and Hadija went for one month holidays and they are all back in place working so hard.

We have got two Germans volunteers who are students at I.C.A to do their field work. Charles has sent them to Majengo to work with us…. Their names are Mendi and Christine. They loves kids and teach them English grammars and speaking experience. They are helping Witness to clean up the house and helping Glory to look after the kids. And sometimes we have them in class helping Greyson - it is very much lovely to see everyone is committed with our work……..

2010-06-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone...greetings from Toronto Canada!
UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE!!

Here is is mid June in Toronto, the day dark and grey and a little cold, dreaming about the wonderful things going on over at Majengo orphanage in Mto Wa Mbu, Tanzania...I almost never write this blog from Canada, but just got a great email from Peter at ICA Tanzania, and just had to write to you.

As you know, we have 28 children, age 3 up to 8, living in at Majengo...and are supporting another 25 kids who sleep at home, but who spend their days either at our pre school right on the premises, or down the road at the local primary school. We were able to interview and admit 15 more pre schoolers who live out, into Majengo in April this year. Of course, their adjustment was huge..getting used to new children, our two wonderful teachers Grayson and Glory...just seeing a new face could often send them into a spasm of tears! Three meals a day, what a wonder, especially for so many of these children who are the most poor and vulnerable in the region. To actually eat well and regularily is something they never have been able to experience.

He writes that out of 112 children (age 7) in Session 1 of Primary school, 6 of our children: Amina, Muazi, Barick, Sharimina, Ramia and Alex stand top in their class! And in Session 2, (age 8) out of 132 kids, congratulations to 9 more Majengo kids at the top of their class!!!: Amina, Marium, Neema, Sebastian, Godlizen, Jnifer, Hawa, Raheri and Philippo...!! Bravo!!!

Our staff of 8 full time, and 2 part time remain happy and comfortable in their work. Just a few months ago, as well as upping their salara, we were able to help each one of them with their own children's educational needs. Matt stressed over there this year, that all we demand from them is honesty, hard work, competence and love of the children, those four things...three, is not enough! and so far we seem to have gotten them in spades. We added a part time English teacher and a night watchman onto our staff as well this year, at the advice of our full timers.

Our English teacher comes in everyday after school, teaching English to both our staff and to our primary school children. Peter says the level of learning is vastly improved and hopes that by the time we arrive back next year, they will be able to understand us. I have to say, my Swahili, much to my chagrin, stays miserably put; hopefully, this fall, i will have time to take lessons..

What else..just got back from a wonderful weekend in Warren Pennsylvania with Matt and his family, his mom Diana and Jamie Bee who organized a great fundraising evening on the Saturday night at their local Holiday Inn. Along with a silent art auction and some nice food and wine, wonderful presentations, by Matt, myself, Diana and Jamie and by a great woman from Utah who visited the orphanage and flew in for the occasion. We raised over $8,000. that night.

We have a dream....we are now helping to support 50 kids at Majengo, and another 6 over at another orphanage in Arusha...56 children in one year...with the goal of assisting 1,000 kids in 5 years! This will be done, by helping families and guardians in the Majengo area, hopefully adding our support to the 6 kids in Arusha, where there are 100 children from a terribly empoverished area being schooled in a church every morning culminating with one cup of gruel at noon, often the only food they will eat all day. Pastor Naiman, who oversees this church and school project tells us that there are 400 more children in the area who are desperately waiting to get in. There is so much we can do.

OUr infrastructure over there is solid. With Charles Luoga our project coordinator at the helm, an incredible guy we have been working with now for four years. I always says, if i can't trust Charles, i can't trust anyone. Along with Charles at ICA Tanzania, we have Peter who graduated from High School with top honours as their head boy running our communication between Majengo and us far away, Mina who has just come on board as a community development leader, Glory who is our lawyer and Kissa, who comes from a huge project helping 3,000 children, in Handeni to the south of Mto WA Mbu...Without any of these people, we would be lost.

The beauty as i see it, of working as we are, is that the village leaders and ICA Tanzania are in charge of Majengo and its daily operations, decisions, etc..not us. We work in tandem with them, but are not heading the project. It is lead by them, overseen by them, and operated by them. And yet it is hands on. We can grab a flight over to Kilimanjaro and drive three hours to the orphanage to see for ourselves, hold the children in our arms, hear their singing. Watch them grow. This is not something you cross your fingers and hope that your good money is actually getting into the through to enhance the well being of the children. There is no doubt here...every cent is accounted for, the most important element, really, of the whole venture.

WE welcome everyone who wants to climb on board, in whatever capacity.
It is your choice! please google the Warren Majengo Foundation for more information as to how you can help, or email me at : lynnconnell@sympatico.ca
Phone: 416-951-6528
thanks!

Re my micro finance project now...with our 80 HIV AIDS positive people, almost all women..briefly, because i will be attending a big micro finance conference in Toronto this coming week and will have so much more to tell you about...
In Mto Wa Mbu in March...we interviewed each one of the 80 people living with HIV AIDS, medical information, work experience, family and children, dependents, hopes and dreams...Then we ran an intensive three day workshop for half of the group, covering all aspects of business, group process, conflict resolutions, accountability, keeping books, receipts, and the principles of micro financing.It was exciting to witness them learning, talking so intensely between themselves, getting a grasp on what is required to run a small business: banana and sugar selling, small shop, chicken and egg production, all aspects of agriculture, farming, irrigation, labour, etc....
Next they will form themselves into small groups of 5 people, all hoping to do the same kind of business.
I have spent the last two months meeting and learning about micro financing from Canada. What i was told last week, by a team of top micro finance colleagues from Plan Canada, was that there are institutions in place in Tanzania who we could apply to for financing, rather than trying to raise the money here...those institutions would be in charge of monitoring and organizing our 80 PLWHA...(people living with HIV AIDS), if we were accepted.

will learn more about that this coming week at the conference.

Other than that..wow..i have moved out of my Argyle Place loft back into the first floor of my house on Major Street where the last tenant just vacated a week before i needed a new home! The great space on Atlantic avenue fell through, once we learned that the zoning there was commercial/industrical, NOT residential as we were origonally told. Thanks to Bob Kostyniuk, my lawyer, i was able to get out of the purchase deal in a short period of time! But it was disconcerting, and led me to decide not to run my Creativity Art Retreat this summer..anywhere. I want to rent out the Dunedin space and the River House next door until i decide what to do with those spaces. And am looking still, for a wonderful place downtown into which I can relocate my art retreat. Times they are a changin...with a lot of transition, but am painting like mad, a new series and loving it.

that's me! this weekend giving a workshop to Mary's Kitchen folk, up in Dunedin...to make spirit cards...to attach onto the food they prepare and deliver to people in need in the area of Creemore. a wonderful group...

stay tuned..will try to keep more in touch...
have a great summer!
Lynn

2010-03-27T02:19:00.000-07:00

Good morning!! Saturday, Arusha....heavenly...bliss...electrical blackout for four days now in Mto Wa Mbu!! No computers, no communication,cellphone without juice! Cold showers in pitch black rooms, eye liner by flashlight...candlelight everything...everyone at my office forlorn, all computers and info down, and i am beaming with my turquoise three ringed binder with 10 folders packed with all my information, i point to it! Computers,or old fashioned paper, hand written?..to which Peter says but your house could burn down. Oh yes, and how many times has that happened? Compared to how many blackouts we get in Mto Wa Mbu, maybe two a week!! But this one is a long one, and while i bask under the florescent lights of this internet cafe, with humming computers it occurs to me, other than the huge lack of education here for most everyone, they are without electricity too, stopping Africa from being part of the free flowing internationally obsessed world of information. They just can't rely on it!
Man...6 days to go, and it is getting crazy...
Wrote the bios of 55 kids over the last few weeks, only to discover that we can't print or publish any of the personal information on the kids, nothing. And of course this is right. Today. up at 6..on this machine writing like mad, deleting half of it, to fire over to Warren as part of a book we are putting together of the history of Majengo, just how did we get ourselves mixed up in this!! The staff, the kids, their stories...Well, without mentioning names, each and every one of those kids has a terribly heart breaking story. They have all been orphaned at some point with parents who have passed with HIV AIDS....many living with neighbours, friends or elderly grandparents, so poor, so aged, so frail, unable to work, without resources. These kids roaming the dusty roads looking for someone to take them in, to assist them, maybe a meal, one a day....Fathers who have 'run away', too scared of the responsibility of looking after a family, no home, no job, no resources....and off they go. Mothers, sick and weakened by the disease, trying their best, asking for help and moving in with their parents..friends. It is everywhere....
Along comes Majengo. Or what we called Huruma at the beginning, where we found 52 little kids sitting on a mud floor in a dark leaking foyer of someone's mother in law's house, a teacher brightly telling stories and singing songs at the front of the room. Outside three neighbourhood women, taking in maize, rice from generous farmers, huddled in an ourdoor kitchen propped up with wood and corregated rusty tin slabs, cooking for these kids. All orphaned.
But here, there is hope!
They have somewhere to go, for eight hours of their day. And then most of them meander back to somewhere, anywhere that will look after them as darkness falls. The very very poorest of them all, the ten little ones, aged 4 to 6, stay, being put up in one horrible dark room with two beds, five to a bed, sleeping widthwise next to each other, but at least, it is a home.
And we come along, all of us who have been drawn into this story, stricken in our own hearts by what we have seen, along we come, and dig deeply into our pockets. WE find a proper home for these children, just down the road. And raise $20,000 for its renovation,and write up a contract, we renovate to finish, the owner allows us 4 years of use. Perfect. The next year, we build bunk beds, desks, chairs, benches, and tables, and an outdoor kitchen. We use up all the money our friends back home have so wonderfully entrusted us with, we buy sheets, towels, everything to outfit a kitchen, a pre school room...blackboard, shelving....
Matt flies over sight unseen, with Ian and Bill...laden with 8 duffel bags bursting with shoes, clothing, school supplies, skipping ropes, computers, overhead projectors, printers, world maps, you name it, they brought it, sight unseen.
They stayed a week, and said later, it was the trip of a lifetime.
March 08, one year ago. we opened with a flourish, relocating 28 little wonders into this beautiful new home...with toilets, showers, clean beds, andclothing. A place to grow up together as one big family, a place where their teacher Glory, actually LIVES with them as their matron, with learning and fun going on all day, and half the night, classes for little ones before they hit 7 and primary school, classes for every one after school..classes all day, fun learning with all the new puzzles, and maps, tinker toys, and lego sets and exercise books and brain teasers brought from Warren, blessed be!!! What i have seen in one year. Little P, I am not allowed to mention names....found by Peter last year while interviewing her very old grandmother as to whether her sister could be admitted into Majengo, were they amongst the very poorest the most vulnerable families...little P. naked and dirty, hungry, peering out from behind a broken wooden pillar barely holding up this mud and stick home..little P, who last year could hardly walk....Well she came too, along with her sister. And this year we find out little P is actually officially 5 years old..she looked 3 last year, maybe...her hair is braided, her little face shining and clean, Osh Kosh bi Kosh (sp) jumper, donated from someone back there, once worn by theirs, and now by ours, smiling, happy...learning the songs and Swahili from the older kids, little P our mascot, loving the attention from the older kids, sleeping with matron Glory every night. Happy, contented, secure.
To see how these kids have changed in just one year.
It is a miracle.
And tomorrow we celebrate our first big party, with a huge cake, all kinds of food: samosa, ugali, pieces of roasted beef, watermelon, bananas, juice, biscuits...we've invited 120 people!! All the kids from the Pambazuko orphanage, 14 of them with Elias aND tABIAS, their mama and baba..village leaders and their spouses, our staff and their mates, or friends, all of us at ICA TANZANIA....a sprinkling of friends here and there, such fun!! We will have music and sing and dance and applaud all of you out there who are such a big part of this, thank you!!!

Did i tell you, i might have, last week we interviewed about 75 people in our ICA office, all PLWHA....people living with HIV AIDS....mostly women....about a new project we are dreaming up, micro financing where we offer small loans to whomever goes through our upcoming three day workshop, to learn business skills, how to deal with money, customer care, validating each project, new business...and hopefully when i get home, finding some wonderful people who will help finance this great venture. I figure about $20,000 will do it, first time around. With a six month payback period, all going well. Our staff at ICA are being trained right now, as i write, on how to operate such a function, how to validate and monitor these businesses: banana selling, fruit buying, small shops, vegetable gardens, making charcoal carriers, kanga sales, clothing shops, the list goes on and on, dreams, each and every one of them, without capital or collateral, but with hopes and dreams like the rest of us, and with just a bit of a start up or maybe a little money to expand what they are already doing, they will be on their way....and if it is done properly, next year, maybe they will have earned enough money to pay for their children's education, the hefty secondary school fees now prohibitive to so many of them, maybe, in one year, they will have a chance. WE shall see..

and it occured tome this morning, that this is how Majengo started. With a dream. A vision. the visit with Charles to that horrible dank leaking foyer....the decision to renovate that house...but then what? Yes...we raised the money for the reno...but WHAT WAS I THINKING!! Who was going to pay for the months and years ahead, the every day operating costs of looking after these terribly devestated children: the food, the school costs, the staffing, the medical, the uniforms, shoes, soap, detol, whatever...all of it..who in earth was going to pay for this...??
I am not stupid, well, I dont think so.
But it truely didn't occur to me to worry about this aspect of it all. all i wanted to do, was to renovate thathouse, and move those kids in. Now, of course, in retrospect, i am appalled at myself..but hey, it is working out, and only thanks be to all of you out there helping to support Majengo...believe me.

And here we are with a new project, the micro financing of maybe 80 hard working, very poor, needy, mostly women, all of whom striving every single day, for every single meal, for their families....life is very hard here.
So here is the need.
Charles quizzed us the other day about the difference between a PROBLEM, or a CHALLENGE...so i thought, a problem is like a big dark cloud, with no where to go, insurmountable, lifeless, dull, dead. But a CHALLENGE that is something different, vibrating with LIFE!! with lots of hope, risk taking yes, but with the INTENTION to get out there and make it happen, to break through all obstacles, to BELIEVE..that is reallywhat this is all about.
Believe...that this project, this new micro financing for these very destitute women, brave enough to go public with their HIV AIDS status, all of whom are living strong healthy lives again with the help of ARVs...with good food, no alcohol...
YES..we can do it!!!
I believe..
So here we go again..
I have to get home, and learn about micro financing..the ins and outs of foreign loans....how to do it, the tax systems etc...and off we go!!!

Little M...I wrote about her a month ago. The little girl, 8, who was taken by her birth father out of the Pambazuko family orphanage, to live as a family with his new wife, but who refused to tell her of his own HIV AIDS positive status, or that of his daughters, hence refusing lITTLE M the vitally needed ARVs which had been keeping her alive for two years now.
I visited back then, and with a translater, told the story to his new wife, of little M, her HIV AIDS status, how she had been taken in by Pambazuko, how well she had been....and now, i look at her, sick, weakened..and so very unhappy. This new wife, expecting this kids to carry water, wash dishes, not allowing her to go to school. Something had to be done.
But here in Africa things take time.
Their own sweet time.
Two nights ago, I am standing in the dark talking to an American woman i have just met outside my little hostel, when along comes a short figure draped in a headscarf hiding her face. WE stoop down to say hello, and to my horror, it is M.
She looks like an old woman now, with out the life saving ARVs, wizzened, small, lost, desolute, and very sad, and very alone out there in the darkness of night. With no one looking after her.
My gawd!
That night I fire off some intense texts to my best friend Charles, to a doctor i know who is head of all the HIV AIDS things going on in central Tanzania, to the baba of Pambazuko. And i say, for the love of God...i use everything i can use, the strong language, drawing God, and the Lord, and what in earth are we not doing while this little girl is dying in front of our eyes!! Man...
Charles went into action, as he always does.
Our lawyers drew up a letter to this father, demanding that he shows up at ICA...TODAY!! one copy to the police, one to that HIV AIDS doctor, and one to the head of social work in the area.
So i wait.
We can't expect that the father will allow M back into Pambazuko.
but in fact he is abusively killing her, day by day, by withholding his status and disallowing her the pills which will save her life. She could die!! and we all know this. So i am praying, that this letter will be the beginning,if he doesn't show, the police will pick him up, and implant him in the small wooden sheds sprinkled about at the back of the police station, enough room to lie down, on earth floor, no bed, no toilet. no hole. In this case, i have little sympathy. Let's just get her to a hospital as soon as possible, and whether she stays wih this father, or moves back to Pambazuko, isn't the issue, the medicine is.

I am fired up...
So this week..tomorrow the big party, Monday to Wed the workshop...
Budgets to approve....benefits to our staff, education for their kids, teachers certification paid for....micro financing...bios to write...letters to answer.
And now....pack up and get out of here...make my way across Arusha Town...dodging the cars and bikes. weaving in and out of wild, crazy marketplace, shoes, millions of them on sale, or being fixed, everyday i fixate on something new, sewing machines, treddle of course, lined up along the crowded sidewalks, sewers up and down with their feet, threading colourful cotton through, shoes being sewn back together, cleaned, polished, lined up in a row along the road...

Matt!! phone me..!!!
WE had a great talk yesterday. I am careening along in a small van stuffed to the very brim with Masai mostly, wedged in four to a three seat row, elbows pushed together in a v on top of my black back pack, the row behind me jammed to the roof with grey plastic gunny sacs bursing with corn cobs, or fruit or something sharp poking my head...and the phone rings....Wow...
It is pouring like crazy outside, and hard to hear a little, but we make contact, always so good to hear from him - gives me a sense of reassurance that all of this is going just okay!!
Matt call me!!

