Feeding Flowers Students

Hello everyone!

Let me start off by saying that I’m aware these are trying times for some of us, both financially and mentally. I know this is not the ideal time to be fundraising, but there is an immensely important cause so near and dear to my heart that it wouldn’t sit right for me to not at least try. I know this is a bit lengthy, so thank you for taking the time to read this.

As some of you may know, a few years back, I did a 4-month volunteer project at an elementary school called Flowers, in Arusha, Tanzania, Africa. My partner at the time (Natalie) and I created a fundraiser while we were there and many of you made generous contributions and with that money, we were able to go on educational field trips, purchase school supplies, hygienic products, food, and provide HIV testing and dental screening to the 100 children who were proud to call Flowers their school. In the last few years, Flowers has had to limit the number of students to 40 children, due to a lack of funding.

Tanzania is one of the most impoverished countries in the world. While I cannot speak for all of Africa, the children of Flowers live in poverty. I had the opportunity to visit the homes of several students. It is commonplace for women to be raising their children on their own. Most families have homes the size of a bathroom in our American houses, with dirt floors and no running water or electricity. Nourishment is a luxury and 3 year old students who, in a first world country, would be buzzing with energy, are falling asleep in class because of malnourishment. Just like what you see on UNICEF commercials, bloated bellies are commonplace.

As you may have guessed, this is an emergency fundraiser because of COVID-19. Flowers is a special place that is funded primarily through donations. They have an amazing school director, Dennis Palla, whom I had the absolute pleasure of working with years ago. Typically, students at Flowers are given two meals throughout the day. Because the kids are not able to go to school, they are no longer getting their meals. These kids are truly little angels and it’s breaking my heart to know how hungry they are right now, to know that they are in pain. I am asking you from the bottom of my heart to please chip in whatever you are able to.

This is the budget break-down Dennis and I have created:

US dollars go far in Tanzanian Shillings.

$60 USD per family will provide 10 kgs of maize, 10 kgs of flour, 10kgs of beans, 5 kgs of sugar, 10 kgs of rice, and 5 liters of cooking oil. This amount of food will feed each family for about 3 weeks.

40 families x $60= $2400 (I would like to raise $2500 to cover the 2.9% payment processing and 30 cent per donation cut Go Fund Me takes)

Please spread the word! And if you have any questions about absolutely anything, please don’t hesitate to ask me.

I really cannot thank you enough.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. And thank you from Dennis and the 40 kids at Flowers and their beautiful families, too.