Mission Accomplished

Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

By Stephanie Amaya (First Fifth Global Advocate)

Six months ago I was talking about building a home for the kids of St. Timothy’s School. I myself was questioning if I would be able to do such a huge task. Building a home for hundreds of kids to live in seemed like a task far over my head. I trusted my gut and my heart and without fear, well maybe a little bit of fear, I bit the the gun and took a risk of leaving everyone and everything behind on a mission to help others. By far, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.

I was set out to project manage the construction of a boarding home and found that I wasn’t only working the foundation of a home, I was working on my own personal foundation too. I learned that it’s a slow process that requires patience. It may take a few times to get something right. Someone once told me, two things define you, patience when you have nothing and attitude when you have everything and they’re absolutely right. The most valuable lesson I learned is patience and attitude. It’s all about those two things. My attitude on certain things not all, needed improvement and I was here to tweak that part of my foundation. Patience is something we all have but I wasn’t very good at practicing it. I had no other choice but to be patient when I was on the back of a dala dala in the hot sun squished between two big mama’s plus their carry-ons for two hours trying to get to school (and I used to complain about my one hour commute to work in SF). Things don’t always go as you plan so you can’t get all bent out of shape because of it. It’s not worth you getting all upset. All you’re doing is creating tension in your own world and environment. Attitude. This will make or break someone. Your outlook on life etc, is based on not only your perception on things but also on your attitude when perceiving. I could have been miserable complaining the whole time hating the world for being stuck for all eternity on the dala dala trying to get to school, but instead I laughed and thought how hilarious I looked, I’m sure, drenched in sweat in the middle of these two big mama’s on this almost broke down dala dala in the middle of Africa. Patience and attitude is everything.

Building a home for the kids of St. Timothy’s has been the best accomplishment, ever. I took on the project when only the foundation and the roof was built. The process of getting the home move-in ready indeed took three months time. None of the rooms had been plastered, none of the flooring had been done, the bathrooms were just rooms, and the plumbing and electricity was not set up. Three months later we have running water, 8 fully plastered rooms, the bathrooms set with running water to the toilets, sinks, and showers, 3 huge septic tanks in place, and electricity running throughout the whole house. The home was done and ready for the kids right before my departure back to the US. I was excited and overjoyed to physically help and see the kids move in.

Move in day was a long eventful day. We all started (kids included of course!) with moving the bed frames out of all the rooms loading piece by piece into the hired truck.

After, we moved the mattresses and whatever accessories the kids had out of the caterpillar house onto the trucks, did a last round check to ensure we had everything, and we were off to the boarding home. Some in the truck and most in the school bus. As we rode off, the kids looked almost relieved to have peacefully ended their chapter at the caterpillar house and to begin a new one at the boarding home. When we touched down, we immediately got to work. Unloading frame by frame, mattress by mattress, suitcase by suitcase. Some of the teachers were putting the frames together, while others instructed the kids on what to do and where to go. After a good few hours, the kids were settled. The beds in place with sheets and mosquito nets in place. Suitcases all lined up ready to be unpacked. The kids looked so eager and proud. They looked at me with huge smiles on their faces, asking me “teacher, what do you think?” I replied, “amazing, this is all too amazing!”

The reward for my hard work wasn’t getting a pat on my back from Pastor James, nor was it getting a blessing from Beatrice, it was seeing the kids faces when they moved in. The joy I saw in their little faces to have a place of their own. A room to themselves with their own bathrooms and showers. They had the space to play, to run around, to be free, to be kids. The caterpillar house was a great home to them but it had things that 80 kids lack, space to play outside and space to move around in their own rooms. Seeing the kids after the move running around freely, happily, playing in the playground, going down the slide, swinging in the swings at sunset. That was my reward. I comprehended completely why the kids needed out of the caterpillar house and onto school grounds. I did it. I gave 80 kids a place they can finally call home. They all taught me something about themselves and about me. They all inspired so much light and made me appreciate truly what I have been given. An opportunity to change the life of children doesn’t come often, and here I was a California girl making a difference. A huge difference for that matter. I will never forget the kids of St. Timothy’s School. They will forever have a place in my heart. The boda boda (motorcycle) came to drive me back home to Soweto. he kids ran to me saying their good bye’s giving me hugs and high fives.

As I left for the day, I felt full. I felt overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment where for the first time ever, I actually DID something. My whole reason and existence for being here is now complete. I’m not talking about scoring some high ranking position at a top 500 company or finally getting the car of my dreams. No, I actually did something to change the lives of young, talented, motivated, smart, full of light kids. Something I think I have become addicted to. A dream so far fetched I once had of changing the world isn’t so out there anymore. It has become my reality.