Home soon..can't wait.
Some of these posts reflect it, i know...the heat, the Swahili day and night, the endless plates of rice, beans, sauce, greens...with a banana or a wedge of watermelon on the side...lunch and dinner, lunch and dinner..endless. no relief. No computer, no internet. No connection with those i love. Not often enough.
So yeah, i am dying to get home...
But all of that aside...the faces of those little kids..the colour on the streets, winding my way through cows and goats, down the road, a tree is chopped down, and a million people appear with machettes hacking down a little of it branch by branch until it too disappears....little fires burning garbage, or cooking dinner in battered tin pots, little children playing alongside in the dust, one small boy pushing a flip flop pink shoe up a make believe roadway traced into a pile of drying sogum, his make believe car holding a rock, a piece of wood as cargo...the sounds of mto wa mbu quiet now, eiry without music blaring from each storefront, silent, but for 'jambo!! habare!! how are you!! good morning!!..wandering along...trying to remember, trying to get down the images. A guy standing on the very top of a newly created dried banana leaf room, like a bird, as we eat a plate of roasted bits of beef, and ugali, the sort of cream of wheat hardened staple here, which after the meal, Charles informed me that one hand, the right one only, is to be used for eating, whereas i had the right one going for the beef, and the left for rolling up the ugali into a small ball, that left hand, he told me, later, was for you know what, in the bathroom....but, hey, how do i know!!
Four years later!!
Got to run...
have a great week!!
and hey to my kids, if you are reading this, Saturday, term 3........around 4 in the afternoon....salmon dinner? ah...............can't wait to see you!!!!
hugs...me!!
ps..and MERIT!!! last and certainly not least....SAturday 7am Amsterdam!! see you!!

2010-03-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hi..greetings from Arusha..where i am holing up in a great little hotel with a swimming pool and free internet!! if you can believe, cheap, snug in the middle of a banana grove, quiet, and this being their low season, i am the only one here!! Bliss...had to get out of Mto Wa Mbu, Arusha is a little cooler, especially at night, and this week was especially trying, interviewing 73 people, mostly women, all of whom are HIV AIDS positive, hearing their stories, my gawd! WE are hoping to set up a micro finance project with them, my new job when i get home...very exciting, most of these women have what they call small businesses, meaning they are selling bananas from other people's plantations along the roadside in Mto Wa Mbu, dreaming of expanding this business, taking their bananas or other fruits of nearby or far away villages to sell. Or women who now have 10 chickens, making baby chickens and selling their eggs at the Mto WA Mbu market, wanting to expand to 30, maybe 100 chickens, building bigger chick houses, more medicine, more food. All of these people are on ARVs, the anti retro viral drugs which enables them good health now, after fighting this terrible disease, as long as they follow the rules and eat well, don't take alcohol and take their pills regularily.
What else: WE talked with women who want to travel to Dar to buy kangas, the colourful sheets tied around the waists as skirts, drapped around shoulders, wrapped ingeniously around heads of all women here, new businesses, or start growing vegetables, onions, carrots, lettuce, cauliflower (I sure don't know where they sell this, i would kill now for cauliflower soup, or cauliflower doused in cheese sauce, my gawd it has been too long!), tomatoes, starting small businesses selling in local markets, or opening small shops with keroscene, maize and wheat flower, soap, telephone cards, biscuits....three solid days of talking with people, each one with a new idea, or maybe an idea of their neighbour, some asking for four times the amount as others for the same small business...not really knowing costs and prices, but determined to start something new to improve their lives. Everyone wanted to begin new, or to expand, to raise funds to send their kids to primary or secondary school, to pay for the expensive school fees, uniforms, shoes, and books, all of this to help their children gain an education which absolutely none of them were able to afford themselves.\

Here it is all about education. Everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, with only one desire, to help their kids through primary, then secondary, then on to high school and if they are lucky, university. It is a dream. But without education they know their kids will go no where.
Primary school is basically free here, but for the equivalent of $50. USD for uniforms, shoes, books and school fees. But after 7 years of this, around the age of 14 or so, they are out on the streets unless someone can come up with the $550 required for the first year of secondary school, for most it is prohibitive. Thus you get kids, hoards of them standing on street corners hawking cheap necklaces and bracelets created by factories in China, or worse still, hanging around asking foreigners for jobs, alcohol on their breath. The girls without a chance to go further after primary, stay at home to help their families, get pregnant, get chased out of their homes, some 60% seek illegal abortions, the rest having their babies, many of whom are left on church steps or with neighbours and family, or dumped on the side of the road. Boyfriends without homes or jobs, run away, mothers too, often drifting into prostitution to allow themselves a little cash to send back to child caretakers or maybe just for a little bit of fun, these girls being children themselves.
Exciting to dream of this project, all of us, these mainly women all of whom live with HIV AIDS, and our ICA staff, planning carefully the next steps - a 5 day workshop facilitated by Charles, where they will divide themselves into small groups of 5 people, all striving to borrow money for like businesses, and learn exactly what costs they will incur, how to begin to run responsible businesses, how to handle their customers, how to keep their books. And finally, what exactly is micro financing, borrowing, at an interest rate of 12 percent, that money going toward ICA volunteers who will work singularily with each borrower, as advisors, as counsellors, and as monitors after the loans have been given.
REcipients will pay principal along with interest, small amounts monthly, rather than a big sum at the end, for sure to cause fear, perhaps enough for the borrower to run away.
This 'running away' expression is huge here! I have the vision of husbands and boyfriends and borrowers and mothers leaving families and children all running down the road, duffel bags flying behind them in tow, each one head tailing it out of town as fast as they can, a gleam in their eye as they dash away from whatever responsiblities they are unable to face. It is everywhere and always.
I have just spent the day recording into this computer the bios of 40 of our living in or living out pre schoolers our primary school kids from the orphanage, each one with a different story, most of which include someone 'runnning away'.

The mother left pregnant by the husband besought with too many kids too many responsiblities, no job, no money, no house, no food, giving up, leaving her often with having to somehow come up with the money for even basic needs: food, shelter, primary school. Or the father dying of HIV AIDS, leaving his wife sick as well, her father and mother taking over, both of them in their 70s or 80s, eaking out a small existance as temporary farmers even at that age, bent over in half working fields, trying desperately to help their grown child. It is insane. And it is often, with each child, a story, and hundreds, thousands in line behind them

I am on the bus roaring down the road from Mto Wa Mbu en route to this two day holiday now in Arusha, yesterday. It is packed with every seat taken, with even fold up seats unfolded now in the middle of the aisle, each occupied, wedged in, the sun pouring in from the left side where i am squished in, my black bag on my lap, my book by Thomas Friedman, an American journalist Hot, Flat and Crowded which i can't recommend more highly. In front of me is a very beautiful Masai woman, young with crinkly eyes dressed in a blue sheet over the usual red checked, her ears dripping with masses of white beads carefully woven together, hanging from huge holes forced open by years of dowel spools or Kodak film holders. We look at each other with interest. Smiling. She has gotten on this bus with four plastic gallons of something which they are keeping for her at the front of the bus.
Alf way to Arusha she makes her way to the front, waves at me, and gets off the bus, the porter handing her the heavy jugs of whatever, one by one out the door. Masses of people selling roasted peanuts, bottles of water, candies, hard boiled eggs, home made buns, kitimbua raised high in their hands, crowding each other pushing to gett their goods to sell at window level. I look past them to this Masai woman who I see now unwrapping the blue cotton sheet from her shoulders, folding it in half, and resting it on the road. On top of this, she sets all four gallons of whatever. Next, she is wrapping them up, tying a knot and creating a hoop like handle out of the fabric, twisting and twisting and finishing off with knots at either end, tested and pulling each one carefully for strength. Next she bends over and hikes the whole thing up and over her head, pulling her arms through, and then hooking the hooped fabric onto her forehead, she picks up two other bags in both hands and stands carefully up. This enormously heavy load, carried soley by her forehead, holding up, as she makes her way through the crowd, out of my sight.

I love to write. I don't love to edit. I try to capture what i am thinking and seeing and experiencing first hand, as though i am talking with someone, without worrying about how it will sound, whether my spelling is right, or my grammar, like the beginning of a painting, i especially just want to get the energy, the feeling of the place, the atmosphere down. I see things, and hope i can remember, wishing with all my heart that i had a computer with me, or the means to record it all as they are, there and then.

Friday night i get a call from Peter. I am walking down the road from the orphanage, in the dark, stumbling over pot holes on the road, bicycles wizzing by, hoping not to get hit, clutching onto my bag always with me. He, Sabina our nurse at ICA who and teaching prevention, and two of our volunteers, Glory doing legal field work on women and children's rights, and Mini just in from Arusha working with community development. They are at the Zanzibar 'talking about their future', and inviting me to come. All these kids, in their twenties, sitting around a little table in the dark, drinking sodas, or a beer, discussing their lives. Their work. Their dreams of the future. Each one adament to finish their education first, get good jobs, get a good grounding first, before allowing themselves to fall in love, to get pregnant, to have children. This doesn't seem to happen at home. So often, we fall in love no matter what, and let our lives lead us where they may. Do we sit down and say to ourselves, like Peter, who has women falling in love with him wherever he goes, tall, outgoing, friendly, nice, smart...a catch in anyone's eyes, do we say no? Wait. It is not time. First we must finish our education. We must get great marks, as he has just done in high school, and then on to university. We must get a profession and rise as far as we can, before we take on the responsibility of raising a family, getting a wife.
Maybe he has heard too many stories of 'running away'!!
But do we do this?
I dont think so!
Education. It is really all that there is to raise themselves up and away from lives of such poverty we can't imagine. Thousands of people i see out there, everyday. Toiling in a field, hacking away with a hand hewn hoe hard red ground filled with stones, or standing all day waitressing in a restaurant from the time i have breakfast till around 8 with dinner, for a mere $1.50 a day - impossible for us to imagine. I tell them, if kids back home don't get through high school, they create their own jobs, or some way to make money, many ending up at McDonalds, behind counters, or working retail, or going back to school when they are older, if they wish. WE hve opportunities if we want them. But here, without education, they don't. I am talking today to the waiter who brings me cheese (cheese!!!! the first time i've tasted this for almost two months!) omlette, who has finished at the top of his class last year in a one year hotel training course. With dreams someday of becoming a safari tour guide, he is learning English well, about treating foreign tourists, we talk about that book Hot, Flat and Crowded, brilliant.

Two weeks to go.
Tomorrow back to Mto wa mbu....
Bios, budgets, meetings, tying up...our Masai girls education fund, i have barely spoken of this. We have't had access to a truck this year, hence haven't gotten out to Masai country to check in on those great 16 girls we are sponsoring, but have heard not great stories this year, about teachers leaving government schools for higher salaries in private facilities....one school with 750 students and now left with only 12 teachers, few books, no stationery - it is daunting. Four of our girls finished their last year secondary a month ago, with marks coming in terribly disappointing to them. One passed somehow with good enough marks, on her way into high school with shining eyes and dreams to become a doctor one day...two with marks too low for high school entry, but high enough to get into nursing and teachers colleges..and one having failed. It is not their fault. I know these kids, they have worked hard, but without teachers, books, pens and papers, how are they supposed to do well? It is all over Tanzania now, a huge problem, you work hard enough to get good enough marks to get into formidably expensive secondary schools, setting your families back years financially, and then, not your fault, you fail. My gawd.
I sure don't know what the answers are.

There is that great guy Greg Mortesson from the US, but raised in Tanzania not to far from where i am right now, building schools one at a time, in Pakistan and Afghanistan right now, over 75 of them and growing, and mainly for girls....maybe i will write him to come back to Africa, we need help here!
Got to get off this machine. There are two in this room, but the one next to me is missing the @ on the keyboard. A dribble of tourists, Germans today, file in one by one striving to reach their internet servers, but without that @ get no where.
Outside i hear them now, waiting over their Kilimanjaro beers, baridi, cold...
best i go.
hey, enjoy the spring like weather over there. I hear its amazing...
see you soon!! can't wait!!
big hugs.....L
ps, trying not to think about what i have to do when i get home. Scary. I am relocating my Creativity Art Retreat from a glorious spot a couple of hours north of Toronto on a river, filled with high trees and great people, to the bowels of downtown Toronto. Into a big building with no trees or plants or flowers or rivers....yikes, what have i done!

have a great week!

2010-03-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

JAMBO!! i can't get into my sympatico mail, which is very frustrating, but for some reason this blog website is free! So here goes, it's been a week and a half since Diana, Jamie, Matt and Brian took off, and i miss them terribly....someone asked me today whether i could live over here permanently and for sure, i have to say no, though i have spent almost 10 months of my life here, most of it in this little village of mto wa mbu wedged beneath the awesome rocky strength of the Rift Valley, which stretches all the way from Egypt down to South Africa - so hot and dusty this year, this little place, windy, the fine red dust sweeping up dirt potholed laneways, into my eyes, skin, freshly washed hair. HOt, like nowhere else i have been over here, the locals are complaining, and they never do..|I realize that i am okay as long as i stop focusing on my discomfort, once i do, i have had it, hot flashes way beyond my time, coming in waves from the inside out, the little band of tiny red ants making their way each night horizontally across the grouting of my small tiled bathroom, towards the toothpaste, the soap, but then in moments they seem to disappear. Spiders motionless in shiny robin's egg blue toilet rooms at ICA,little fires alongside the road en route from where i stay over to \mi Casa everynight for my hit of rice, greens and a great sauce, with a glass of white wine, mostly on my own, a flashlight, and these days engrossed in Three Cups of Tea, if you haven't read it, it is incredible!
Ah...but the days are wonderful...a half hour of yoga reminding me of Zoja my pilates teacher back home, wherever that is...a cup of espresso like instant coffee mixed with freshly pumped and boiled milk, a kitembuo - a small round fried rice bun and omlette, with two eggs...and off to the office. Charles intersected me the other morning over coffee - my subconscious swelling micro financing, we hit the office admidst 80 members of the four People |Living with HIV AIDS groups, mostly women, all getting together to amalgamate themselves into one big group, strength in numbers. I have seen these women coming in and out of ICA over the past four years, have assisted a few of them into small businesses, have visited their homes. WE stand there in the middle of it all, and it occurs to me that why not set up a micro financing program right here in the midst of all this energy, these incredible people who have endured so much. Many of whom have been thrown out of their homes, by families with small children in toe, weakened by the disease, distraught now without support, their jobs lost, their money gone, and no where to go. They end up at ICA, and here find support from others who understand only too well what they are going through. Months later, they have been tested voluntarily, HIV positive, and are now working their way into a life long process with the Anti Retro Viral drugs, free of charge, which cannot destroy this deadly virus, but which can keep it at bay, allowing them a life of renewed strength and hope.
So....we started, two days ago, interviewing each of these people, one by one, with the idea of creating a Micro Financing program, to enable those without credit or credibility now, to borrow a small amount of money which will enable them to expand and embellish the small businesses they now work at.
I've spoken with 55 people over the last two days, each interview taking about 20 minutes, a pic and they are on their way. All are doing well, health wise, striving to raise enough money to send their children to school. Basic needs, food, rent and education, that is all that is important to these women here, working long hours out in hot fields as temporary farmers, growing rice, maize, beans, or small vegetable plots with tomatoes, onions, carrots...bent over in half chopping at the ground with rough hewn hoe, hour after hour, and taking home 2,000 a day, the equivalent of just over a dollar US, it is impossible for me to imagine. And some selling bananas along the side of the road, sitting in groups of five, ten, on top of plastic buckets, selling to locals mainly, little stalls of vegetables, beautifully displayed, the tomatoes perched pyramid style on top of each other, carrots lined up fat and plump, everything is organic here, no processing or food colouring, fresh and clean. A daily wage of 2,000 or 3,000 is quite normal, shocking, even the waitresses at Mi Casa, the same thing,barely making a pittance, except for tips, a few pennies here, and there...
So another project is born.
It all fits together, with Majengo, and children, and trying to assist the most vulnerable and poor here, who have no chance to better themselves, with a little help from loans, to be paid back with 12 % interest over a period of 6 months, and then hopefully a renewal of even more to borrow, perhaps this will give some of them a chance to rise a little above the poverty they now endure. Children, each one of these women, or men interviewed today, are looking after to 5 kids themselves, mostly without assistance from anyone. Grandmothers, whose own children have died of HIV AIDS, leaving them with three four or five little ones to look out for, and these women themselves stricken with the disease, coping with so little, i hope we can help, and believe we can, and will...
This seems to be my job now over here, not running around the countryside as i once did at the beginning but to hone it deeply, to come across situations i know well, and to figure out, with Charles, how we can best be of assistance.

Majengo...working out our new budget...and after extensive interviews with our 8 staff members, figuring out how we can help them with their kids education..taking a load off them, thus ensuring for ourselves, that these great people will be with us for a long time. Dancing with the kids the other night, singing, taking pictures, teaching English..oh i wish everyone out there could come to visit, if even for a few hours, just to see what their donations have given.
And figuring out too, a mini micro credit program for our staff as well...
It takes time, verifying, checking numbers, checking school involvement, checking families, numbers of kids....before making our decisions as to how and where we can best spend our money...

