In Memory of Joel Matondo

Joel Matondo was born in Tanzania and raised in Swaziland. He came to Fort Collins to follow in his father's footsteps and study at Colorado State University. In 2017, Joel was the victim of a vicious assault and nearly lost his life. As a result of his injuries, the course of Joel's life changed forever. He was partially paralyzed, he suffered memory loss and headaches, and he had seizures. Yet, Joel remained upbeat and positive and engaged with life. He spoke three languages, was a chess master and martial artist, and BBQ connoisseur.

Tragically, Joel died at the age of 26 on Tuesday, October 6 from complications associated with his injuries from the assault. Joel's brother, Joshua, preceded him in death and is buried at Grandview Cemetery in Fort Collins. The Matondo family wants Joel to be buried next to his brother. 

Joel's parents, Upendo and Jonathan, live in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. They have limited financial resources. The purpose of this fundraiser is to assist the family with unexpected costs as a result of Joel’s death. 

I met Joel because I was his detective following the assault. I became close to him and his family in Africa. His family asked Rogers Kanani and I to plan Joel's funeral because they are so far away.

All contributions are sincerely appreciated. Thank you.

https://www.facebook.com/fortcollinspoliceservices/posts/1149933901778912



Per GoFundMe, I need to add the following information to ensure transparency:

I (Jason Curtis) am a family friend of the Matondo family. I assisted Joel with his day to day needs, such as transportation, groceries, medical appointments and other needs. I communicated regularly with his parents in Dar es Salaam. Jonathan (Joel's father) asked me to handle funeral arrangements along with Rogers Kanani, who is also a family friend and Tanzanian living in Colorado. Jonathan gave Rogers and I full decision making authority for all matters concerning Joel's funeral, burial and estate. Jonathan was not originally planning to travel to the US because they did not have the financial resources and trusted that Rogers and I would ensure a dignified and proper service and burial for Joel.

All funds raised through these donations will go directly to Joel's funeral and burial expenses and travel expenses for Jonathan and Upendo (Joel's mother). Any funds left after funeral, burial, and travel expenses are paid will go to Jonathan and Upendo to pay any expenses owed by Joel's estate. 

In the interest of accountability, I established a memorial account with Elevations Credit Union in Joel's name (The Memorial of Joel Jonathan Matondo). For tax purposes, I am the custodian of the memorial account. Jonathan and Upendo are not US citizens and do not possess social security numbers. All payments from this account will be approved by Jonathan, Upendo, Rogers and I. The account will be closed once all of Joel's expenses are paid and the account is at zero funds.