Classrooms for the Kids

On a recent cycling trip to Tanzania, my heart was touched by the hardworking, helpful, and resilient spirit of the people in a country with a standard of living far below ours. Our hostel proprietor introduced me to Mama Mshana, who has taken on the care of orphaned or needy children in the town of Moshi. She began with one child she found while on her daily rounds selling eggs and vegetables to her neighbors. He was wandering the streets alone, looking malnourished and very vulnerable, so she took him in. From there, the number of children she cares for, either full-time or for daycare only, has grown to a range of 13-20. She and several relatives who help her, do this work on a strictly volunteer basis. Welima, our hostel proprietor, explained that Mama Mshana’s dream was to build two classrooms and recruit volunteer teachers to ensure a good start in life for these kids. Welima could provide housing and meals for volunteers at her hostel at minimal cost.

As I watched the kids squirming all over the floor and then gazing at me intently with their big eyes as I sang with them and tried to teach them to count to 10 in English, I could see they would be a delight to work with. But first, they needed classrooms. I decided then and there I would raise the money to get them built. Welima found a contractor and got a rough estimate of $25,000 to build two classrooms and a bathroom.

I went to work and had a barn sale and a plant sale. I sold my vintage Coke machine and my husband sold his share of a gas lease. Then we threw a benefit dinner. People have been so good, helping with donated items to sell or food for the dinner and writing generous checks. At this point, we have raised $18,846. My hope is to raise that to $25,000 by July 13, to celebrate my 70th birthday! Any amount raised over that will go toward outfitting the classrooms with books, tables, chairs, shelves, toys, and supplies. I hope you will join me in this happy endeavor.

The money will go into a separate bank account that I set up in my name. I will then wire it all at once to Worthy of Hope Tanzania, an NGO that Welima started 2 years ago, and she and her board will manage the construction.

Asante! (Thank you!)