This post has been dry...i am buried in a dark windowless room down the road from To Wa \mbu which i have just discovered..they are charging tourist rates for this machine, but a blessing to know it is here, i am stunned...so close by..
hey..coming home soon...looking forward to it, and i know, when i am there, that i will long to be back here too....but dying to see my kids...those grand kids....and my friends, wake up in the morning as spring breaks through, hey, even a hit of winter would be great now...less than a minute to go!!
talk soon...xx\L

2010-03-13T01:58:00.000-08:00

Jambo! as always, i am pressed for time, my internet access so limited, so frustrating sometimes, wanting to share with whomever is out there what is happening here..First of all it is very very hot these days, way more than even a week ago. Way more than a year or four ago...Mouint Kilimanjaro is melting at a very scary rate; Charles told me this morning that they are predicting it will lose its ice and snow cap completely in the next ten, years....droughts have of course begun, making small businesses and life for most of the people around and in our village even more difficult. I get side tracked with the best of intentions to stay on course, pole...
Visited head of ICA TANZ Doris recouperating from a thyroid operation and feeling much better, albeit with a small voice. With Charles, and Emmanuel our ICa accountant here....she is thrilled with our Majengo update, news of the Warren folk visit, plans, hopes and dreams for the future. Complying with everything we are doing.
Had very extensive staff interviews on Wednesday, detailing the needs of each person, how many children they have, ages and where they are in school. They have worked incredibly well over this last year at Majengo, and even during the entire year before we moved into our new facility, they spent that year working everyday without salary....hugely commited to this project and these kids. We hope to help them, and by doing that ensuring tht they will remain commited to Majengo through the years. WE hope to assist them with their children's education needs, the most important issues I see AFrican families having...how to pay for school, especially Secondary. How to assist them also, with emergencies..Martha our treasurer, her husband running off two years ago to marry another woman, leaving her with 5 kids of her own, especially their school fees, the oldest ones now forced to quit school and make their own way, with small jobs labouring, or working as a cleaner in someone else's home...her father died a couple of months ago, in a far away village, to which she had to delve into precious savings to travel, to pay for his funeral fees, transportation, food....
I have said everyday to myself, it is never enough!
Always, there is everyone, needing something...you just have to listen.
Am studying a book Matt brought me a few weeks ago on micro financing, by Muhammad Yunus...who won the Nobel peace prize a few years ago for creating this concept in rural Bangladesh forty years ago. Learning the details of how this actually works. Charles and ICA begun a program in the 90s and now assist 400 people in and around Mto Wa Mbu with small loans, financed by ICA UK and running smoothly. It has worked well on the whole, they have learned a lot, but financing has dimished over the years could use a boost.

My hope is to startup a group makeup of Majengo staff members where they themselves decide the amount of money they need collectively, take a workshop given by Charles and Ica, and commit themselves to paying back this collective loan in 6 months, with 12% interest, with monthly payments. Members are responsible for each other. When unforseeable things happen, like drought, death in the family, etc...ica and other members will take time to assist that person, and cover for them for several months until they get back on their feet. It is my hope that by loaning them start up money this year, they will be more able to assist in the education payments for their children next year, and the next. I am late at this of course, with millions of people successfully borrowing money around the world, without collateral or credit, and paying back, with interest successfully. What a wonderful concept.

Charles is still deciding with his family and professors what direction he will take, leaning now, toward his acceptance into an 18 month masters program in Public Heath in Guelph, Ontario! Close to Toronto. Close to Warren Pennsylvania. We shall see. If he decides to go this route,he will work in Mto Wa Mbu until August '10, allowing us plenty of time to train someone wonderful to take over his post as director of ica here. WE shall see...
Me...i fly home in three weeks...hard to imagine this time has flown by so quickly, but as always, so many new ideas, concepts, programs...a new budget reflecting the 15 new kids joining our Majengo pre school nursery program, very exciting considering we have just been in operation for a year. Also reflecting higher food costs, and cost of items which one year of operation has allowed us the exerience of understanding. I feel, one year later, that our committment to Majengo, to our slow but steady expansion, to our desire to assist as best we can under the guidance of our African friends, as many families and children as possible, in whatever way we can. I look back on my four years here...how different each one has been for me, what i have learned, how the work has focussed and become more detailed as our understanding has grown, sometimes a little - sometimes a lot.

I am starting too, to think of home now...I miss the meetings, dinners and lunches, breakfast at Mi Casa preparing our days, Diana, Jamie...and then Matt and Brian. It was such fun, catapulting so much into such a short time....a whirlwind of learning, discovering, moving ahead....I miss them all!
Diana asked me, what happens when they leave?? Full days, for sure, of interviews, meetings, discussions, but with more time to ask questions and learn deeply of where to go next, what to do, who to trust, where to go next. The nights are long...A quick trip around the corner to Mi Casa - a glass of wine, a bit of rice, a handful of greens and a couple of spoonfuls sauce and I'm back to my little room with overhead fan and my flashlight, reading well into the night, peaceful, quiet, and after all that lovely commotion, it is all i need. But I miss my family, those gorgeous little grandkids...Pyper and Finn...and new baby Eve...and Sierra with Seanna in Chicago visiting galleries,museum having great mama and daughter time, Johnny running everyday in prep for the Boston marathon mid April, i am so proud of him to be able to keep up that schedule with two kids and a huge film job...Lindsey winding up her latest moview...editing and doing sound..and dear Ted with his dad very ill, Scottie in rehab, oh I miss them all so much and can't wait really, to get home to be back with them allagain...and my dear friends...and that art retreat, a new location for it in downtown toronto, moving in, starting over....
huge...so this time here, of night time rest, is good...

muchlove..miss you all...see you soon...home Easter weekend....great!!
hugs...

2010-03-08T00:18:00.000-08:00

JAMBO JAMBO JAMBO!! The morning after dropping Matt, Brian, Diana and Jamie off at the Kilimanjaro airport around 8 last night, after a harrowing four day whirl wind flury of meetings, visits with the children, songs, dancing, celebrations, birthday parties, more meetings, interviewing 14 families with dear sweet very poor and vulnerable little ones so desperately in need of assistance into Majengo, the little wonderful orphanage that is growing and growing, a bumpy dusty pot holed road crossing for a couple of hours yesterday through what many would call God's country, green rolling hills filled with Masai warriors herding huge clumps of cows, goats, sheep and donkeys weighed down by the burden of massively high piles of stacked wood, yellow plastic water containers, anything and everything that can't be carried atop the heads of proud African women, with posture we noted, much better than most of their North American sisters....
Ah..i leap ahead...racing from one thought to another this morning, thinking about these incredible people i am lucky enough to have met,at this very moment, most probably relaxing with much appreciated western showers and bathroom facilities at a hotel in Amsterdam, awaiting their final flight into Toronto....go safely...
Matt and i yesterday, in the big Land Cruiser which seating 9 bouncing along, with Jamie and Brian helping, en route to Kili, recalling these last four days, diana in the front seat with Abdul the driver, putting our stories together, thoughts, ideas, recollections, highlights so many....
Matt's final directions...to write it all, get it all down on this blog, station yourself in Arusha for as long as it takes....so here, to the best of my ability, it goes!! plus i have a good 300 photos to post, but without the ability to do it from here..hopefully, next week!! Bear with me!
My Gawd it feels like a few months back, Diana and Jamie arriving a short 10 days or so ago...as i said in another blog, Diana quite worried about this trip, bracing herself for the worst....scared, what if, what if...the weather, the heat, the FOOD!! O My God!! she would say, they came burdened over with packages of crackers, peanut butter, boxes of health bars, vitamins, ointments for every kind of injury or bug bite, or misfortune they could imagine...Matt had done a great job of leading them through, the phone cards, what to eat, what not to eat, drink....visas...everything, but in retrospect they could not imagine how incredible each day would be..how truely their hearts would break open with the huge smiles and dancing eyes of each little kid wrapping their hearts and souls around them, little fingers searching for love, for soft tummies, for a warm smile, for care...we can't imagine what these kids have been through, and yet, the joy they exude now, the very fact that they are being so incredibly well looked after, washed every day, well fed with three nutricious meals, by a wonderful group of people who truely love them and care about them...not just a job for our staff...
I jump about...Diana and Jamie....arms wide open, filled with huge hearts now...not just in being told about these kids...but knowing them...hearing their stories, watching what joy and comfort and support the magical assistance from the Mc Kissock clan, family and friends have given to these kids buried out here in this hot dusty impoverished part of the world...what hope, what inspiration. What future. It is immeasureable and indescribable...the stories of the changes in just one year since Majengo opened....it is apparent, visual, seen through shining confident beaming faces....what has been created....oh yes, a new family is born.
Diana and Jamie....exhuberent themselves, each day an adventure jam packed, learning, growing, reaching as high as they did....understanding, sitting back, musing, wondering, offering great suggestions, helping with budgets, bios of the children, job descriptions, infrastructure logistics...an incredible learning curve...aS Brian said, a couple of weeks in Africa, equals about ten years of living at home in a land we understand as the days fly by unnoticed...here everything is new, a challenge, packing so much into so few days...but it feeling like a lifetime, that is the good that travel into new cultures can do....

We pick up Matt and Brian WEdnesday night...after a pretty gruelling flight, Toronto to Amsterdam, eight hours, a brief five hour wait over, and then on into another 8 hour stint into Kilimanjaro...we are standing in the waiting area our faces pressed against the torn clear part of the arrivals window, spotting them making their way through custom men, the four huge suitcases packed by the wonderful Yvonne from back home, opened and surveyed dutifully, 50 pairs of little underwear, pens, pencils, medical supplies, clothing, shoes, world maps....stuffed to the brim....thank you Warren! It's Matt's second time over...but Brian's first..a very soft spoken lovely professor of linguistics who spent much of his time in intense conversation with both Masai warriors and Swahili speaking African people, fascinating me immensely with very very tiny and small jottings in his small notebook with his small little pen each section on the page, the placing of words, a space for nouns, verbs, sentences, each portion a work of art - as an aside i learned a little about language structure, a lot over these last four days...watching with amazement as he remembered, learned songs in Swahili culminating in leading a sing song Tanzanian style in front of a hundred gathered together SAturday night in celebration of two little gorgeous girls, dressed in brand new pink gowns, with pearls, at their birthday party, music, dance, festive with Brian up singing - reminding us, of John Lennon....
Overnight at a nice hotel near the airport, and that is another brief story, this place was expensive, room by room...a slice of luxury for me, costing 15 times the amount of what we pay in Mto Wa Mbu....and yet, amidst the gorgeous setting each individual room a house unto itself, snuggled amongst exotic tropical plants, jungled and cut out, a winding path of stones between each, and yet, the air conditioning wasn't working properly, mosquitoes in the room..i didn't sleep all night. When you are paying a lot..you complain...and when you are paying very little in our terms, you have no expectations...re housing, it is safe to say, that no matter where you stay here, whether in an expensive hotel, or in our little Continental spot in Mto Wa Mbu with Mwanna Eddie, dressed in hot pink satin, tight long skirt and bodice, beautiful, smiling and shrieking non stop to each and every neighbour or friend just outside my front facing window from 7am on, annoyingly< i might add...a young woman supporting three small children by herself, sometimes very engaging, a flirt, who can turn on her charm to most every man, especially our Matt, to whom she proposed unabashedly last year great offers of marriage. Every place you stay will have its great points and its flaws, no matter what. Plumbing can often be the problem, the toilet doesn't work, or in Jamies case, no toilet seat. but i might add how lucky we are to have a toilet at all....so often, in Africa, a hole in the ground, so we can't complain, taps leaking. WEak pressure..but at least, we have water...hot water, a plus....it is all workable, and after a few days, something you just get used to...it is okay.
Thursday morning, a great breakfast together at the hotel, and on our way jammed into our big Land Cruiser into the bustling Arushatown, filled with dust and noise and movement of people, along the street, on bikes, with goats and cows and sheep, with pecking chickens running alongside, women sitting on plastic pales roasting cobs of corn tasting more like nuts than kernals...stopping off at ATMS...picking up wads of Tanzanian shillings stuffed into our bags, and off we go to meet local minister, Pasteur Naiman with his 100 little children, age 2 up to 7, sitting 10 to a bench in orderly rows in their uniforms of emerald green sweaters and blue shorts or skirts, some in tatters, waiting for us in his big cement lined church room buried deeply off the main road into a very poor slum area of Arusha...winding dusty hot pathways flanked by shacks strung up with corregated wavy sheets of steel, tin, wood, sticks stuck together with mud, dried cow dung, cement....children playing outside, wee ones barely walking in little clusters backing off and waving gleefully as our car passes through. Pasteur Naiman has been working in Arusha for over 20 years, sponsored by a Danish couple who raise monies through churches back home, who live also in Arusha. 7 years ago he built this church, offering schooling each morning to 100 children, his daughter Anna teaching wonderfully, with a group of local women volunteering their time, dolling out plastic cups of porriage every morning after a great drill of songs, lessons, and numbers...this church a miraculous oasis, a rescue place, without any schools in the area - with 400 more children on the waiting list...
Pasteur Naiman greets us. It is my third visit, the second last week with Diana and Jamie...and now with Matt and Brian. Pasteur Naiman has a dream...and one that so easily could be reached with not so much effort by some of us back home..Out of these 100 children, he has picked out 18 amongst this huge group, of the very most neediest. Well they are all needy, but out of the one hundred, this small group is the most vulnerable, without parents, or relatives, with no resources of their own. Pasteur Naiman's dream, is to rent a four roomed house nearby and move these kids into it, creating a new orphanage, called PUMZIKO, meaning, resting place, with a mama and baba and two people to help with washing, cooking and cleaning. The situation, is dire. Not unique here in Africa, at all...but dire non the less. I have worked with Pasteur Naiman over my last four years and know him to be an incredibly hard working, huge hearted man, honest, loving, caring. And having worked out our budgets so intensely with Majengo, i am well aware of what this new project could cost. Start up, furnishing this place with 6 bunk beds, (12, with one or two to a bed)...kitchen things, tables, benches...about 1,500 US dollars...moving the kids in, renting the house for about $90. dollars a month...firewood, food, uniforms, shoes, medical and staffing comes up to a total of $550. per child per year...or jut under $10,000 US dollars a year.
WE sit through a small ceremony on our behalf, lead by Anna the teacher, the children attentive, wide eyed and hugely curious about this small band of white people snapping pictures and smiling at them, with another group of local people on the other side at the front, a man dressed smartly in a suit, his wife and two other women, who, we learn later, will be the mama and baba and helpers of this new orphanage, IF we are able to help.
Loud exuberent songs, lessons of E equals elephant...followed by a brief formal hello from Pasteur Naiman...and a speech by the still recouperating from jet lag Matt..who, he declared at the end of his stay, would be very happy if I would refrain from laying speech making opportunities upon him every three hours,from dawn to well past dusk, of which he claims he is totally unprepared. Of course everyone out there who knows Matt, knows how much he loves to stand up, prepared or not, and how capable he is emoting properly the correct phrases and sentiments in any crowd i am certain. At the end of it all, we hand out cups of porriage row by row to waiting children, this morning allotment perhaps the only food these kids will receive all day. A get together over coffee and tea in Pasteur Naiman's office with the newly appointed possible mama and baba...who have been brought in from the villages to take on these new 18 children, as their own...if we are able to help. And on to the house they have chosen to house the new orphanage.
Just to give you an idea of how desperate Pasteur Naiman is to successfully begin this project...on my first visit, this house was filled with building rubbish, unpainted both inside and out, without a kitchen, proper windows and outside the grounds littered with garbage and junk. On our second visit the inside was clean, washed down, and painted, but still no outdoor kitchen, no plumbing or ability for water, and outside, huge piles of gravel, garbage and junk.
At that time, I told Pasteur Naiman, that next week, upon Matt's visit....if he is serious about asking for our assistance, we need to see a mama and a baba who will be committed to living in with these 18 kids, two helpers, an outdoor kitchen, a new paint job, and total all around clean up...and water. One week later, it was done.

Since Diana and Jamie have been here, we have spent most of our time in Mto Wa Mbu working over our new Majengo orphanage budget. It is up from last year. Why? WE have decided to expand our work, with 15 of our pre schoolers now age 7 and off to primary school, we now have the opportunity to add 15 new little ones into our day program of breakfast, lunch and schooling, who will live out...our numbers now growing from 40 kids last year up to 55! Plus the price of food has escalated, the cost of maize, corn..almost doubling this year, as Matt pointed out, with international governments electing to allot much of the world's corn now to be made into ethanol and added to oil as fuel - a huge cost to developing nations trying desperately to find the means of feeding millions of its people, the barest of dietary requirements. So our Majengo budget has grown...and Majengo is our first concern. So what to do about Pasteur Naiman's request..how can we help them?
I admire Matt's ability to access a situation and to find quickly a situation, as he did here. Explaining to Pasteur Naiman of our commitment to Majengo, how that comes first, what could he do with a donation of $2,000. USdollars now....where would that money go? Without pausing, he would lay down immediately the downpayment to secure the house first for one year, bring in the mama and baba, and begin with 6 or 8 children right away....working toward hopefully raising the money for the other 10 kids and two helpers. It is a start, seed money to get going, with his huge faith and heart he was sure, the rest would come.
And i believe it will...
Now...out there amongst the many churches, and wonderful people, there must be a group who will be willing to take on this very worthwhile, well researched project..one that i can assure you, is honest, straight forward, with assistance going straight from the donors, through Pasteur Naiman, and to these children..
Between us all, all of you out there reading this blog, your families and friends, i am sure once we get the word out that someone will come forth as part of this growing team of donors, to make Pasteur Naiman's dream come true...how about it!!