Want to be part of this? http://www.stayclassy.org/fundraise?fcid=217169

Tags: Africa, Children, Community Gardens, Development Work, Drip Irrigation, Education, fellowship, first fifth, Food Relief, Health, Mama Hope, Orphans, School, St Timothy's, Stop the Pity, tanzania
Posted in Moshi, Tanzania | No Comments »

Inspired

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

By Stephanie Amaya (First Fifth Global Advocate)

One of the most difficult things I’ve had to do thus far is not adjusting to the African lifestyle, it has not even been leaving my home, family and friends behind (though it was tough, I admit), it has been the key focus of all nonprofits: fundraising. Being present in Africa and adjusting to the lifestyle here, I have become an observer of the local people, culture, beliefs, traditions, and habits. Everyone so very colorful, happy, simple, embracing, charming, and creative. This is reflected in the jewelry, footwear, art work, clothing and the list goes on.

Literally, my inspiration. I thought it would be a brilliant idea to somehow offer local African made items to the states. How could I possibly do that? My wheels started turning and through brainstorming with ex-housemates, I came up with the idea of having an online website where I could post pictures of locally made artisan items. People need to see the wonderful things Tanzania has to offer. Authentic, quality, original, one of a kind items that are all hand-made by local communities and artists. It was the perfect way to connect the US and Africa where I would be helping out the local communities and local shops and at the same time fundraise where the profits made will go to my project at St. Timothy’s Boarding Home. I was on a mission to find the best things Moshi has to offer. This was the fun part. I met local business owners and local artists who became more than just business partners, we became friends. It was a quid pro quo type of situation. I then had a thought, it would be absolutely amazing if there was a way to get to the source directly. Where I could interact with the local communities where these businesses get their merchandise from.

How was I to do that? I thought to myself, “well if it’s meant to happen, then it will.” And it did.

Things in life sometimes can be serendipitous. I believe that every single person that you happen to meet serves a purpose in your life, whether small or big. We had two girls from Canada living in Abu Dhabi come stay with us. We befriended each other and immediately became a tripod. On a hot day, after work, we decided to go to the pool in town for a little R and R. We were poolside talking when this tall guy with a quite impressive mustache walks in and sits down to the left of us. We eventually started to talk and found out that they were three British doctors traveling by car from England to South Africa and they were currently passing through Tanzania. We hung out, talked, and decided to have a big group dinner inviting all of our friends the next day. We ended up being a group of 10 having nyoma choma (African BBQ) at Chagga Grill. They then told us they had met an expat the previous night who had invited them to his house party. They suggested we go, and obviously, we all went. There I met so many interesting people from different parts of the world. I also met a girl who is working with a local Maasai group in Msitu Wa Tembo.

Exactly the person I needed to meet!

She invited me to go to her workshop on the following Saturday and of course I agreed. We met at the truck stop at around 2pm. The idea was to get on the back of a truck and take it through the TPC plantation to the village. We stood there with a box of tomato seedlings each that we were going to give to the mama’s to plant at their home. Finally a truck worthy enough of our presence showed up and we hopped onto the back along with 15 other people. It was a hot day and thankfully I wore sunblock though I wish I had brought my glasses to keep the dust and particles from getting into my eyes. It was a bumpy and dusty 45 minute ride through the plantation. I had never seen the whole plantation, only the beginning part when I’d go to St. Timothy’s School. I was impressed at how beautiful, green, and well maintained it was. Even the roads were smoothly paved. To my surprise, the plantation is almost like a small town, with houses, a hospital, and a post office for its employees.

Finally, we reached the end of the plantation and cross a small narrow bridge over a river. I look to the horizon and see a beautiful trail of blue mountains. We reach the village and jump off the truck and walk over to the community meeting spot. I was excited to meet the Maasai woman for the first time. When they see me, I can equally see the excitement on their faces to be meeting me. They all walk up and embrace me, greeting me and shaking my hand one at a time. I couldn’t believe I was there meeting all these exotic women from one of the biggest tribes in Africa.

They were all so colorful and had amazing pieces of jewelry. I wanted all of it! They took out the jewelry they had and started dressing me in it. I became their dress up doll. We all laughed and who I assume to be the tribal mama leader kept holding my hand and talking to me in Swahili. After three months of living here I know a little bit of Swahili but definitely not enough to speak fluently but somehow we understood each other. I was invited to their home to meet their community out in a rural part. It was a long walk from town, but I didn’t care. We walked through the green fields with the blue mountains staring right at us. Huge baobob trees were all around us and I saw flora I hadn’t seen before.

We started off with just three of us and as we progressed into the field to the Maasai village we kept expanding. We had two Maasai girls and a grandmother walking with us along with a few dogs. We reach the village. It was impressive to see first hand their living conditions. They lived in nature, in hut houses, with the most minimal things. Everything they needed they had and nothing more.

