Karibuni Tanzania!!!

Well, we made it! After spending a full night as the only mzungus stranded and sleepless at the Dar Es Saalam airport, we’ve now been in Arusha for over 24 hours and have just survived our first “home-cooked” supper which I haplessly concocted from local rice, vegetables, dried coconut milk, burnt peanuts and whatever spices I could find. Actually, I think food poisoning can set in up to 12 hours later, so let the countdown begin. Hopefully, our gastrointestinal systems will survive until morning. This visit, we’re fending for ourselves in the food and shelter department which, so far, has been an interesting, educational and liberating experience. Should be fun.

Already we’ve been to the school to visit the children and have met with Mama Lucy to plan our short month here and already, our approach has been confirmed: the stories of Shepherds Junior are truly incredible.

Mama Lucy shared a story today of Sayuni, an orphan girl who’s about 5 years old. The teachers were having a staff meeting and discussing the problems in their class, and Teacher Rachel (who teaches pre-unit class, the equivalent of American kindergarten) asked her coworkers for help. Her student, Sayuni, was coming to class filthy every day because nobody at the orphanage was able to take care of her and wash her school uniform. Teacher Rachel wanted to make sure that the child wasn’t ostracized by the other students and was well cared for. She talked with her fellow teachers, and, among them, they collected enough to purchase the child a second uniform. One teacher volunteered to buy the detergent to clean the child’s clothes, another to buy lotion and soap to wash the child and another to wash the child’s clothes regularly. These teachers’ salary is about $100 USD per month; the generosity of those who have nothing is truly inspiring.

We ate lunch at the school today too, a simple seasoned rice dish called pulau. As we were served just after the children, Mama Lucy explained that she and the teachers always eat whatever is provided to the children, and said that they would only serve to the children what they were willing to eat themselves.

Not much time to write – so much to do.

I hope you are moved, as we are, by the generosity of those who have so little. While we’ve raised nearly enough for the land, the exchange rate is not working in our favor, and we could certainly use your donations and subscriptions to ensure we have funds to initiate construction.

Much love.