Ok and off quickly back into the truck, across wide expanse of green hills, spotted with Masai tribal bomas, igloo like homes made of sticks and cow dung here and there across wide vistas, cows, goats, sheep, Masai children running along sticks in hand guiding their herds, being careful not to lose one animal, for, if that happens, and it is the woman of the house who will be beaten by her husband... the loss of a goat more important always than the life of the wife with a status much lower than that of her cows. Ah....we are here, not to change tribal customs ever, but to observe, to stand back, not to judge, but to offer, when possible our assistance. And while i am at it here, at each meeting, at each discussion of where to go, what decisions to take, we wait and stand back, listen, learn, determined never to force ourselves or our ideas, or dictations on people here, knowing without doubt that they are totally capable of making their own decisions based on skilled experience of how things work in their country. What do we know? Virtually very little. But honoured we are to be part of this process....and with the means, as Matt said, so often, "putting it on the appropriate scale , we have the ability to do more good with such a relatively small effort when seen under the context of our means..."...it is impossible to describe what the magic of a few US or Canadian dollars can do here....

Time out...I started here 3 and a half hours ago, the internet cafe now filling up with people patiently waiting in chairs behind me, eating pastries, but i have a job to do, and am still just half way through day one with three days to go! Charles our great project coordinator took a bus back to Mto Wa Mbu last night after dropping us off at the airport, just text me that someone close to his family had died, that there were seven people at his office waiting for counsel and that he hoped that i was happy in Arusha..unlikely that we will head out to Moshe today to visit Doris, the head of ICA Tanzania, recouperating without vocal ability now from a thyroid operation...a meeting i very much want to attend soon, as Charles, my beloved director and without whom i am lost here in Tanzania, intends to take a leave of absense from ICA for his masters degree in Public Health, for two years, next month!! Yikes!!!...A lot of our discussion these last four days is WHAT TO DO WHEN CHARLES IS GONE?????Who will be the new Charles, and Doris, over in Moshe, unable to speak at this point with her thyroid, is the only person to answer this question... At the rate i am going, and Matt assured me to write as much as i was able...sorry, pole in Swahili, if this is long and dragged out, misspelled and not edited...and for those of you who are still here with me, i promise, or intend, as Matt would say, with all expectations, but no promises, to do my best to stay on course.

While i am on that subject. There is never ever ever enough. As much as we are trying to do, with as many ideas as we have for expansion, slowly and carefully, making sure, without doubt, that with whatever we are doing, we are doing it with people who as Matt outlined at a meeting a few days later were four things:
1- honest and ethical
2 - hard working
3 - competant in their jobs, and
4 - genuinely caring of the children
Each and every person we have working with us here on the ground on our team, be they directors and administrators at ICA TANZANIA, the four village leaders, or the hand picked staff of 8 people in charge of running the orphanage, they must have not all 4 of these things...underlying without doubt, that 3 doesn't cut it...all four, he must have mentioned this ten times....or they are out. AND..if we sense, in any way shape or form, at any time, a situation where corruption is spreading, or beginning to reveal its ugly self so prominent in so many of these aids operations in Africa unless so carefully monitored, by each and every person on the ground, and by all of us on the other side, with direct and regular interested and dilegent communication...if we sense corruption, in any form, if it is not abolished and dismissed IMMEDIATELTY...we are out of here...gone!!!

Last year, at the very beginning of the idea of Majengo, before we moved into our newly renovated facilities and were still operating from a mud floored leaking small foyer of a house, dark without light, without furniture, desks, benches, the children packed in in tatters on the floor, owned by the mother in law of an increasingly unsavoury fella who declared himself 'director' of HIS new orphanage. He paraded around his neighbourhood, forced prospective guardians to donate food or money to himself personally to register their child into 'his' orphanage, beat the children, and fired and hired teachers at whim....I disliked him immensely, immediately, but was forced to deal with him until we moved into our new facilities. The new Majengo. Within days, after long meetings between this guy, the village leaders, the other staff at Majengo and us at ICA, we were able to, under the direction of the village leaders, pay him off, and begin afresh without him, hiring now Killo and Martha, the two very capable and honest people who had been working under him before. It was a difficult intense process, huge discussions of corruption, lies, truths and testimonies...but in the end, with his final official dismissal, a good example and warning to anyone connected with Majengo.
Without truth, without monitoring, without good accountability, without correct cash books, monthly receipts, follow ups....we are fully aware that there is always the danger of corruption sneaking in, but with, as Matt insisted, honest, ethical, hard working, competent and child loving people we are doing our best to ensure that we are on the right path. And as far as i can see, so far, so good!

Ah...back to the gang...day one..Thursday...a couple of hours out of Arusha, past a few zebra lazily grazing in deep grasses along the highway route, we pull into the Carwash, an outdoor restaurant aptly named with its by hand car and truck wash right next door, the operators climbing around the vehicles atop with brushes and soap and big buckets filled with water hurling and cleaning....

Charles has set up a great lunch buffet style, with rice, chicken, bean, greens of a spinach or chard like chopped up vegetable dish called 'amaranth', and boiled potatoes floating around a chickeny tomato, onion, carrot delicious sauce to be poured over it all. Dotto, the second twin whose name is always Dotto, the manager of the popular Double M bar and restaurant in the middle of Mto Wa Mbu haS BEEN hired to dole out the food, with Peter from ICA, Hamidu our Swahili-speaking ICA driver and Charles charming as hosts...a celebration for us all, a grand occasion....of course, the guys are exhausted, but holding up...we pile into the truck and off we go to the orphanage where Matt gets a first-hand chance to see where his money has been spent since he made his decision to assist this Majengo orphanage, just last April, one year ago.
Backtracking...for some who are new to this....Matt and two friends came over, sight unseen, after a few very intense conversations with me about what we were trying to do over here in Tanzania...for one week, to check it out for themselves. They were blown away, by the children, the people they met, by what we were trying to do here, by what we had achieved. Friends from Canada< US and Sweden had raised $24,000 USD to completely finish the building and renovation of a beautiful new home, furnishing it completely....and relocating 40 kids and 8 staff from that mud floored leaking foyer with an official opening last March 08, 2--9....EXACTLY ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!! Happy birthday Majengo!!!! Wow!!!
Matt never makes promises. He makes intentions, sometimes with positive hopeful expectations, but never promises, until he is absolutely sure without any doubts himself of both the worthiness and feasibility of the proposal. Whether to assist for one year, the financing of the ongoing expenses of the orphanage, or for a request from someone to assist their ailing mother for two months in the hospital, or to help our staff support their children through Secondary school, or to buy good open sided shoes for a young diabetic street boy....the list goes on and one, there is never ever enough. Each day there is someone, or many people, who show up at the office, knowing there is a white person working inside, requesting help....I am sure i don;t know the half of it...Charles acts as a buffer between me and the street.... the woman we supported two years ago to begin her rice selling business, last year doing well enough to send her oldest boy to school, pay for food, uniforms, books...but with this years terrible drought, rice fields drying up, rice prices skyrocketing, Masai people with dying cows and limited resources, unable to afford food, her business, like so many others, faltered..in January, time to pay her son's hefty school fees again, she pulled all her money out of her business to do so, and now, sitting across from me, her head down, as if in shame of failure, she offers me a beautifully hand written note asking again for help, again the $60 US I gave her two years ago, pain, sadness, across her face. Who am i to say no? And who am i to make these decisions which so easily can change a life on the twist of a dime, or dollar, so easily given by us at home, if only we will, or could, or can....
To be here, to witness each and every request first hand, to actually SEE with my own eyes the wonder of what this money is capable of doing...
My finances are limited. Back in Canada i make speeches, a few a month, where at the end, a stream of wonderful people line up and offer me $20. or a cheque for $50 or $100....based on their trust that their donations will go straight to the children, or to the women, mainly, who need it, the most. At least from my limited point of view....I put it in a separate account, add it up at the end of the year, translate it into Tanzanian shillings....and withdraw once if get over here...it works...from them to me to them....
Where, again, was I!!!
Oh my gawd....5 hours later...and still where, on day one!!!
Majengo...Matt, one year later..oh, a few weeks, briefly, after his visit last year....he emails me a letter which he has sent to all family and friends...he has decided and made a commitment to support this orphanage for the next ten months...that is a promise....like I said, Matt doesn't ever make a promise he can't keep..but with the intention to support it 'indefinately', not a promise, but an intention...for years down the road..to watch these little kids grow up, to send them through primary and secondary school, maybe on to university, and all the while to add more and more kids along into our little pre school..whenever we have slots and space..to keep growing and expanding..and just last summer..he declared to me...that despite all the work he had managed to achieve back home, that this was for him the most important thing he had ever done in his life!! and that, all going well with everything, his intention, again not his promise, but his expectation was that we would be able to expand and assist hopefully up to 1,000 kids in 5 years...be they at the orphanage, through helping children outside the facility within families who need assistance....through micro financing...through many different ways, some of which will be more successful than others...but nevertheless a hope, an intention, of getting out there on our side, and raising enough interest, compassion, and energy to help and assist as many kids as we can over here...always, keeping in mind the BIG FOUR: honesty, hard work, competence and care for the children....
Back to his visit at Majengo, and for Brian the first time - we pull in, the beautiful bougainvillea fence of my dreams a year ago, now in full bloom, thick and abundant, bursting in pink, white, red blossoms surrounding the house, outside the two cooks greeting us with big smiles....Glory the teacher pouring out of the building surrounded by children, lots of them. WE head back into the classroom, with Grayson in front of the newly painted blackboard, 28 little live in kids shovelling their way along the benches. Glory leads the songs...welcoming the guests...laughing, the kids jumping up and down, reciting: yes madame, thank you sir, welcome to Tanzania....they take us through the rooms, the back bedrooms, with shelves filled with clothing brought over last year from Warren, clean new sheets we just bought last week in bright yellow, pink, green and blue....about $3.50 per sheet...$4. per new towel, 24 of them....the place looks great...the kids are happy, healthy, bigger than last year, as is Grayson our teacher who we tease, is obviously eating well now...and on outside at the end of the visit for a short meeting with the staff..after which Matt couldnt' get over...there were two women last year, who he felt were very wary, almost even hostile toward him, during his brief meeting at the beginning of this project...one of the cooks, one of the cleaners..almost even scornful,of motives maybe, whatever..but who, this year he was astonished by their open warm, confident happy expression, the body language....everyone coming together without any restraint at all, in celebration of each other, really, of what they were all able to accomplish in one year. They KNEW they had done a great job.

I can't tell you how rewarding it is for all of us to witness what just one year can do for the lives of so many children, and for that matter, to the staff and their families of this orphanage. As Brian said at the end of his visit...yes...these children have all been through some of the worst unimagineable things we could ever think of, their early lives of such poverty and deprivation, watching beloved mama and papas dying in front of their very young eyes, wandering dusty roads, with luck finding help and assistance from neighbours, and loving relatives..and for many finding themselves basically on their own...often small children, age 6, 7, 8 taking care of smaller children, some tied in cloth bundles on their shoulders...the world turning their backs....child lead families..i have seen it here in Mto Wa Mbu. and while i am at it, there were, an estimated 14 million children orphaned by HIV AIDS a few years ago, with some 38 million people now living in Africa with HIV AIDS...one can only imagine the devestation this has meant to an entire continent, losing so many people at the time of their lives when they could be contributing th emost, between 15 and 50, teachers, soldiers, doctors, nurses, policemen, labourers, farmers, construction workers, aid workers....this virus attacked every segment of society, eating up and spitting out everyone, knowing no boundaries, be it from the very rich to the very poor....
But as Brian pointed out...despite whatever these kids had endured before reaching Majengo, it was easy to see, that amongst even the other neighbouring children surrounding the orphanage, these children, although we could never ever replace what they had lost, now had everything: the sense of being part of a big loving family, being well looked after, clean. well dressed, and most important of all, a real sense of being happy, being confident of where they were in their lives, of having a home.

Diana and Jamie had moved into the Jambo campsite about a mile from town, a lovely open aired spot with nice rooms, great food and a swimming pool, just that afternoon, raced back from Majengo and organized a big dinner party for 15 people that very night!!! Along with all of us....we included Kerstin and Berndt, our Swedish friends who had supported the renovation of Majengo at the start, and who were dying to meet this guy Matt who had appeared so incredibly into the project just one year ago. I have no idea what Kerstin thought Matt would be like, or look like, but she took one look at him, in total shock, and said, "what! you are Matt???" It was great....wonderful food a la Jamie who works part time as Matt and Kym's cook back home, we were treated to a very unique menu of Western food: beef with mushroom sauce, a great salad, herbal veg soup, steamed veggies, fruit...it was a treat! after so much ugali, rice, bean, sauce and green.....and a great celebration on our first night home...

I can't go back and type in ideas, or edit...this computer is such that when i try, it erases whatever i have written, rather than inserting a new phrase...and what i forgot to add, a la one of the things that touched Brian the most was the first song the children sang to us after our welcoming:
row, row, row your boatie
gently down the stream
medi medi medi medi
life is but a dream.......!!
all sung with such confidence, and joy, and strength, and fun in high pitched voices, booming out from each and every child, from Philip the oldest at age 8 who was found wandering down the roads at age 3 after being alone, and starving for 24 hours, his mother running off after a stepfather who beat him....to Amina, who stands as the top girl in their primary school, along with 5 other Majengo kids, the top in the class...to little Pendo, who last year was deemed to be 2 years old, found naked and dusty along with her sister peering out from the back of a tumble down shed, her grandmother being interviewed by Peter to determine whether these kids were amongst the neediest for entrance into Majengo....well now this year she is a girl...tall, and thin..and still the youngest in the orphanage, her records now state that she is 5!! so who knows...she is the little mascot of the group, really, our littlest angel, who has taken a loving to teacher Glory, acting magestically also in the matron role, who sleeps in the orphanage every night, with little age wondering Pendo curled up in her arms...mama....

Friday morning, a quick breakfast at our favourite outdoor eating spot, Mi Casa owned by my friend Mirium who always takes time to dress beautifully with great eye make up and whose husband is lamentedly almost never around, a safari driver who is often on the plains but who also spends most of his time with his first wife and children in their home in Arusha. Mi Casa is a short walk around the corner from our sleeping quarters at the Continental hotel, managed by the aforementioned Mwanna Edie, the lovely young girl who has taken a special liking to our Matt. All very innocent i might add, not one of my favourites,but someone who adds to this very colourful cast of characters and friends here in Mto Wa Mbu. By the way, that word means Mosquito River....before coming here i was very afraid, a native of Canada, northern Ontario, and very familiar with the huge flying whining mosquitoes infesting us each May and June in cottage country. But here you almost never see them, and there are mosquito nets gracefully cascading from the ceilings over each bed...at night you slather yourself with bug killer of some sort...and it is okay.

Friday morning...meant to head into a heavy meeting with the four village leaders who are indeed the owners and responsible for the well being of every aspect of Majengo orphanage. Mayunga, Raymond, Vincent and Jumo Masata, the primary school headmaster who allows our children free lunches all year long. But these guys were busy with government meetings until mid afternoon...so we took this time to drive into Manyara National Park, only 10 minutes away to treat Brian to his very first safari. Lots of pictures taken for our kids and grandkids, of monkeys, baboons, zebra, elephants, giraffe, birds of all kinds....all of which were running freely, graizing happily, skirting around, gizelle, antelope, buffalo....flamingos....

All of us sitting in a circle on chairs in Charles ICA office..the introductions, with a formal welcoming and thank you to all of us for our work with Majengo, by Mayunga, Charles facilitating the meeting, the purpose of which to discuss the progress of this last year, the selection and admission of 15 new little pre schoolers to Majengo, the concept of sustainability, and micro financing.
So much said during those hours in that hot little office... the village leaders pressing upon us how important Majengo had become to their entire community, how skeptical at first many of the villagers had been, but how now, people were seeing the goodness of this place, not just for the children who were there but for the whole community. We learned that some farmers contributed maize to our kitchens during times of drought, that some had brought in firewood, charcoal...Matt, thrown into the position of spokesman once again, unwillingly he doest protest too much! Matt spoke of our honour to be part of this very exciting and very unique project which was proving to be bigger and better than his wildest expectations...his desire to keep going, his INTENTION to help make this thing grow bigger and bigger, his DEMANDS of the four main elements needed to prevent corruption (see somewhere above!!). I asked him to share what he had told me last summer, about this being such an important part of his life, maybe the most important thing he had ever been a part of...the actual WHY of what he was doing here, his intentions, his expectations, his hopes for the future. And as i have written before, scattered here and there down the main road leading into and out of Mto WA Mbu along the saFARi route well travelled every day of the year with well to do tourists from around the road, are orphanages set up as businesses for their director, kept dirty, and very poor, ill equipped, with sick and impoverished little ones, sometimes sleeping them three slabs of beds to one bunk bed, layers of little children being used aS aid bait to lure in well meaning unsuspecting tourists only too happy to unload their pockets to help these kids. Of course the money stays with the directors, the kids being kept sick and poor. It seems nothing can close these places down. Directors pay off police and others, and buy nice goat dinners to contribute to local churches periodically to keep their place in the community. It is common practice here.
Matt's final challenge to our four village leaders was....his hope, that they will come together with the government of Tanzania and close down these places, each and every rotten one of them, and he will personally try his best to move each and every one of those dispaced sick and poor children into a new home, like Majengo.

we all clapped!!!