They would spend their days herding the animals, taking care of the little ones, and making jewelry. Quite the simple life, and I appreciated every bit of it. They showed me their jewelry with such pride and confidence, by far these pieces were the nicest I had yet to see. It was exactly what I had been looking for but I couldn’t find it at the local shops. I bought a few pieces and I told them I had an idea of using Maasai fabric to make scarfs and they suggested I return on Wednesday since that’s when the market is open. I agreed, and left with a huge smile on my face, my idea was becoming a reality.
My website is up and running and I have all kinds of different artisan Maasai items including the scarfs I had made. All items are a direct donation to my current project at St. Timothy’s School. Feel free to browse around! https://tzheritage.blogspot.com

Make a change in these women’s lives, donate now!

Tags: Africa, Children, Community Banking, Development Work, Mama Hope, moshi, nonprofit, School, St Timothy's, Stop the Pity, tanzania, Women
Posted in Education, Moshi, Tanzania | No Comments »

Not Just Classrooms

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

By Martina Tomassini (First Fifth Global Advocate)

Teaching kids about gardening and water conservation, while feeding them healthy, organic veggies for lunch? Yes, it’s happening!

Thanks to a partnership with the Yes to Seed Fund, St. Timothy’s Primary School is the first school in the Kilimanjaro region to have a drip irrigation garden to feed its students and teach them about gardening and water conservation! Yes, it is the same skin & hair care company that many of you know for its yummy fragrances and organic content: Yes To Carrots.

Photo: © MT/Mama Hope – Getting ready!

How does it work?

Mix hundreds of eager students with 850 square feet of fertile land, a few handfuls of local seeds, several meters of drip irrigation pipes and voilà: you have a healthy recipe for a successful environmental & educational project. And It’s fun too! The kids love helping in the garden and can’t wait to get more involved with the school environmental club as soon next semester starts. The environmental club will teach them basics about water conservation, gardening, crops, sustainable agriculture techniques as well as nutrition. This way, while students learn about theory in the classroom in the morning, in the afternoon they can put it into practice, get their hands dirty by weeding, mulching and harvesting and have fun! With the help of teachers, students take care of the garden and the vegetables harvested supplement their daily lunch programme.

Talking about teachers, I spoke with teacher Beatrice the other day, who told me how working in the garden every day is helping her a lot. Not long ago she was diagnosed with high blood pressure but since she started working in the garden she’s had no problems and her blood pressure levels are back to normal. What a welcome side effect of the school garden!

Photo © MT/Mama Hope – Teacher Beatrice planting spinach seeds

The garden currently grows kale, onions, cabbage and spinach. Each leafy vegetable crop can beharvested once a week for three to five months before replacing them with new seedlings. Along the pathways of the garden we are planting drought-resistant papaya, avocado, mango and passion fruit trees! Vegetables and other crops are chosen based on different factors like nutrients, market scarcity and profitability. For example, kale is too expensive at the market? Then, we can grow it ourselves! And if we grow more than we need, we’ll sell it to buy cheaper items we don’t have land to grow, like corn or wheat. Genius.

Meshak, 13, puts it in plain words, ‘I like the garden…it is so good! I like the fact that we can get some money for the school by selling extra vegetables that are grown here! My favourite is spinach!

Drip irrigation

Simply put, drip irrigation is a water delivery method that saves water and grows healthier crops by dripping the exact amount of water needed, directly to the root system. This is done through narrow pipes with little holes, which are positioned just above each seed. The garden manager opens the gate valve and water drips for a fixed amount of time, exactly where it’s needed – as opposed to flushing the whole plot with a sprinkler.

Photo: © MT/Mama Hope – Drip irrigation pipes

We spent a couple of days preparing the land, connecting the pipes and laying them out so that the pipes would be straight and the holes face downwards – the city girl in me stepped aside and let me enjoy the process. A lot! It must be said, though, that the lion’ share of the work was brilliantly executed by our environmentalist extraordinaire Rocky Muuri and Mama Hope’s pillar Tom Veazy.

Photo: © MT/Mama Hope – Dig deeper! Work harder!

Both the village leader and the academic director have shared with me their concerns about the weather changing and the soil becoming drier and drier. In fact, the biggest problem that the village leader identified for Newland, the village where the school is located, is maji: water. Over the past 20 years, Sub-Saharan areas like the Kilimanjaro region in Tanzania have been affected by severe droughts which, together with deforestation, affect water supply and food production. Setting up water-saving drip irrigation gardens in areas where water is scarce? Makes sense.

Why does this matter?

