Sili's Dream

Those of you who know my story and followed Luke and me on our Peace Corps journey through Tanzania, may remember the story of Sili and the banana tree. Despite Sili's young age (about 14, left photo above) and adolescent demeanor, he was the first neighbor to welcome us to our new home with a gift...you guessed it, a banana tree. I will never forget the day he arrived, dragging a freshly cut banana tree, three times his little boy size! That was just the beginning of our long, meaningful relationship. Every step of our journey in Magagura (our village) Sili was there, with endless energy and wisdom to lend a hand, a smile, and eat my oatmeal!

Sili by nature is a giver; he gave Luke and me so much when most others only lent a hand for something in return. Because of his honest and genuine nature, we felt the responsibility to help Sili achieve his dreams and we started by helping him attend mechanics school and get a license. Today Sili (much older and wiser - photo on the right) aspires to become a  professional driver. With his mechanics degree and driver's license in hand, he is all set...he just needs... a car :)

This is where your support can help us make this little boy, turned young man's dream come true. With roughly $4,000 we can help Sili purchase a sturdy vehicle to launch his dreams and his career in driving. With a car Sili can begin a small taxi business and hopefully one day be a professional driver for an organization...maybe even the Peace Corps :)

This June I will be back in Tanzania with Sili to help him build his dream. I am determined to make this happen and I welcome your support -  no matter how little or big, every little bit will help! $20 will buy us petrol to drive the new car home, $50 will pay for the first oil change and small maintenance, and $100+ will help us find the best car for purchase!