Somewhere in and out of all these meetings and get togethers, Matt and I met with Peter, whose dream is to go to university after just finishing his high school studies up in Uganda this year. I have written about Peter before. But Charles needs to go first, having spent 7 years heading the ICA TANZ offices in Mto Wa Mbu, doing more HIV AIDS workshops, and seminars, and prevention agencies, and volunteer testing, and ARV hand outs...with Masai warriors, with people in communities stretching all the way to Arusha and back from Mto Wa Mbu..you can see he is my hero over here...he gets to go first. So Peter...well, he will likely take on a big role as our communications person on the ground with everything to do with Majengo, plus work on HIV AIDS ICA projects...a good full time job here needed, for a couple of years, to work with what we are calling the 'new Charles', whomever that person might end up being, and i will sooon be able to report that to you if and when i ever am able to meet up with Charles and drive on over to Moshi for our meeting with the vocal less, just out of the hospital, thyroid operated upon, Doris, who is the head of ICA TANZANIA. Ah...it is now 4pm....i have been at this since 9:30 this am...hogging this one wonderful computer..the lineup of needy users quieting down for some reason behind me, I dare not move.
Happily, because of the heat here, your need to rush to the toilet, except under unfortunate circumstances, is lessened, and today i find myself in good health in that way, so all, is well.

Also somewhere along the way, Charles revealed of his astonishment, when Warren established the Majengo Warren foundation with IRA tax approval....this is just never been done before in his experience. Corportations will take on a project for a couple of years, under a contract, and once it haS expired, the money stops coming, the project shuts down, the people go away, and that is the end of it. But what! What is happening here...?? With Warren behind this project, with Matt at its head, with his family and friends behind it, with Yvonne spending her days and nights sewing school bags for the kids, for everyone collecting clothing for the kids....with pictures, and friends coming over to check it out for themselves...with it all...Charles...is quite frankly, as we would say, blown away.

We are all excited about the prospect of growing. ICA TANZ has put together a micro financing agency of our own, now servicing 40 people in and around Mto Wa Mbu in small business, usually offering loans to people who are in need of a few more dollars to embellish their already existing businesses. It has been highly successful, the loans mostly going to women, not always, but often the members of society most bent on furthering their education and life of their families.

Another wonderful dinner at Jambo, boy am i getting spoiled. With Abdul at our beck and call everyday, running us from meeting to meeting, and with Diana well ensconced up at Jambo with that nice restaurant at our disposal, what am i going to do now that they are gone!!
Diana almost died of happiness when she first discovered the incredible vegetable quiches created at this restaurant, and soon Jamie was up at 7pm ready in the kitchen to learn of its secrets. Saturday morning we all congregaged with great anticipation for one of the best breakfasts i have ever had..this quiche made by our Jamie, created, she will tell you if you like, from only three eggs in all, one mixed into the aSSORTment of vegetables, onions, zuchinni, eggplant, carrots, greens, you get the picture, all chopped up and stir fried with one egg only, and then that whole mix layed out on a cookie sheet and FROZEN, yes they have electricity up there....for awhile while the crust, much like our own with one egg only, is baking....out comes the frozen veggies, scooped onto the warm crust about two full inches high, no kidding, and topped with grated cheddar and a dribbling of the third egg.....the whole thing thrown into an oven for twenty minutes, and that's it. Kym will love it..Matt is sure...

okay..i just might get this whole visit done going at this rate, but again, i apologize for no editing or checking..the facts are correct, i know them as well as i do my own life....but at this point, gawd only knows what i have written and told.
WE head over to Mayunga's village leader offices....to be part of an interviewing process, for the leaders to make their selection of 15 new little kids into Majengo, as pre schoolers, living out, we already have 28 permanent kids sleeping there full time. A small group of mostly women, a couple of men, and children dressed in tatters, are waiting patiently outside the offices as we begin. At first bringing in the guardian with their child, or children for the interview, being questioned by Charles and Peter, and then translated into English...At first the children were present during the interviews, but Matt soon questioned the need for the child to hear the stories, and after pictures were taken, the kids were moved back to the main group. all of this was done outside in a little circle, with the village leaders, our ICA friends, and us....
Stories which would break your heart....of men running off leaving wives and girls with one up to 8 kids...these women trying desperately to feed their families, begging for assistance from family members, often being turned away, the village leaders, or reluctant relatives helping out, often the husbands of those people, giving ultimatums, disrupting family relationships, and finally forcing an end to the assistance. A priest arrives with a lovely young girl he has rescued after both parents have died of HIV AIDS. A young girl who became pregnant with one child by a rich but married businessman, whose support by him had been stopped by his wife who had discovered the arrangement, so distraught was this guy, that he has now run away, disappeared into thin air, from both the wife, and the young girl. What else?
Drunk husbands, and to be fair, even one drunk wife who abandoned a very nice guy left with two children, one whod lost his plot of land and who was now surviving on odd farming jobs in other people's plots...grandmothers looking after grandkids, their parents gone from HIV AIDS...healthy mothers now broken down by illness, HIV AIDS...unable to work, trying, but too weak to get up, the younger children now being cared by the older...a dad in prison...

Each and every one of the 14 families interviewed, there was not one we could see, or feel, who wasnt it very dire need of help....and luckily, using our mandate of selecting only kids 6 years and under, we managed to be able to accept each and every one of the children who requested help from Majengo, all 15 of them...this means, that along with the 19 kids who are 7 aND OVER in primary school but living in, plus the 6 in primary living out, we will now be providing 24 pre schoolers with uniforms and shoes, breakfast and lunches and great schooling to prepare them for the primary when they turn 7....15 of these new kids will live out..
WE figure it is about $50 US per child per year primary...and $40. per child per pre school...including two uniforms, two shoes, books, school fees, food....for one year...not a lot of money considering the results of what can be done.

Next...on to Pambazuko...that wonderful other little family orphanage, sponsored by Kertin and Berndt from Sweden, with mama Tabea and papa Elias residing over the 14 children of this magical place...these kids were relocated from one of the orphanages along the safari route, which we all volunteered at three and four years ago. I know these kids well, have spent weekends teaching them swimming, attended lots of birthday parties....festivities..i call this my second orphanage..i know these kids better on an individual basis, than i do the kids at Majengo...but that will change too....
these weeks to come, before i fly home at Easter....Peter and I will spend lots of time over at Majengo, getting to know those kids just as well..writing bios..taking pictures, teaching English....

but that magical night was a celebration for Fabiola and Melania...gorgeous little girls around age 10, with birthdays unknown, they declared this to be the big day, especially that Kersin and Berndt were in town for the occasion...Dressed in new pretty pink prom dresses with pearls around their necks they sat at their own table with three pink and white cakes....pink and white balloons and decorations behind them...the rest of the family, were at another table, everyone decked out, with family friends and relatives, neighbourhood kids cramming into a corner of the room to be an uninvited part of the festivities, a band, dancing boys aND GIRLS....lots of music, laughter, great food and friendship...speeches...all of us getting up, being welcomed, as though we were in our own communities....

we have become, a part of this part, of Africa....

Tat is the most wonderful part, that we get to attend these celebrations, be part of the lives of these incredible people, TAbeas and Elias beaming, happy, childless before, and now parents of 14 kids, each and every one of them loved, and secure in their home, finally....

And finally as my fingers fly, trying to beat the clock, my back aCHING, but the memories of those four short action packed incredible days beating strongly in my heart...man what a time. Rushing home, packing up...the next morning, yesterday. a crazy ride for 50 miles or so out into the tundra to visit Chief and his huge Masai family out on his boma...cattle, and goats running about, children and family members rushing out to greet us, dressed in the reds and blue colourful sheets, fabulous beaded necklaces...we greet the Chief's great father, who had 6 wives and who knows how many children, he sits under the shad of a big tree on a blue plastic chair, just like last year, we bow our heads in greeting, and then offer our hands into which he spits a little as we brush our fingers down our stomachs, legs and back, for good healthy....off we go to visit inside the bomas where Seanna my daughter and granddaughter Sierra, age 8 slept for a whole night last year on top of a sheet of cowhide in that dark little igloo like building with only one window, likely filled with bugs and lice, but hey, we survived!!
Outside to the back with Chief to choose a baby goat to buy, for Pyper and Finn, my son Johnnys twins age almost 4, and a little black one for Baby Eve just born three m \onths ago, man i miss them so terribly sometime, all of them....
Matt, and Brian they bought goats for their kids....too....
According to Charles we paid a heafy rate, but again, hey, this experience to visit an authentic Masai boma as guests of our friend the Chief of the Engaruga tribe of Masai people scattered in the region outside of Mto WA Mbu...was worth it...Upon leaving, we paSS BY the Chief's father again, who has partaken in the cognac which we bestowed upon him upon our arrival and first greeting an hour before.
He becomes rather surely, all in Masai, he points to me, and grunts something..oh my gawd i am in for it, i think, he is going to banish me from this place forever, i have obviously done something wrong, maybe hurried our goodbyes along a little too quickly, standing there smiling like a dumb donkey i am, and now we all are because there is a problem..A MATTATa....AND none of us know what it is about. What have we done? The Chief is trying to quietly calm his father down who is not happy, and requests that we all assemble ourselves in a row...realizing later that he is separating the black Africans from us whites...and then Chief tells us it is time to go now...to leave well enough alone....we file back into the van...
Later, Charles told us, that the dad haD NOT been informed that we had spent copious amounts of cash on those three baby goats, way more than was needed, in fact, Matt bought a baby goat born four days before, which could barely walk, very cute though with Charles being astounded that a goat that young would even ever consider being sold, but again, hey!! what do we know!!!

so he thought we had spent lovely time on his boma and not offered assistance to his people....a big of a cultural misunderstanding, over and out..

And finally, another 15 minutes of jossling around in that truck, across running rivers, up embankments of sliding stones, Masai washing themselves, their clothing, cows and goats drinking alongside....over to the village of Engaruka...where Chief hAS his village home...where, we become surrounded by Masai women offering to sell a gorgeous array of bracelets, necklaces, neck pieces..all made so intricately by these gorgeously adored women...bedecked in beads of all colours, sizes, i know each necklace meaning something, whether they are married, widowed..single....each piece different...Brian busy all that day, with his notebook, writing and jotting down little tiny sentences...in little blocks, in strange formation, to me, on his pages...

Matt is convinced that on his next trip over..he will be fluent, not only in Swahili, but in Masai....determined to spend a few days, maybe a week out there on that boma with the Chief and his family, and the father, next time....

Behind Chief's house...a small fire is burning, with two goat legs roasting slowly in its char....we sit down around a small wooden table in the middle of a grove of trees, the table covered with branches and green leaves as a 'tablecloth'...the Masai warrior, the young very good looking morani at its head. He takes a branch and with his sword makes a spear which is driving into the soft earth, the branch acts as a brace upon which to hold the hot goat leg, he begins to cut it up into small juicy chunks offering the first one to Diana who, just the night before had told me she was determined not to eat anything strange again, until leaving Africa. The whole question of stomach issues visits every traveller, be they in Africa or to any part of the world where different foods with residue of water, could directly play havoc upon said traveller, without a lot of notice. Each and every one of us has a story or two of the dreaded mishappance....and Diana was determined to get out of there without grave disturbance. But just the night before, moments after making this declaration, her name was sung out loud and clear by birthday revellers to dance up to the two celebrated girls who offered white cake chunks stabbed onto toothpicks, each and every one of us including Diana, bending over and taking a piece of cake into our mouths. There was no getting out of it...she did it and she ate it..and today, aS BEFORE, the goat was offered to each and every one of us, and yes, indeed she took it, ate it and LOVED it!!

All i can say as my time here is coming to an end...
As we bid goodbye to each other...with lots of wonderful eye shining intentions, and expectations, and ideas and promises,yes promises in the budding form maybe, if all goes well, with our fundraising efforts out there...with the wonderful people at home...with all of you who have given so much, please know, that each and every bit you can offer, will make for sure those good intentions, become promises..become dreams become true!!

It has been a visit of a lifetime..
My good new friend Diana, and Jamie...their lives have changed forever. aS THEY have said, Africa now, is in their heart. They understand i think, what Matt felt last year, it just grabs you and take a hold. The resilience of these people, their love and joy, beyond all poverty, and illness, their ability to come together with each other as a community, a big family, each helping each other as best they can...
and now, we have the honour...of being part of that!!

I will be coming to Warren in May..mid May, i think around the 14th...ask Diana..
we will have a wonderful celebration of these days together, and hopefully of the incredible things we can do in the futures....dreams into promises...

i thank you all....big hugs....
and now, for a lovely Kili beer, and dinner..it has been great spending the day with you....xxLynn
ps Matt if i have forgotten aything.....let me know!!!!

2010-03-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

JAMBO!! A week since Diana, Matt's mom, and Jamie arrived - it has flown by!! Yesterday, Diana exclaimed that so far it'sbeen a 'trip of a lifetime!!' and to think that only a short two months ago, she was just tooafraid to make this trip! Bravo!! They descendedintoa hot steamy evening, as she related later, waiting in line for their visas at the Kilimanjaro airport, dripping with sweat, she was thinking, Oh My Gawd. What have i gotten myself into!!!
Off to Arusha with Abdul driving, overnight at the Naz Hotel, where a tiny baby lizard scampered up the white washed walls of their room, oh no i thought, a few culture shocks...the selection in Mto wa mbu of rice and beans, greens and more, rice and beans and greens not to their fancy, but easily remedied as they discovered a mean vegetarian quiche made from scratch envelopped inside a delicious cheesy pastry about a mile out of town at a nice safari campsite, with a pool to rest and recoup. It's allowing me to compare through them, what we have at home, vs what we have here..the plumbing in our small but clean bathrooms, tiled from the floor up to the ceiling, on the fritz more than not, outside the rooms at night non stop people talking, greeting each other, calling across the dusty road from one to the next, the mooing of cows, donkeys,goats as they make their way along, the tv on in the courtyard incessantly bleating in Swahili, music, dancing number, sometimes annoying. On day one,
WE visit the church in Arusha packed with 100 little kids dressed in blue and green uniforms, all pre schoolers, lined up singing songs and eating porriage scooped out into plastic coffee cups by wonderful volunteer women in the very poor slum neighbourhood - where Pastor Naiman has chosen 18 of the most vulnerable to start his own orphanage just down the road, over tea, rice, a short of beef stew, talking of maybe taking this on....and on to Mto Wa Mbu...our little village with dusty streets, shops and stalls lined up on both sides of the main road, a bar called the Double M where we sit outside and have lunch of what else but rice, greens, beans, and more beans...rice and greens..
That first day, we visit Majengo, meeting the kids with lots of songs, a dance with Glory tying skirts made of grass around the waists of the older kids, moving rythmically in a circle swinging their hips and singing, the drum beating, meeting the staff, and the next morning sorting out four suitcases of clothing, toys, school and medical supplies-thank you Yvonne for putting all of this together!! and presenting it all to Majengo the next day. Wonderful!!
I am thrilled to greetthem here, to see for themselves the incredible work they are doing back home in Warren, where every last cent of their fundraising has gone, this place Majengo is a dream, compared to the other facilities around the village. WE spend a day jammed into my small office, with Charles at the computer, Peter, Killo and Martha going through last year's budgets...each and every item at a time...
The food...maise, rice, beans, sugar, cooking oil, and what they call the daily run, where fresh vegetables are picked up, fruit, milk..the cooks asking for one glass a day each to combat the harsh firewood and charcoal pollution rising from open fires, morning noon and night...Each and every item discussed in detail by this committee of 7...how many litres, pots, boxes...per month, per year... clothing, uniforms....last year we had 10 kids at primary school, but this year, 19... each one with school needs, some living in...and what about the 6 who were at pre school last year, but who now are in primary, but living out, are we responsible for assisting these kids as well with uniforms, books, school fees?..we all agree yes, leaving spots for 16 more pre schoolers at Majengo....more kids...more uniforms, more food....more budgeting, but isn't this what we are trying to do? To add new kids every year....2010, with new figures we have expanded from 40 kids last year, up to 55 this year. The village leaders who know all the families in the area, who know the most poor and vulnerable, the families with orphaned kids they have taken in but who are struggling with children of their own..these are the kids we are hoping to help....
Diana and Jamie are learning a lot..skyrocketing learning curve,2understand theprocess of budgeting, all the items we did't include during our first year, and now, adding new things, knowing from experience how much we need for how many kids, and making a very precise budget. It is all good...

A three day safari up to the Ngora Crater and over across the wide plains into the Serengeti, what an incredible experience! Our first night, at dusk, opening my door, four giraffes and a band of zebras grazing just outside the lodge, sillouetted amongst African trees, the Ndutu lake sparkling in the background. And that very night, awakened around 1:30 by loud insistant grunting, uh, uh, uh....lions, male lions, a lot of them out there, not too far from where we were sleeping!

WE saw everything, 17 huge elephants lumbing across the 12 mile green on green plainsof the Ngora Crater, amongst zebra who can see mixed with thousands of wildebeasts running like crazy in long lines galloping with their babies aside making their yearly migration south along the Serengeti. Giraffe everywhere, tall and graceful, elegantly chewing the tops of trees, baboons scampering in huge families, ostriches with long legs and necks bopping in and out of tall grasses,we saw a brand new just born baby zebra still encased in its mucus birth bag lying on the ground, alive....the mother waiting for our truck to take off to finish the job of birthing a few metres away....hyenas, sculking and black vultures high up perched in bare dead trees without leaves, with knarled branches and limbs, very old,sculptures in their own, waiting for the next kill....hovering...

Incredible...for me, my third safari, but for Diana and Jamie....each moment, each beautiful vista spread out with rolling green hills, bands of lime green colour swept across ranges of moss covered trees, speckled with black animals far in the distance, the bright red cloth of the Masai boys with sticks herding cows and goats from hill to hill in search of water...they rush to the safari truck handing out bottles of water and bananas as we lumber along...

Diana loves it, every minute of it, watch out Warren....here she comes!!

