Archive for the ‘Juma and Haruna’ Category

2 Gifts (a Chicken and a Duck) – and Arrival of a Friend!

Friday, May 23rd, 2008

Thursday we worked at the home in the morning and left for lunch. Before we left the work site, two women who had been working with us at the house presented us as a group with a gift …. A chicken and a duck! At first we thought that the gifts were for the family that would be living in the house … but then we realized that the gift was for us to eat! That was definitely a first for all of us!

Although this was a bit out of our comfort zone, we realized that this was a great gift on their part … they literally have nothing to give … and these birds cost money for them! They were honoring us in a way that we could not fathom. We were overwhelmed! And so, I climbed into the back of the vehicle, holding onto a chicken, and Danica holding onto the duck …. and we drove away. They were cute … we named them appropriately “Mzungu” meaning a white person (the duck was white) and “Rafiki” for the black chicken, meaning friend …. Thankfully, we did not dine on them before we left, but we left them with the centre where we were staying!!!

Bill Shaw arrived Thursday afternoon and joined us for the celebrations. He will be travleing with us for the safari and then staying on for another 2 weeks to meet with officials for planning future construction sites and plans for Save Africa Now. We were excited to have him join our group! In the afternoon we welcomed Juma, Haruna, Sabina and the other orphans to see thier new home for the first time. Even though they
will not be able to move into their home for another couple of months, this was the first time that they have seen the house. They were overwhelmed … and so full of gratitude and thanks! One of the smallest rooms in the new home is larger than the tiny place they are packed into right now! This will feel like a mansion to them! We celebrated with sodas, many photographs, small gifts and much laughter … what a wonderful experience! When we sang a blessing to the group that will reside in the home, Sabina (the grandmother and
caregiver) broke down and cried … overwhelmed by the changes that will happen for them … New hope … new life … literally being saved from the despair they are currently living in! It was a wonderful afternoon …. but so hard to say goodbye! For them, there is much hope for the future, and yet … it is hard to see us leave
them! It was an emotional day for all of us!

Posted in Bill Shaw, Juma and Haruna, Save Africa Now, Tabora | 4 Comments »

School Visits

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008

Today we worked more at the construction site, and we visited two schools. The visits to the schools were a highlight for me, as a teacher! At one school we specifically met with “Standard 7″ and “Standard 4″ … we met with the Standard 7 because the Grade 7 classes at Gateway Christian School in Red Deer, Alberta had raised the money for the “Gateway House” that will be the new home for Juma and Haruna, Sabina and the other orphans.

We met with Standard 4 to give the gift that the Grade 4 students of Gateway Christian School had made for the students in Tabora Tanzania. It was overwhelming to stand in front of MANY students … eager and hungry to be in school and to learn. School is a privilege here and not something everyone is able to experience due to the extreme poverty. The students were packed into a barren classroom, with wooden benches and rough tables, old chalk boards and simple paper notebooks … Wearing their uniforms proudly, so excited to see us, and so excited to be in school! It was wonderful! We greeted them and shared about Canada.

We sang our National Anthem for them and truly felt blessed to be among them! We then went outside and presented the school with athletic equipment donated by North Star Sports … we had a blast trying to teach them how to throw a football (they call soccer “football” here and do not play our form of football at all) and
double dutch skipping and how to use a frisbee, etc. It was great fun and much laughter!

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Posted in Gateway School, Juma and Haruna, North Star Sports | 1 Comment »

Meeting Juma and Haruna (from Geannette and Nathan)

Thursday, May 15th, 2008

Hi there …
a quick update! We are thankful that we have access to internet again.

Yesterday afternoon we met Juma and Haruna …. it was emotional to
finally meet them and to know that we were here to make a difference
in their lives! We also met their grandmother and children from the
area where they live. We were allowed to see the “house” that they
live in right now … approximately 100sq ft … dark and dreary with
a pile of belongings and one bed that the grandmother and 7 children
share. It was so emotional to know that people are living like this
…. it is unimaginable!
We then saw the site that you see on Africa: Sing Me Your Song …
where they lived when they did not have a home. Again, we were
overcome with emotions that children could “live” under such
conditions. We also visited another home site where they lived for a
while as well. We met MANY children, eager to hold our hands, have
their pictures taken with us, to touch us and to laugh with us. It
was so emotional …. so much need. And yet, for those two little
boys, their grandmother and the other orphans living with them …
there IS hope. Hope that is so much more than brick and mortar …
hope that will deliver them out of the dark situation they are
currently in and that will allow them to begin to live … to learn
… to grow and to dream about the future! That in itself is so very
powerful!

Today we worked for the morning at the building site. At first it
seemed to take a while to get going, but then we were able to
accomplish a great deal. We know that every little bit that we are
able to do allows the workers to accomplish that much more. We were
thankful to get as much done as we could today. We will return
tomorrow and work at the building site all day.
In the afternoon we planned a party that we will be holding for a
group of orphaned children … it should be exciting and fun!
We are grateful for your continued prayers, and for all that we are
able to experience here. The people are beautiful …. the children
absolutely fill your heart … their smiles and laughter are
infectious, in the middle of such need and despair. There is much to
learn from them!
Blessings from Tanzania -
Geannette and Nathan

Posted in Juma and Haruna, Save Africa Now Task Force Team, Tabora | No Comments »