Celebrate
the Majengo miracle
By: Kristi Green
May 29, 2014
Written for the CREEMORE ECHO, MAY 2014...
By Majengo c0-founder: Lynn Connell
TO DONATE online: www.majengo.org
thank you!!!
In Swahili, the word majengo means
“a building up.” But for me, what has happened in the last six years, means a
miracle.
Six years ago, while teaching
painting in Africa, I was taken to visit 52 little kids, ages two to nine,
huddled together on a wet, mud floor in a leaking, dark foyer set up as a
makeshift daycare, with virtually no resources: no food, no furniture, no
teaching supplies – and, in most cases, no one on the planet left to care for
them.
Ragged, starving, and in some cases
wandering from farm to farm begging for food and lodging, they’d been gathered
together by local farmers, their wives cooking out back over fire, serving the
children the only meal they would have in a day.
That day, I, along with Charles
Luoga, the HIV/AIDS Project Coordinator of the local NGO, Institute of Cultural
Affairs (ICA) Tanzania, made a commitment to help those kids in whatever way we
could. Miraculously and amazingly, from that moment on, with the help of many
generous people, Majengo now thrives.
Building Majengo
Charles found a half-built home down the road and made a deal with the owner: we finance the building of the house and get to use it for four years. I came back to Canada and brought Majengo to Creemore. Creemore folks, family and friends raised $23,000. One year later, the kids moved in, along with a hard-working, local staff of 12, all of whom had cooked for the kids for free that whole first year. They are still there.
Charles found a half-built home down the road and made a deal with the owner: we finance the building of the house and get to use it for four years. I came back to Canada and brought Majengo to Creemore. Creemore folks, family and friends raised $23,000. One year later, the kids moved in, along with a hard-working, local staff of 12, all of whom had cooked for the kids for free that whole first year. They are still there.
Two years later, the government shut
down five corrupt orphanages on the safari route. These had been set up as
businesses with a steady stream of money going into the pockets of their
owners, while the kids were overcrowded, sick and starving. In one day, the
government dropped off 67 new kids to Majengo. I even had my life threatened by
one Director whose orphanage had been closed.
At Majengo, we went into rescue
mode. Our cooks were now feeding more than 100 people per meal, three times a
day. Terrified and starving children who had been torn from shocking,
indescribable circumstances, were now thrown together after eating leaves off
the trees and garbage from the street, stampeding the kitchen with other
equally frightened children, who were forced into a new cohabitation with each
other.
Total chaos. Yet our staff pulled
through, and within a month the security, health and well-being of those kids
changed radically. Today, they live as one huge happy family… the older kids
look after the younger, and a staff of 17 cooks, cleaners, watchmen and
teachers are committed to raising them, lovingly, as their own.
Majengo grows
We’ve come a long way in such a short time. Matt McKissock and his family from Warren, Pennsylvania came on as a third partner, joining Majengo Canada and ICA Tanzania, (which each have official charitable status), to issue tax receipts for donations.
We’ve come a long way in such a short time. Matt McKissock and his family from Warren, Pennsylvania came on as a third partner, joining Majengo Canada and ICA Tanzania, (which each have official charitable status), to issue tax receipts for donations.
Two years ago, the local Majengo
community government gifted us 10 acres of open clean land just outside the
village of MtoWaMbu, which is an hour’s drive from the famous NgoroNgoro Crater
safari. With the help of many supporters, we built three big houses, a dining
hall, kitchen and soccer field. Last June, we relocated 83 kids, plus chickens,
goats, sheep and puppies into their own brand new Majengo Children’s Home. Your
money has been put to tremendous use.
Just this year, we hand-drilled 40
metres down to flourish unlimited fresh water to Majengo and equipped the
kitchen with two top-notch stoves to help relieve our cook’s respiratory/eye problems.
We also planted three huge vegetable gardens, with each child choosing,
planting and watering their own tree, and we built a security fence dancing
with bougainvillea.
Since January, 73 Majengo kids have
been sponsored into Mama Anna’s English Medium School where Susan Lee’s
daughter Simone Lee Hamilton just returned from six months of teaching. Simone will be at
Sunday’s party, regaling you with fascinating stories of working and living on
the ground at Majengo.
We strive to improve the lives of
the surrounding Majengo community. We do this by offering education to
vulnerable children who do not live at Majengo, at our onsite preschool. The
school is staffed by three trained teachers who work side by side under the
direction of our ICA Tanzanian ground support and village leaders.
What do we need?
Since we started, our operating costs have risen from $55,000 to $135,000. This covers food, medical, education, accommodation, sports and local staffing. Other than the required bookkeeping and government auditing, postal costs and photocopying, every cent that we raise goes directly to supporting the children. Our directors and volunteers do so entirely at their own expense.
Since we started, our operating costs have risen from $55,000 to $135,000. This covers food, medical, education, accommodation, sports and local staffing. Other than the required bookkeeping and government auditing, postal costs and photocopying, every cent that we raise goes directly to supporting the children. Our directors and volunteers do so entirely at their own expense.
Can you imagine feeding 83 kids and
putting them to bed… in the dark? This year, on top of our operating expenses,
we’re aiming to raise $50,000 for solar energy. We’re wired for electricity,
but it could be years before we get connected to the grid. For more
information, check out www.smilemajengo.com.
Simply put, we need your continuing
enthusiasm and support, as founders and in a way, “surrogate parents,” to give
these kids a chance and help them grow through childhood until the day they
leave Majengo.
Without your help, Majengo would
still be only a dream. To make a donation, visit www.majengo.org or send a
cheque (payable to Majengo Canada) to 284 Major Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S
2L6.
Since Majengo opened, the lives of
83 vulnerable, orphaned and displaced children, many of whom lost their parents
to HIV/AIDS, have changed astoundingly. Today, they thrive – because of you.
Here is to you – our friends and
family in the Creemore area, who have supported the magical Majengo Children’s
Home, in central Tanzania, since our beginning in 2008.
Please join us on Sunday, June 1 to
celebrate Majengo and to celebrate you. The event is free; all are welcome.
Celebrate the Majengo Children’s
Home
Sunday, June 1, 2 to 5 pm
Creativity Art Retreat, 8961 County Road 9, Dunedin
Food, bar and live music with Rusty McCarthy
Free
www.majengo.org
Sunday, June 1, 2 to 5 pm
Creativity Art Retreat, 8961 County Road 9, Dunedin
Food, bar and live music with Rusty McCarthy
Free
www.majengo.org
Lynn Connell is Majengo Canada
Director and Co-Founder.
PS...THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO OUR CELEBRATION PARTIES...We raised over $15,000, made lots of new friends and supporters for Majengo...huge thanks to Lyndon Wiebe for delicious food...Rusty McCarthy and Anne Lindsay and her band for enchanting music, John and Shauna Connell for their stunning Toronto home, and to everyone who volunteered....