And Matt arrives tonight with friend Brian who i have never met from BC...
Arusha for me today, I jumped onto a local bus and speeded into town early to hit this internet cafe, and to walk through the markets i love so much. Women selling fruit and vegetables atop sheets of plastic and lined up in little pyramids, or in creatively festive rows, big fat carrots, bright red tomatoes, mangoes, oranges, bananas and pineapples jammed into and filling up the back of huge pick up trucks, tumbling onto the ground, venders selling costume jewellery, belts, colourful sheets of bright fabric, shoes of every sort set out in pairs, runners, flip flops, black school oxfords and stilletoes with high heels sculptured, copied from the latest pages of Vogue..t shirts, stationery stores, sheet selling shops, towels, matresses, kitchen goods lined up along the road, pots, dishes, cutlery, Western toilets, sinks, cars, trucks falling apart, motorcycles, busses jammed with people checking cell phones, texting, taxi guys running along beside....it is all safe, you just keep moving amongst it all, savouring the new smells, sounds, grinding of trucks, the school kids arms linked in matching skirts and sweaters even in this heat, dancing amongst it all.
Matt here for four days only. So much to do, i can't wait till he comes...Majengo, one year later....the other night Diana, Jamie and I met four people at the pool, telling them of Majengo they wanted to visit. So without notice, we all stroll over...Glory the teacher/matron is out at the hospital with two with malaria, Grayson has finished his day and gone home...the two cooks are out in the kitchen frying up some kind of big puffy delicious cake buns and Witness, our cleaner who spends her days washing clothes, cleaning and showering 28 kids, is inside, as they all coming running up to greet us. The visitors are blown away. Everyone is showered with hugs..huge smiles, on gorgeous little faces smiling, so happy to see us....we move outside as Matilda, one of the Masai girls we support at Secondary school, shows up belting out songs with the kids....we are all taking pictures, joining in on the songs....not staged, this is the way it is. Jenny, one of our visitors said, after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and doing a five day safari, that this was THE HIGHLIGHT of their entire trip to Africa....1!! and i would say that Diana and Jamie felt the same. We were all blown away.

And last night, over drinks with Peter, Charles, Grace his wife..Peter, talking about the vision we had a year ago....putting this place together, all of us, working so hard, the renovations, building the outdoor kitchen, the bunk beds, sheets and towels, benches and desks, setting up the pre school....and here we are a year later, with a place running so smoothly, with a group of staff who work so hard at keeping these kids healthy, happy....how open it is, how honestly it is running... how unique this place is...the vision...

How it has become a reality....

It is a miracle...to me....I needed that talk, i needed to remember what it is we are doing here, what we hope to achieve..to make grow....thank you Peter for bringing that back to me...and now, tonight Matt..the guy who really has been responsible for keeping this whole thing going...I pinch myself, what was i thinking!! a year ago, raising all that money to renovate that house, to furnish it, to move in all those kids...but never giving it a moment's thought about how we would finance the running costs!! Not one thought!! Maybe i think to myself, somewhere up there the universe knew that someone would come along and make that happen, as i said, magical!!
WElcome to Matt....and Brian....i can't wait to see them....
For more days of everyone being here...Matt and Brian, his mom Diana and Jamie... and then off they go Sunday night....
I'm here till Easter....another big chunk of time on my own with Charles, Peter... pulling together everything we will talk about these next four days, infrastructure, micro financing, our budgeting, Pastor Naiman's new orphanage....
Just a tiny slice, a small chunk inside this continent, Africa....I am always thinking, it is never enough, never enough, so many here needing so much....but i am reminded everyday, that each little bit means so much, so out there, thank you again!!
over and out!! with 45 seconds to post this blog!!

xxLynn

2010-02-23T01:21:00.000-08:00

Jambo! from Arusha town!
Tonight we will travel to Kilimanjaro airport to pick up Diana McKissock and her friend Jamie Bee...9:30 flying in from Toronto via Amsterdam, two 8 hour flights with a bit of a four hour rest in Holland, it can be gruelling! I can't wait to greet them! Diana is Matt's mom...who has been so incredibly supportive of everything we are doing at the Majengo orphanage since it opened a year ago in March 09. I met her last April while visiting Warren for the first time with Matt and so many of his friends and relatives - at a presentation we gave of Matt, Bill and Ian's visit last year, meeting the children, the staff, the village leaders in charge of Majengo, lots of great pictures, stories, culminating with an astonishing commitment to finance the operations of Majengo for the next six months!!! And just last month in January, another visit.. Matt's mom Diana so enthusiastic about Majengo, the stories she has heard, the pictures of the children...dying to come to Africa, but as she told me one snowy morning over coffee at her home, way too scared to actually make the journey. Way too scared!
We talked for three hours, about everything, where we stay, what the room is like, small but clean with two beds and two windows, outside the high fence encrusted with cement dotted with lines of broken jagged glass and bottles sunk securely into the fence to prevent anyone thinking of making their way in. Saloon, the overnight security guard sleeping on a small couch in a little glass lined room just outside my door, a bathroom to myself with a real toilet.
Food - very little choice in Mto Wa Mbu....rice, beans, ugali if you dare to try, a form of corn flower mixed and cooked with water, like a thick paste where you scoop up a chunk of it in your right hand, make a ball and dig your thumb into its centre forming a sort of spoon, this is eaten with a mix of greens, like chard or spinich, a great tomato/onion/carrot sauce, tasty, sometimes sprinkled with bits of beef or chicken. bottled water is everywhere, maji baridi, cold water, ndogo or cobra, small or big, 50 cents or one dollar, approx. You buy phone cards for phone time, to talk or to text, most text as it is cheaper, the cards lasting so much longer. The streets of Mto Wa Mbu, lined with shopes, cubicles and booths, stalls selling everything from matresses, clothes, sox, pants, shirts, Masai blankets, kitchen wares, ghetto blasters, cd players, they have everything here for sale, mostly, you just have to know where to get it! Goats and chickens and cows herded along amongst the people, Masai guys draped in red and blue sheets carryig sticks, with guys peddling necklaces and clothing in and out of the shops and restaurants, waitresses running to pick through the brightly printed blouses and skirts, dresses, shoes....blankets lined up along the ground carrying underwear, cds, hair products...chickens squawking, tied to metal bicycle carriers by their necks, two to five at a time, into the backs of restaurants they go...the expensive cuku arriving on plates a few hours later, boiled, fried, cooked, each part of the bird used, nothing ever thrown away. Their poultry is pure, not juiced up and overfed with chemicals like back home..consequently to me, scrawny and thin, my daughter Lindsey says eating a chicken like this in Africa is like sucking its bones, no meat! Charles disagres of course, on his visit to Canada the chemicals in our foods distastful to him. Nothing is processed here, nothing. Everything pure and cooked that day. What else can i describe to you, i know this place so well, that is has become like home, where i can make my way across dusty potholed roads and paths, past women cooking corn husks in small open fires, charcoal burners holding frying pans of french fried pototatoes cooking in oil to later be combined with eggs for the famous street food: chips my eye (not spelled this way in Swahili!), almost without noticing now. Mto Wa Mbu. Deep inside a banana belt, clusters of women dressed in brightly patterned textiles wrapped tightly around their bodies as skirts, tops, head pieces, tied up and holding sleeping babies on their backs, fronts,sitting on overturned red and white plastic pails in circles, bunches of bananas, avocadoes, pineapples, mangos inside the circle ready to sell. This is called small business, the women, businesswomen...their only means of making a few dollars a day to feed their families and pay for the rent of one or two rooms monthly. Most homes i visit have mud floors, a couple of windows, the bed and living room couch or chairs separated by a table in the middle, for eating and working upon. Cooking is done outside often in a community area where dishes and pots are brought out and shared with neighbours, small fires or keroscene stoves, sometimes charcoal burners, all very primitive to us, and always done close to the ground. No electricity, no water often, and when there is it is a luxury.

Ah Arusha town, with a great internet cafe opposite the Naz hotel where we will stay tonight, Pastries sold a few metres away from where I sit,lined up in a long row with other mostly white typers, tapping away to friends and family around the world. I lke to come here once in awhile. To visit my culture, to enjoy the internet services which mostly don't stick or break down, where the infrastructure of basic electricity can be counted upon. Bliss.

So much to write about with Majengo these last few days. Firstly, a meeting with Peter and I and all the staff, 8 of them, the cooks, teachers, cleaners, secretary and accountant of the orphanage, sitting around a big table on benches, at 2pm, the murmering of 20 children freshly fed and showered and now supposedly sleeping on their beds, two to a matress... A go around first, of how they felt about this first almost year at Majengo...encouragement from me to be as honest and open as they can, that this is the time where if they have any needs or problems, they can openly speak, not to be judged, but to be listened to, otherwise how are we to know where they are at, what they are feeling, or what they need. Each one of course formally thanking all of us out there who have supported this place, how lucky they were to work here...how, after the village leaders were able to dispel their former director last year, how smoothly the place was running, where the communication between them was easy, where their needs were being met. The only thing that kept coming up, was their need to somehow raise enough money beyond their salaries, to support the education of their own children at home. Secondary school is expensive, and at age 14 after finishing primary, most parents are scrounging everywhere looking for the $500. to send their kids to government schools. It is prohibitive for most people..but our staff, with regular salaries are hoping to find a way.
I have been obsessed, as i mentioned in my last blog, on how we can help and support people to help and support them selves and their families..not just to offer them money, but offer them the ability to develop skills where they will be able to earn their own money, and more of it,each year, to feed their families and finance their own children through schools.
We begin to talk about MICRO FINANCING....it is for us, just an idea at this point. But how could we set up a system where families could submit small business proposals to a committee which would be analyzed for selection, and where loans would be offered depending on each project and the means of each family. Where groups of say four or five families would come together to register for loans, contracts would be drawn up, and where, after a period of 1 to 2 years, the entire group would be responsible for paying back these loans. If one or two were unable to pay, the rest would be expected to pay for them, offering an incentive for each group member to work towards their ability to pay at the designated time.
As i said...we are in the idea stage...first for the staff at Majengo, and then hopefully available for the relatives and families taking care of orphaned children in their homes, as well as their own children...
I am thrilled with the staff..they have worked incredibly hard this past year, putting the needs of the children ahead of their own. They have proven themselves to be wholey committed to Majengo and the children as they would their own, with full intention of carrying on; for me it is very exciting to see. Peter said, after our staff meeting, how unusual it is in Tanzania for the more senior staff, Killo and Martha, our secretay and accountant basically responsible for running Majengo, to be at the same table as the cooks and cleaners, for each one to feel open enough with each other to share their innermost feelings and, from Killo, the usually private workings of the facility. With such transperency, there is little opportunity for corruption, as everyone holds themselves responsible as an important part of the whole to keep this place running smoothly. It truely is remarkable!
Majengo is an orphanage, as opposed to a family ...with 40 kids, and 8 staff....raising happy, contented, growing children, the best we can do...and Majengo is a shining light out there compared to so many orphanages lined up along the safari route luring in unsuspecting tourists dismayed by the conditions of the children at those places. It is a travesty. Where corrupt directors use orphaned and sometimes their own relatived children to raise money for themselves, the children being kept dirty, poor, stomachs distended, bloated with malnutrition, kids with HIV AIDS, untreated - unhappy, listless, tired, angry. INside, hidden away, books, pens, pencils, games, puzzles, toys, donated by tourists, locked away in pantry cupboards, out of sight, never used, I have seen this myself. Safari drivers paid to bring in the tourists, government officials and townspeople paid to keep their mouths shut. Everyone knows what is going on; and no one knows how to stop it.

Out of one of these, we formed PAMBAZUKO, the second orphanage we are working with, both Majengo and Pambazuko often sharing and working together. Over a period of one year, we managed to relocate 14 children into a new home, called Pambazuko, where they now are being wonderfully looked after by Elias and Tabea, their new baba and mama, along with two helpers....Pambazuko is not an orphanage, it is another model into itself, with a mama and baba - like a big family into itself. And again, like Majengo a joy to visit. I am very close to these children at Pambazuko, having worked at that first place for my first two years of being in Africa. I have taught 6 of them how to swim, draw, and taken them on safaris, picnics, and been a regular visiter at their celebrations and birthday parties. Just the other night we celebrated Zack's 14th birthday, where as guest of honour a special table with a white cloth had been set up for him alone, the other children feasting merrily at a huge table together. Neighbours and their children are invited to these parties, with bed sheets tied together and forming a fence around the premises outside - much singing, and dancing....with the cake, cut into pieces, the birthday boy offers each guest a chunk speared by a toothpick, a song erupts where the guest has to dance the full length of the room towards the cake, an honouring of the guest as well as the birthday person, a great custom i think!
and while i am here....in the midst of all this frivolity, the story of M., her full name protected for personal privacy...
M is 8 years old, HIV positive...a great little girl filled with exuberence and personality, when she is well, who i met four years ago while working at that first orphanage i described above. At that time she was kept very ill. As she sat on my daughter Seanna's lap, diligently and determinedly shooing away any other children vying for a place on her knee, the nasty open sores and liasions on her arms and legs, dripping and unattended to....
Her father had HIV AIDS...passing it along to her mother who went to the hospital for a postive diagnosis; the father, in his rage (of course he didn't get tested himself), chopped off one of the mother's arms just below the elbow, who consequently, at a very young age, passed away. The father ran away, leaving baby M in the care of a friend of her grandmothers for a few years, until that woman, herself very poor and looking after grandchildren of her own, registered the child, then 4, into that first orphanage along the safari route. This is where i first met M. That first year, volunteers took her to the hospital a number of times where we received ARVs and medicine to combat the effects of the HIV AIDS virus, bringing along bunches of fruits and vegetables, necessary for the ARVs to work. The next year, I found her, and two other children diagnosed positive in wreched condition again, once again, taking her to the hospital, the ARVs, the good fruits and vegetables. And once again, that director, once the volunteers were out of the way, stopped the medicine, as before.
When M was 6, she was relocated into Pambazuko under the great care of Elias and Tabeas, her new baba and mama. She thrived. I couln't believe it was the same child last year, fit, full of energy, blossoming, laughing, singing with the other children, you would absolutely never know that she was positive.
But this year, back in November, her birth father returned, and took the child away. He had remarried again, a young woman from another region and brought her to Mto Wa Mbu. Childless, this new wife urged him to bring the child back into their family. He had a problem, he had not told this wife about his diagnosis, and didn't want her to know about M, either. She insisted, M was brought into the one room home of these people, away from her 13 brothers and sisters, the companionship, her school, and the very necessary ARVs which the father refused to administer.
As she began to get sicker, the wife, believing her to be'bewitched', took her to a witch doctor, where she was given a concoction of drugs and salves...sometimes the cutting of her arms with the application of an herbal powder poured over the wounds. Elias and Tabeas visited a few times but were turned away. It is illegal to expose someone positive with HIV AIDS, so they felt it best to keep quiet, but as well, it is illegal here for someone positive to have unprotected sex with someone who has not been told of the diagnosis.
On Sunday morning, Elias and I set out to visit M, with a plan.
Being a foreigner, i don't know the rules, i can basically get away with any thing due to my ignorance. We arrived at the small home, with M rushing up to meet me, hugging, holding, she looked terrible. Weak, coughing, her breathing shallow, the light in her eyes gone. She was alone with her mother. Elias translating, i began my story, of how i had met M back four years ago, how terribly sick she was then with HIV positive, how that director had not allowed her the ARV's....then, how she had gotten so well under the care of Pambazuko...and now, as I see her, once again, weak and sickly....how....
and in the meantime, this young woman is staring at me listening to Elias, all the while texting madly on her phone for her husband to come home. Her face shows no emotion. He walks through the curtained door, and sits on the bed across from us. Huge posters of barely clad western white women hang on the walls, amongst pictures of hotrods and racy trucks....he listens without reaction to my story. All the while i am giving the history, now with both listening intently, talking freely about HIV AIDS, as if i think they have talked about this amongst themselves. Again, no reaction on his face, the wife cleaning beans scooped from a big bag under the bed, onto a metal plate. M is sticking red valentine hearts from a sticker sheet onto the walls and tables, sticking and unsticking, and listening.
In the end, he told Elias, that he had been giving her ARVs..but when shedeveloped a high fever he withdrew them and took her to the witch doctor. Of course this is a lie. He showed us the bottle of cough medicine, and vitamin B tucked away beside the table, an effort to indicate his attempts towards health. I took a few family pictures, assuring them that it was good that mama and baba and M were together, BUT insisting that they get her to the hospital immediately on ARVs, or that she could become very very sick, and could die.
He allowed me that i could visit again, and wished us on our way.

Walking back along the road, all of a sudden a huge crowd of people emerge in our direction running along the road in hot pursuit, throwing stones at someone who had stolen a bunch of bananas. He heads down another road and into his own house, locks the door. The crowd gathers around. We join them to get the story. An old woman emerges and shakes our hand, the friend of the grandmother of M. who had long ago looked after her when her birth mother had passed away. She has seen us visiting M and over a Fanta she tells her story, of baby M, the first orphanage, and now what is happening in this house, how this father is violent toward his new wife who is very afraid of him, and how the new wife makes M. carry buckets of water for her, makes her wash dishes, sweep floors, all the while as she has watched M becoming sicker and sicker, tears running down her face now.

Charles promises to contact his doctor friends, to pay a visit, to force the father into confessing his diagnosis to the mother, and to put little M onto ARVs...or he could be up against a criminal charge.

I took 8 new kids from Majengo swimming that afternoon, who had never been in a pool before. We started with blowing bubbles, and after two hours everyone of them was able to jump in off the side, bounce up and down and go completely underwater with their heads! It amazes me, children, without fear...each following each other...and loving every minute of it!

What else what else what else!!

Oh. the budget. Yesterday, finally a very detailed meeting with Charles, our computers, our excel sheets and our calculators....step by step, from last March on, our budgets!

