Basic Needs for kids in Tanzania

Magaline Alcindor is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hello, my name is Magaline. I graduated from Stony Brook University in August 2017. During my last semester of college, summer 2017, I had the honor of studying abroad in Tanzania, Africa. I got to learn some Swahili, do research, visit hospitals and orphanages, be an intern and experience national landmarks such as Mount Kilimanjaro, and the Ngorongoro Crater.

The Backstory:

My trip to Tanzania was my first time leaving the United States and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. The country was beautiful and the people were so kind and welcoming. They embraced me with open arms and taught me so much about their culture. During my trip, I encountered many people who were working tirelessly to help others, despite not having a surplus of resources themselves. More than one third of the population earns less than $1 a day.

When I returned from my trip, I began to reflect on my experiences. Although I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything I had experienced, the altruism that I had observed had the most profound impact on me. Witnessing the dedication of the leaders in the orphanages to providing for and loving children was life changing. These leaders work so hard to try to provide the children with all the resources and support that developing children need to blossom into healthy and successful young adults. Despite their commendable efforts, there is a limit to the services and supplies that they can provide for the children because they rely on donations.

The Cause:

I am starting this GoFundMe to raise money to contribute to the cost of providing the basic necessities. My alma mater, Stony Brook University, does an annual study abroad trip to Tanzania. The faculty and students who go to Tanzania this summer will take the donations I raise and make sure they go to the correct people. There are three main subgroups which this fundraiser will focus on.

1. The Children Concern Foundation: This is an orphanage located in Mto wa Mbu, Arusha, Tanzania. It is directed by Andrew Joshua Nnko and is sustained entirely by donations. Mr. Nnko shared with me that a year supply of food for the orphanage consists of 36 sacks of maize, 12 sacks of beans and 960 kilograms of rice. A 100 kilogram sack of maize cost $75.00, a 100 kilogram sack of beans cost $140.00 and 1 kilogram of rice is $1.00. I hope to raise enough money to cover the expenses of two months of food for the children. This would require 6 sacks of maize ($450.00), 2 sacks of beans ($280.00), and 80 kilograms of rice ($80.00).

Daniel, a youth who lives at Children Concern Foundation, and I

The living arrangements of some of the children who live at the Children Concern Foundation

2. The Leaders of Tomorrow Children’s Home: This is a home for children who are either orphans or come from extremely disadvantaged homes. It is located at the United African Alliance Community Center in Imbaseni Village. The founders Pete O’Neal and Charlotte Hill O’Neal provide housing, food, education, clothes, school supplies and healthcare to 21 children. All of the expenses of the Leaders of Tomorrow Children’s Home are covered through donations and personal funds. The O’Neal’s take their mission of developing the leaders of tomorrow very seriously and strive to support the children with opportunities for them to grow. I had the pleasure of getting to know some of these children during my stay at the United African Alliance Community Center and one of the things I noticed about a lot of the children is that they love to read. They absolutely loved the few books I brought with me to donate. One of my few regrets regarding my trip to Tanzania is that I didn’t pack more books to give them. Because a love to read should be cultivated and nourished in every single child, I would like to raise funds to provide the children with more books.

Baraka, a child who lives at Leader's of Tomorrow Children's Home, and I

The front of Leader's of Tomorrow Children's Home

3. Dareda Hospital: The health care internship that I completed was at the Dareda Hospital. This hospital is located in the Babati District of Manyara Region. Every week staff from the hospital goes to a different nearby rural village such as Sabilo, Birsima, Lomohongand, Gidewary, or Endadu and treats more than 200 patients. They do this outreach because many of the people in these villages cannot come to the hospital because they do not have transportation. The services they provide include weighing children, educating new mothers on how to feed and take care of their baby, HIV testing, care for those living with HIV, vaccinating children, and ear/ eye examinations. I would like to raise money to help cover the cost associated with this weekly outreach performed by the Dareda Hospital staff. This cost includes the transportation of the staff to the village, and medical supplies such as masks, gloves, bandages and more.

My peers and I at the weekly outreach led by the Dareda Hospital staff

An examination room

Thank you!

I want to express sincere gratitude to everyone that took the time to read about my trip and what I am trying to accomplish with this GoFundMe. Please support the cause in any way you can by

· Making a donation (no amount is too small)

· Raising awareness of my campaign among your friends and family by sharing my link on your Facebook, Instagram, sending emails, texting and any other means of communication

Together we can help provide the financial resources to enable members of Tanzanian communities to continue empowering and helping the more vulnerable members of their communities.