Amazingly, we are on track...last year, when we set the budgets, none of us had really done this before, trying to figure out how much it would cost, and how much we would need, to feed and house 50 people monthly, and over the year to come. We did a pretty good job, considering. The reports and receipts have been kept immaculately. Each item duely recorded. The food costs are much higher than expected, our contingency fee and monies set aside for other things now alloted towards food. Maise, corn, sugar, rice prices have skyrocketed as well over these last six months. Also, last year as i left in April, i bought 40 new uniforms, shoes, cleaning materials, and along with Matt's clothing and school supplies we were in great shape...but we neglected to add these things into our costs for down the road. So there will be some adjustments, but not over the top, and not anythingi can't live without. Next week the task will be to sit down with Killo and martha, Charles Peter and I to figure out a more precise budget, based on 8 months of experience, fair enough.
The very main thing for me, is the way that records were kept, the monitoring of each item, the food things, the pantry, the care of the children. I cannot see mismanagement at all, or corruption, I couldn't be happier.

Charles hopes to go to university to do his masters in Dar, in March or April this year, for two years. He and Grace, his wife have just had second child - her work is based in Dar as a nurse with the Department of Defence. It is important for that family to be together. But what in earth to do without Charles? I have been stewing over this for two weeks now; I know he has to go, i know he has to further his education, he has been working in Mto Wa Mbu for 7 years now with ICA TANZANIA.
I also know how lost i am without him here as my advisor.

Our Majengo infrastructure has been in great shape this past first year. Our task now is to create a new structure, with Charles working out of Dar, but in constant touch with someone, I say 'as good as him', here...and we are working on it as well. Peter will take over the Majengo file...the books, monitoring, keeping in touch with, the liaisoning...but in the next two weeks or so, that certain SOMEONE will emerge, I have great faith, here, that this too, along with everything else, will work out too!

Abdul...our driver, just called...all set to pick me up at the Naz at 7:45....and out we go to meet Diana and Jamie! what fun!
Tomorrow we take them to visit pasteur Naiman and his 100 children at his school in the church...meet the 18 kids who need to be brought together under one roof with a new mama and baba...and vist the house which we saw last week, then, filled with debris, without water, or electicity, which, i hope will be in great shape tomorrow...! and then on to MtoWa Mbu...a great lunch where they will meet Charles and Peter and all the kids at Majengo..where Diana can see for herself what great things are happening, and the reason Matt so incredibly committed himself to this project.
Matt called last night! A brief outline of where we were going, how things were doing, his mom's visit, and the beginning of the new MICRO FINANCING project which he said he knows a lot about! Wow! He arrives for a few days in about a week from now...with so much to talk about, to work on...!
and so it goes!!!
over and out...and the best to everyone out there..!!
thank you so much for wading through all of this with me, whomever you are...
it is great to feel someone out there is alongside!
hugs...!!Lynn

2010-02-19T00:43:00.000-08:00

jambo...
amazingly...i can write from this ica office...we have a vodafone stuck into this computer...which connects us by satalite to some kind of network...which disappears every 10 minutes or so, but with patience, and basically that is all you need here, i can receive and write emails and connect with this blog! it is nothing to us, but to people working here without internet cafes or access to easy high speed, or even dialup..this is a miracle!
Im reading Dead Aid about how much money gets sent over to Africa, and where it goes, usually into the pockets of government or corrupt agencies, never reaching the people who really need it, billions comes through as Africa gets poorer and poorer...also about the absolute need to provide aid to help people learn skills to earn their own money, not just to take handouts. i am obsessed with this right now.

with an orphanage,it is different...we hire great people to run it, with 2 cooks, 2 teachers, 2 cleaners and 2 who run the place..all working at minimum wages, needing to supplement their incomes by farming or some other means.they are working around the clock, how can we expect them to create industries to raise money, to pour back into this orphanage..and yesterday, they are proposing, why not have majengo grow its own produce to feed thekids, themselves...this is what i dream about, but how do we do it! It is truely wonderful to see, how they are so committed to these children, never asking for more for themselves. yesterday ...at 6 Grayson,the teacher has 10 of the older kids in the classroom, each one writing like mad at their desks, fillingin words from sentences written on the blackboard...with such intent! we have 19 now taking off every morning and walking 3 miles to primary school where they study for the day...our kids at Majengo way ahead of other kids in the neighbourhood, standing at the top of their classes, because they had a year or more of pre school at the orphanage before they began primary. It is exciting to see!! the teachers ask, but what of the 6 who were at pre school last year with us, but who now are at primary school, but who live out, can we help them,assist their families with school fees, uniforms.they ask...
my feeling is yes.
if they start out at Majengo either living in because they have absolutely no one out there to help them, or living out, but whose relatives or neighbours cannot support them except for a matress for sleeping...these live outs are part of our extended family as well. and because this year we have 9 more going to primary, as they are 7 years old...we are now able to accept 16 more new little ones from the neighbourhood into our pre school with meals all day, but who sleep out somewhere...
the numbers grow..the responsibility grows...but we have help from our elected village leaders who will choose the most vulnerable and needy children to join Majengo, they know all the families...
a big meeting with the Majengo staff and village leaders tomorrow to discuss these new kids..and how the Majengo neighbourhood and community can begin to take more responsibility for their children, not only the donors...
Each year i come, i learn so much more...
more complex, more issues, more trying to understand the big picture..
last year...all i focussed on was renovating a house, moving 40 kids in, choosing staff, and making budgets....getting the structure in place...great!
this year, all of that is in place, but now, furthering....the internal structure of all of this....especially during the months when we are not here, it is possible, for sure, but as each year we expand, the logistics become more complex...and most important the monitoring, keeping the records, receipts...important always, to devise methods which prevent corruption from beginning..so far so good.
good people want to further their education...our staff at ica...dying to take a couple of years away to go go university, to get their masters...
and with everything they are accomplishing, with all the work they are doing,HIV AIDS workshops on prevention, volunteer testing, HIV AIDS positive groups here meeting every few days...mostly women discussing their disease,how to maintain it, their drugs,nutrition, jobs....micro financing and lending to create small businesses...it is the only way to grow.
our staff here...Charles, Peter....hoping for university, and if they go,who can replace them, who can we train to take their place...who can we trust to keep our operations running so smoothly..
it will happen...it takes time to put it in place.
in the meantime i am worrying about what the 6 kids from majengo will wear to the swimming pool tomorrow as they take their very first swim class, blowing into the water...jumping, holding hands...and in a few weeks they will be swimming..very exciting...they have no fear!
i just sent a long list to Diana and Yvonne to bring over.. 65 pairs of underwear, 30sox, shoes, clothing, rain gear, glue, detol, vasceline, chalk, medial things, math, english and science books, picture books, art supplies, watercolours, brushes, toothpastee and brushes, a calculator, flashlights, skipping ropes, footballs, hand balls, rulers, pencils, sharpeners....!!!!
oh man, its a huge list....thank you Yvonne and diane..i have no expectations!!for whatever you can bring over...like i said, they need everything!
see you tuesday!!
have a great weekend everyone...hugs...Lynn

2010-02-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

JAMBO!!
Happy Valentines day!! a little late but sending all our love from Tanzania..Peter's uncle invited us for dinner... a new home for them, three small rooms, two for sleeping with 6 people (Peter hunkering down on a mat in the storage area across the hall)...one room for the living, eating area...small with a couch and a couple of chairs, table, heavily curtained and very hot, this year with water and electricity, very exciting, the small 12 inch tv on throughout our meal...chipatis, a very soft beef stew cooked with onions, carrots, beans, and rice...a feast to celebrate the day!
Charles just got back yesterday, so happy to connect with him..he is my main stay here, the glue which keeps it all together - we spent the day going over details..Majengo the orphanage, how it has been going this first year, and as far as i can see, things are wonderful! we have a bright yellow swing set now outside, the bougainvillea fence we planted last year thick and over 6 feet high! blossoming with pink yellow and red flowers....the trees and bushes grown high and bushy...The outside toilets and showers we began last year, still stand exactly as i left them 9 months ago, basically cement stalls without connection to water!! the owner of this house was meant to finish them, but she has had financial and health problems...and so it goes...
Nothing ever gets done here as you might expect.
It surprises me sometimes, when things appear, things get done, miracles happen and they do! Brought two computers this year, hooked them up to the internet modem at the office yesterday with great expectation, the internet cafe shut down over this year to my dismay, but maybe....alas this didn't work either...sympatico mail is a million cybermiles away from Canada and the Olympic games and all that cold and snowy falling flakes... kept breaking down.

So today Elias..the baba of Pambazuko, the first orphanage..i know this is confusing, but we are working with three now.. hopped into a small bus, squeezed into the very back with 26, i counted them, other squished souls and off we went, the milk run stopping at every small village until finally pulling into the larger dusty bustling noisy crazy town of Arusha...another bus and a twenty minute walk through dusty roads housing dilapidated corregated tin homes, a very poor area of Arusha, with little children dressed in tatters happily playing in clumps along the road, the odd cow, with many goats and chickens pecking their way along, sipping from puddles left over from last night's most welcomed crashing downpour. It is very hot here this year...noticeably...way more than last...and without a lot of rain, they talk of the cows that have died, especially up in Masai country, hundreds of them dropping dead in the parched fields....shepherds from Kenya herding hundreds down into Tanzania in search of green grasses, leaving them at the side of the road, roaming along now on their own devices, their owner high tailing it back north across the border. Gone.
A few more turns and we find Pastor Naiman and his wife Kathleen inside their big airy wonderful church, with 100 very poor children who come there every morning for nursery school, singing and running through their a b c s....exhilerating, seeing all these kids together, dressed in green sweaters and blue shorts and skirts, uniforms donated by a group of Lutherin church people in Denmark. We are greeted with a great show of songs, and introductions..Pastor Naiman describing this church which he built 10 years ago, how it is by day servicing this school for pre schoolers in this very impoverished area with another 400 other kids out there hoping there will be a space for them...without any other schools in the area.
My friend, Lyn Barnes, from Australia raised enough money to finance a plot of land, 3 and a half acres just outside of town, where they hope to build a big school to accommodate all 500 children. Pastor Naiman invited me there today to discuss 18 of his most neediest kids...all of them orphaned by HIV AIDS...some with one parent living, but who is totally incapable of looking after their child. These kids are roaming literally from family to neighbour....desperately in need of a home...
He has arranged for a house to rent a few blocks away which we visit, almost ready to take in the children...He and his wife have agreed to become the papa and mama of these children temporarily, to move into this house until they can find another couple to become the real parents..imagine making the decision to take on the responsibility of 18 children, to be their life long mama and baba...to love them, to mend their scratches, to feed them well, to provide school for them, uniforms, books, education, and most of all love them all as their own children. Like Elias and his wife Tabea did, wow, it is a huge undertaking.
The situation looks good to me. Honest, hard working, good people.Intent on making a home for these kids...i met the children, what can i say, there are over 14 million orphaned kids in Africa now...all by HIV AIDS....there is no way to try to help, a little a drop in the bucket, but nevertheless, a drop....again, i could never be here without the help of so many of you out there from Canada and the US..Sweden...Holland...thank you so much!!
The budget they have put together is incomplete...
If we decide to commit ourselves to creating this new orphanage, the next few months will be busy, building beds, tables, benches, arranging for two staff, buying the necessary kitchen things to feed 22 people....to set up the financing...mosquito nets, curtains, clothing, shoes, uniforms...
we did it last year with Majengo, the logistics are in place....
we just have to decide now, whether we can do this, or not...
My big challenge this year is our on ground infrastructure. Communication with Canada and the United States....Budgets...making sure the people who are in place at each orphanage are honest and working hard at their jobs...and so far, from what i see, i am delighted with what they are doing here...the kids are happy, hugely...they have grown, not only physically but with their confidence, they are laughing amongst each other, singing with strength....hard to describe but amazingly reassuring, all of this achieved in just one year. Bravo to everyone out there..i wish you could be here with them now..
i am working also thinking and talking alot on how to make these orphanages self sufficient someday unto themselves. A friend came by last night from Handeni, a wonderful woman, Digna Peters who i lived and worked with four years ago in her village, her work is in organizing and running workshops to empower women, three thousand of them in fact. It is incredible. WE talked into the night about how these women set up businesses themselves, making soap, bread, selling rice, sugar, bananas....sewing, tailoring, selling used clothing, all sorts of things...how with just a little help, they form groups amongst each other to begin these enterprises, and how so many of them are working so well..She woke me up as she was leaving early this morning with her plan to bring me one boy chicken, and 8 girls, with the necessary information on how to raise chickens, to lay lots of eggs to sell...how to feed them, their vaccinations every three months,their wooden cages with perches for the guinea hens she would also bring to sleep upon..how to keep them clean...all of this at 6am!! Digna filled with new ideas, new dreams...how we can begin to make Majengo self supporting! it is a small start, but nevertheless a start.
And the other thing i am thinking about, is how to reach and provide support to the biggest numbers of children...orphanages are one thing, and a very good thing for the most neediest vulnerable children....but what about all those kids who have been orphaned by HIV AIDS..who have been taken in willingly by neighbours or relatives, who are having a very difficult time of it themselves, often with many children of their own. How to help them in their own homes? How to reach them, and how to make sure that money offered actually goes to the children, or to their school uniforms, supplies....how to monitor this kind of project....i have no idea, yet!

Matt's mother, Diana arrives with Jamie next Tuesday night, KLM at 9:30 pm...Kilimanjaro!! I am very excited to meet them here in this incredible land. The story of Matt arriving last year, with his great friends Bill and Ian...how they whirled around Arusha and Mto Wa Mbu...arriving the day of our big formal opening of Majengo orphanage....the long ceremony inside the dining area, with speech after speech from village elders and politicians...their very first day, so tired...and outside the children dancing and singing...Ian putting on a juggling show, Bill making a video..meeting the children, going on their first safari, the next day, with giraffes, elephants, zebra, monkeys running down the road, baboons...the kids taking their first ride on a bus, lunch, and some being a sick afterwards....and later, weeks later, Matt's email to me with his family's astonishing commitment to support the ongoing expenses of Majengo..the staffing of 8 with 40 kids, medical, school, uniforms, food, transport..everything, for one year...I can't thank you enough..and now, Diana is coming...

Yvonne has been sending emails asking exactly what we need...thank you to everyone out there amassing things for these kids..clothing, shoes... art \and school supplies...whatever you can think of we need here..they have nothing, except what we brought over from last year...thank you all so much!!

Diana...and Jamie...see you on Tuesday...bring suntan lotion, it is very hot here... mosquito spray for the evenings..books to read, flashlight, often the electricity goes, but at least we have it! light clothing...a bathing suit for down time..
time to run! have a great week....hugs..Lynn

PS My card for some reason works up in the Kiratu atm...hurrah!! i really panicked last week, with the equivalent of under $10. in my purse, and Peter alongside with pockets bare, not even enough for a bottle of water..scary! but a lesson to experience.....albeit for a day or two..only........

2010-02-13T01:44:00.000-08:00

jambo!! welcome to Africa!
Arrived in one piece late WEdnesday night...with Peter at the airport waiting for me, so great to see him again, along with our driver Hamidu in a rented van and made our way from KILIMANJARO>>>over to arusha< and on to Mto Wa MBU>>>the night filled with stars< millions of them dancing in the black skies...the dark and very high sillouette of a giraffe towering at the side of the highway, four zebras running across the road, we make our way very slowly across their migration route..and make it into MTO WA MBU laTE, almost 3am. Charles isn't with us, called into Dar es Salam on emergency, won't be back till MONDAY....UNFOrtunate...but time now for me to unpack....visit the kids, get orientated..exhausted the next day, PETER BRINGs me breakfast from Mi Casa just around the corner...coffee with boiled mile, a boiled egg and what they call a kitimbua..a little round fried up rice bun...we catch up most of the afternoon....
Peter is 26...orphaned by HIV AIDS with his two siblings back when he was 16, his uncle took them in with his grandmother...he had primary school, with no English. got a job washing dishes from 7am till almost midnight at a safari lodge up in NGORA crater>>>>for four years....hard exhausting work, but earning enough money to help his grandmother with his siblings...A couple on safari from South Carolina were taken by his outgoing nature, his kindness, his great spirit..and sponsored him for four years secondary school up in UGANda and then on to two years high school, where he not only learned to speak perfect English, but became the head boy with the highest marks..this guy is a winner...
he visits MTO WA MBU>>our little village, on holidays to stay with his uncle who runs a pharmacy here, looking after his mother, wife, and two people who work at his store, his uncle introduced him to Charles and ICA, the ngo where we all work. I MET Peter two years ago while he ws visiting...he was part of the original team to set up the Majengo orphanage, we are great friends.
so he has graduated...and is praying for help to get to university. they are allowed two years i understand from when they graduate, to come up with the funds for university...he has dreams...and it is my bet that one day we will read about him in the papers...United Nation....World Health..whatever...president of Tanzania, he smiles, with those great dimples...but for now we have him working with ica and Majengo...lucky!
We make our way over to Majengo....circle our way round the back hiding from the kids till Amanda spots us and there is a huge roar from within...they race out, hugs, kisses...along with Glory the teacher who is crying, Grayson with a huge smile the other teacher who i tease has gained some weight this year...last year i took a felt marker and outlined his slim body upon the hall wall, naming the parts in Swahili first and the in English..i made him stand up against this wall body...he laughed and laughed...what a beginning...KILO< the two cooks...Witness the cleaner who washes all 40kids clothing everyday and keeps them clean...i am so impressed with these people...so hard working, and to see those kids now so happy, so together as one big family, laughing, holding hands, singing with delight, proud. SO proud of themselves>>>as they should be>>>
They put on a skit for us, about a dad and step mother who mistreats the two children, who runs away, who doesn't leave them food for the day, a neighbour who comes to visit, who brings them to Majengo...how happy they are today...Two stand up and offer their stories..from before, after their mom and dads died of HIV AIDS...how they were left just like this, with little food, and no care, left with neighbours who had too many children to look after themselves..but who had taken them in. Each child has a story. LAST YEAr WE interviewed relatives and neighbours, to make certain that the children being registered into Majengo were indeed amongst the most vulnerable and poor..this year, i would like to talk with the children themselves, if they wish....many are old enough to tell their stories...and may wish to be heard.
On to Pambazuko..the other orphanage, with 16 kids and Elias and Tabea, their new mama and baba childless two years ago, born again Christians, whose minister directed them into this new job of looking after orphaned kids...who now have 16 under their wing! imagine!! last year we helped move them into a new home as well..and just like MAJENGO>>>these kids are thriving>>>
peter and i making our way through banana groves along little dirt paths in amongst small houses built from cement, cow dung, and grass, corregated steel and painted wonderful bright colours of turquoise, yellow, pink...goats running about, chickens, the odd dog....or cow tethered at an old wooden post. Little kids half dressed playing outside< their mama washing clothes and sheets in a big red bucket>>>HANGing them up to dry...we come into sight of Pambazuko...and i see 15 little kids running as fast as they can toward us, arms outstretched shouting my name...oh me goodness, it is so lovely to see them again...
WE move inside...Tabea the mama....Elias the dad...and now Zack who is almost 14 and most definately this year, a little man, awaiting me quietly on the couch, no longer a boy running across the field. HE IS PREtending to be nonchalant..but i KNOW him..i have been teaching 6 of them how to swim over the last four years, and he is one of them..but he is a man now...the oldest at Pambazuko....i must respect this...

it is lovely to be back..
dinner at Mi Casa with Peter...myusual..rice, beans, greens, tomato sause of sorts..i will have to get used to this again....basically it is what i eat for lunch and dinner when i am here..
Friday...bus all the way back into Arusha..Peter needs to see a good doctor...i need to get to the atm machine..my tanzanian money is almost out...we have gone to four machines...my debit card is declined. We head to the biggest bank here in Arusha the NBC..National Bank of Commerce....i speak to the head manager..my card has worked over the last four years...so why not now?? He has no explanation...he cannot help me. I begin to become very scared. I have given PETER $20 equivalent for his doctor's appointment...and have $12 left....it costs $10 to get both of us back to MTO WA MBU>>I HAVE $2 left for water and that is it!! a woman i met on the plane meets me and buys me lunch....she has an Iphone..and lets me use it to call my kids....it is 7am in toronto...they are just waking up, and become alarmed by the tone of my voice..i am almost crying...
to make a very long story, short....they wired me money via Western UNION>>today i got up early and took the long climb up to kiratu< picked up the money and came here>>my pockets once more solvent> at least for now>>>i"ve written my bank< there is no reason for this card not working>>>IT WORked in HOLLAND>>>AND THE US and back home..but not Africa...someone has to fix it!! I feel okay right now...and am learning big lessons....myself....
IMAGINE>>>>most of us back home, we are able, in some way, to finance our lives, to work, to have money in our pockets, and hopefully with some set aside for emergencies...our so called rainy day. YESTERDay I HAD nothing...$2 left over...for water, no food, until i was able to borrow a little from friends through Charles. Out here, in a very foreign land...relying on the kindness of others, and that was all. I AM SORRY for peter i must say> i was well out of my comfort level>>>>and he was the lucky guy to be there!!
The 10minute sign just came up....
will try to edit a little..this machine is scratchy, jumping, caps sticking, and slow...again, remembering only a few days ago being home, with everything working, fast easy, we forget how lucky we are, we take these things for granted...once again, back in Africa...patience..ah, sweet patience..and the sense of thanking our stars for just being here, where we are, relatively healthy, with a few coins now in our pockets....ah....
will write again, when i can...
in the meantime..did i tell you...MATT"S mother>>diana is coming over!! WITH A friend...in a week or so....for two weeks!! i am so happy for her..i know she is going to love it..she has followed so keenly the work of her son, helped with the fundraising in Warren.....and now, she is coming to see for herself what we are all doing over here....very very exciting!! tO GET over our fears, to push forward..to trust...to allow ourselves to get through and past our comfort zone...and to take chances...Diana...i know you are out there...and i can't wait to see you....
everyone....take care....bidai!!
which means...see you later....Lynn

2010-02-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, Feb 10...amsterdam airport...8:45 am...hopefully..on my way!! This morning at the crack of dawn...snow covered highway a little icy, Merit and i driving into Schiphol airport...a great 2 days out at Ophmert with Merit and Hans, with their brand new little Dutch water puppy Nell, thank you guys for looking after me, albeit with a nasty flu and cold, coughing and sneezing and blowing for two days, exactly what i envisioned on this first leg before Africa!It seems to be waning, and theoretically, all set to go! I book in and am selected by random as one of the 'lucky 18' who got put on standby for today's flight!! they overbooked!! Nothing to do but hope, and wait, and write...finally...

Charles, and the creation of Majengo orphanage, and the 52 little kids on the mud floor, and our commitment to try to build a new orphanage, April 08. Just down the road, we found a big house 90% finished owned by a woman from Arusha and did a contract with her: we finish renovating her home, and we get to move the children in for 4 years...cost, $12,000. My Swedish friends, Kerstin and Berndt who'd been badly burnt as I on that first orphanage, went in for half..Tom E. from Minnesota, a Rotary man drawn in by that first orphanage en safari, checked me out on this blog, promised the second half...Charles back in Tanzania, took over the contracting, and we were on our way. By December 08, with skyrocketing building costs, we ran out of money. I hit my email addresses, and by Jan. 09: 40 new donors came through in a week with another $8,000., enough to finish the job! thank you everyone!!
Enter Matt McKissock!!
Just days to leave, I get a phone call from a guy from Pennsylvania who want to rent our family cottage for a week that August...ok, great! but we have to do it in a hurry, i am leaving for Africa in a couple of days...Oh, said he, and looking back, this question would be one that would change his life: "what are you doing in Africa".
I didn't have a lot of time, but i spead through the excitement of what we were doing over there, building a new facility, raising money for the refurbishings at this point...the 52 little kids, Charles, all of it...I emailed him the cottage contract, attached some pictures of the kids as an afterthought, and to my delight along with the contract he sent me a donation the very next day! wow!! what a great guy! I called him back to thank him...that was Friday. I was leaving the next Wednesday. On Monday morning early, the phone rings..my house is filled with things to bring and a to do list - I am racing...it is Matt. He invites me to drive down to Pennsylvania to meet with he and some friends...they can help us, tonight! No...i cannot go. My daughter and her partner are coming by to teach me how to use the video camera. He is insistent. But no. The next morning this guys is calling again. WE can help you. We want to help you. My wife and i will drive half way to meet you tonight!! dinner...But no. My kids were having my going away dinner...i couldn't cancel. I was sorry! Who was this guy!! I said, Matt..."if you are so interested in what we are doing in Africa..you are just going to have to come over to see for yourself!!" Well..of course he wouldn't, couldn't....he called that afternoon, with two hours of questions fired as if from an explosion!! I could answer most of them, except maybe, in hindsight, the most important. What was my operating budget for this orphanage? I had no idea? None...I was not concentrating on how in earth we were going to keep this place going, my only concern was getting it built!! It didn't occur to me, the other...i had no idea. I didn't know how many kids we would have, or what anything cost! Budget. I couldn't possibly make a budget till i got there...but i knew i would, as soon as the place was built. I had to get there first, to check everything out, to find out what we needed, how many staff, everything..then i would know..of that i was confident. But now..no. I couldn't even possibly guess. and that was that.

WEdneday night i left for Africa, dropping off into Gotleib Sweden for two days for meetings with my Swedish friends..they had just been over a month before with so much to tell me, pictures of Majengo...and great news that they had opened another orphanage home and managed to bring 16 children from the 'first orphanage' over to form a new family. We formed a team and vowed to work together on both orphanages. We were ecstatic!

9:30am...boarding at 10...this is going to be rushed...bear with me!!
Mto wa Mbu 2009...Majengo...rough, walls done, roof now...but no bathrooms, kitchen or finishing...empty, no furnishings. we got out our measuring tape, made a plan of the house, ordered 12 bunk beds to be made, 3 dining tables, 36 little desks, benches, chairs...ordered 24 mattresses covered in plastic, sheets, towels..imagine outfitting a house...in Swahili! the women from the neighbourhood arrived with hoes cleaned up the entire outside, and began to build an outdoor kitchen.

Matt called.

He was coming over!! with two friends. they would be arriving in a month!! what did we need!! Was this really happening?? Who was this man? What kind of person would fly all the way over to this remote village in Tanzania..to see what we were doing? What in earth was happening? It was a miracle. Matt, the miracle man. Was coming! We made a long list of everything we needed, our hope list...

I just lost 15 min of writing!!time ran out...luckily the above was saved!!
So...very briefly....all of this is down in detail on past blogs, but very briefly!!

Matt, Bill and Ian arrived a month later...with 8 duffel bags of everything we asked for....we all fell in love with each other.
Day one, our grand opening with 40kids and 8 wonderful staff..with village elders...our ica tanzanian staff people....neighbours friends....the next day a safari with 32 little kids who had never been on a bus before, let alone seen a giraffe, 10minuts from the orphanage....Matt and Bill and Ian went on their own safari, came back, made a video of the kids..went home, and made an incredible commitment to back the financing of this orphanage for one year! It was a miracle.

I visited Warren in April...met the McKissock clan, how warm and wonderful they are, and so enthusiastic with everything we are doing...we gave a presentation. Matt opened the Warren/Majengo foundation..and just last month we got our IRA tax status as a charitable organization. Now everyone donating toward Majengo will get tax receipts, hurrah!!
Matt told me in the summer at our cottage that this was the most important work he had every done...he hoped, all going well, to make of goal of going from these 40kids up to 1,000 in 5 years!! Incredible!!!
I visited a month ago, and stayed with Matt's mom..Diana...
She was dying to go over...but was afraid...i wish i had more than 3 minutes and 1 second left to describe that conversation..but all i can say is that i too was very afraid four years ago, as i embarked on a four month journey, to Zimbabwe, KENYA and tANZANIA...I understand her apprehension...more later!! from Africa...!!

2010-02-07T03:09:00.000-08:00

WINTER 2010!!!
And almost, ready to go!! my 4th year back to Africa...and this time, as with every time it is differnt, but this year, with a new goal, a new purpose...very exciting..
Catchup first...sorry i can't write about Africa while living in Toronto, it doesn't work for me - outside, the weather cold, clear and cold, not so much snow for us this year, yet not hot, sweet, humid with the lovely smell of bananas floating through dusty mud streets, a rooster crowing not so far away....
It's not until I can feel myself back that i can begin to write..

Someone asked recently how it is coming home...My first year was terrible, mid Feb. in Canada, but more so the isolation of the streets, with people hurrying by, too cold to look up to say hello Jambo! to smile, to ask of the family, the time of day..
Over there life on the streets, clusters of fires burning in the black night, cooking rice, beans at the side of the road, the children dressed in tattered clothing playing by, happily, singing...the women crouched down, stooped, stirring and talking amongst themselves. It is a life on the street, with everyone knowing what everyone else is doing. The homes are mostly dark, many in mud huts made of cow dung and grass, pieces of wood, or with sheets of corregated tin, or plywood, or cardboard hung and tied together without privacy, without electricity, without water, small, with mamas and babas and children, bibis and granddads, friends all living, sleeping together - they are drawn out into the outer world.

Two worlds..back in 2007, coming home, so sad, after four months, to by flying out and away from Africa, I look out my window, and have a terrible sense of feeling that this continent is closing in away from me with all and everything it is - its povery, disease and pain, and yet its incredible song, its joy, its colour, its laughter, its smells, its sounds, its great resilience - its community, so filled with life. So terribly sad to be leaving, and not knowing if i will ever come back.

That year, i came home and began to make speaches about what I had seen, experienced. NOt at all the difinitive view, but my view, one person who had been there. I couldn't stop talking about it, with anyone who would listen. These speeches brought me back there. The art workshops in vast concrete community centres with people who had never seen paint before, who had never held a brush, and yet who experienced that huge rush of pride that they could do it! Many with HIV AIDS - groups of woman with sick, hungry, tired, with children hanging off their sides, their bellys and backs, pushed out into the streets abandoned by families, repulsed and confused, the shutting out, pushing away stigma of the disease, these women, sick and ill, who once held good jobs, now alone, hungry with no means of feeding their families, no where to go. Coming together in our ICA TANZANIAN offices, working and sharing with each other, learning about the disease, how to prevent it, how to care for themselves, with new hope, a place to come, a safe place from husbands irrate with their wive's diagnosis. Who refuse testing. Who went back out and got more women pregnant. This is how it spreads mainly. Unless the woman is reduced to prostitution, to feed her family. I learned so much that first year. Working outside of big cities in rural villages, hamlets, traveling down dirt gutted roads, into Masai tribal villages bumping along in Charles old red truck - it broke down this year. We gave HIV AIDS workshops, on prevention, volunteer testing, care, condoms. We visited sick, poor - I saw these people coming together, with new hope, compassion, understanding. Healing.
I began to raise money at these talks back home...and made up my mind to go back. To take that money and try to make a bit of a difference. And it has grown from there.

Fast forward...year four, a quick summary. WE have opened two orphanages: Majengo with 40 little kids, all orphaned by HIV AIDS...between age 2 and 8, a staff of 8, this newly renovated bright shiny yellow home with sun pouring in, three good meals a day of rice, beans, tomato, green and some days chicken, fish, a little beef, this project set up, owned and operated fully by local people, by the village elected leaders, by ICA TANZANIA. Our job over here is to raise funds and awareness, and for me, to go back every year to experience the changes, what is working, what isn't,review budgets, and to monitor for corruption. Corruption there isn't like white collar corruption here, the pilfering million of dollars - driven by greed. Over there, its driven by need. Stark desperate need. Which doesn't make it right, but for me, it is important to understand, that's all.

Except when things get out of hand. Like in the first orphanage I worked in four years ago, set up strategically just outside of town along the busy and very wealthy safari routes snaking up to the Ngora Crater. The director packed them tightly with small, beautiful children, many, but not all, orphaned by HIV AIDS and kept systematically hungry with poor food, some with HIV AIDS untreated, with open soars and liasons dripping with puss from the disease, all jammed into filthy untended quarters in tattered rags - to lure in the booming safari tourist trade.
And it worked.
Safari drivers were paid well to bring in their clients, as were government officials, store owner, shop keepers and churches. Everyone knew what he was doing, but he got away with it and still is. I got sucked in, as well anyone who came near this place, Americans, Canadian, Europeans, Australians, Israelis - people from around the world. WE all became part of the problem. I told everyone I met about this place. They HAD to drop by, they HAD to help out. I can be very persistent, and it worked. We had meetings, we played and taught the children. WE got to know those kids and loved them as we would our own. WE brought over little bags of bananas, samosas, rice...we built beds, tables, desks and shelving, benches. We tried to raise money to build a new facility, we found outside sponsors for each kid, for education, medicine.
Until we realized what was going on.
It was shattering. It was a betrayal unlike any other i have experienced. ONce i learned what ws happening, there was nothing i could do, but to back away, to leave those kids i loved so much. Those kids who i had visited everyday, taught English, taught swimming, taken on safari - for almost two years. Finished. Done. Once i found out, i wasn't allowed back there. I was no longer of use to him.
I almost left Africa for good that time.
I went back to my office and cried and cried and cried.
I told Charles, my project coordinator, that i was out of here. That I was going straight up to Nairobi for a few days, and then flying home, early. I was done.
He listened, all the while packing his truck for a workshop out in the middle of no where. He forced me to come. He made me stand up and make a speech to those people out there. I can't remember what i could have said. I was shattered.
He wouldn't let me go.
He said, look at all the things you have learned about orphanages, about those children, about their needs, about how to run one of these places...WEll, he insisted, take that knowledge and put it somewhere else. There are 14 million orphans in Africa. Don't let one little place force you away. This guy is so wise.
Balking and resisting, the very next day he took me into an agricultural community, far away from the safari trade, to a small mud foyer, where 52 little kids were bunched in together, sitting on the floor, singing a song for our arrival. Little ones barely able to walk, older children, some smiling, laughing, open, others holding back warily.
52 little kids in a mud foyer.
Community neighbours had gathered them up out of desperation, some wandering down roads, naked, with no family, no relatives, no one to look after them, and brought them to this place. There was no furniture, no tables, chairs, no desks, no paper, books, pens, crayons, nothing. No food but for whatever was brought in my farmers in the area. But there were two teachers in the front of the room, and a few women out back amongst the wandering chickens and goats, cooking over a small fire, volunteering their lives for these kids. They had nothing, but they did have each other. This place had a leaking roof, dirt floor, was dark with one little window, unfit for official orphanage registration - but yet a place where kids could come. Most slept out somewhere,with relatives, with neighbours, but 10 without anywhere to go, slept in one room, five to a bed widthwise -
Despite my insistance within a few hours, i was drawn back in.
That was March of 08...I had two weeks to go.
We committed ourselves to trying to help this very legitimate situation.
and this is where MAJENGO ORPHANAGE began!!!!!

What a great place to leave off!!
Seanna has just arrived....more from Amsterdam...!!
enjoy!!