Educational tool, food source and income generator – this is the drip irrigation garden, in a nutshell. And this is why it’so relevant to St. Timothy’s School. The school relies on tuition fees paid by its students as its main source of funding: attracting more students thanks to the garden, and to more classrooms, has an incredible long-term positive impact on the school’s sustainability. As Alex, 12, sums up, ’Our garden is a good garden! It has fertile soil that helps vegetables grow. And it is an incentive for additional children to come to our school. Also, it attracts people’s attention. For example, somebody is passing by but, when they look at our garden, they have to stop and look closer. And they say, what’s this? Beautiful!’

Photo: © MT/Mama Hope – Thriving spinach & kale

Alex told me his favourite vegetable is Chinese cabbage. ‘When the cooks prepare it it’s so good we lick our fingers…’ A finger-licking drip irrigation garden is what I call an exceptional garden. This is a drop in Tanzania too. This is not just classrooms…

Be part of the solution Bold Solutions

Learn more at: http://adropintanzania.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/not-just-classrooms/

Tags: Africa, Children, Community Banking, Community Gardens, Development Work, Drip Irrigation, Education, Food Relief, Mama Hope, moshi, nonprofit, St Timothy's, Stop the Pity, tanzania
Posted in Agriculture, Education, Health, Moshi, Tanzania | No Comments »

Safari: an unforgettable experience

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

By Stephanie Amaya-Smith (First Fifth Global Advocate)

My home away from home, like I previously mentioned, always has people passing through. I have met some exceptional people living in this household. I had been wanting to do a safari to Ngorongoro Crater since I’ve heard so many great things about it. Each time I tried, timing was off and it simply didn’t work out. Then I met Carina, a journalist from southern California, who was on her journey traveling through Africa and onward to Southeast Asia documenting her experiences and people she encounters along the way. It was downtime at the St. Timothy’s and she was going on an overnight safari to Ngorongoro Crater passing through Lake Manyara. It was the perfect opportunity for me to go on this overnight expedition.

Our journey started at 8:30am on headed to Arusha which is the next major town about an hour away from Moshi. I really enjoy Arusha each time I go. It’s more city like with lots of commerce, people, and of course traffic. It’s a lively place very green with parks and such. We passed through the town stocked up on water at the supermarket. We went to the nearest cafe for an iced chococoffee and we were on our way. After about an hour and a half drive we reached Lake Manyara. It was everything I had been longing for. It was a big beautiful lake with green everywhere. Green trees, green hills, green landscapes, everything was so green! I fell in love. We saw baboons picking the bugs off each other, colorful exotic birds, monkeys, zebras, elephants, wilder beasts, giraffes which here in Africa two types exist, the yellow ones we are all used to seeing and a darker brown version which are known as Maasai giraffes, and hippos. We were on a mission to find simbas (lions in Swahili) but as we ascended into the jungle like forest we were attacked by the tsetse fly.Not just one, many! The tsetse fly is only found in sub-Saharan Africa and is known to carry the sleeping sickness disease. Out of all the vaccinations I had to get before coming to Africa, this was not one of them. The sleeping sickness happens in two stages.

The first stage consists of fever, headaches, joint pains, and itching. Fever is intermittent, with attacks lasting from a day to a week, separated by intervals of a few days to a month or longer. Invasion of the circulatory and lymphatic systems by the parasite is associated with severe swelling of the lymph nodes often to tremendous sizes.

The second stage begins when the parasite invades the central nervous system. This causes disruption of the sleep cycle. Infected individuals experience a disorganized and fragmented 24-hour rhythm of the sleep-wake cycle, resulting in daytime sleep episodes and nighttime periods of wakefulness. Its effects are mental, emotional, and physical leading to a coma then to organ failure and death if not treated. You can imagine how freaked out Carina and I were. I took off my shoe and started killing every single one that would come into our vehicle. It was almost as if we had a whole tsetse safari in our car! I can’t remember how many I killed but each one bled the blood they had sucked out of some poor human.

Thankfully, Carina and I were not bitten but our driver Amini was not so lucky. As he was driving one flew on him and he slammed on the breaks. He was looking everywhere for it but we couldn’t find it. I was ready shoe in hand and all waiting for the attack. Carina screams, “it’s on his head!” and I scream to Amini, “can I kill it on your head?!” He said no because he knew the concussion I was about to give him had he said yes. I refrained, sat down and watched him as he tried getting the fly out of the car. No luck though, he ended up getting bit. He’s ok and alive. No sleeping sickness for him. We decided that was our call to go to our lodging site and chill for the rest of the day. Killing all of those tsetse flies took all the energy out of me. We stopped by a bar and had a well-deserved beer on the way to the lodging site.

Posted in Moshi, Tanzania | No Comments »

Second Week in Photos

Sunday, August 26th, 2012

Hussan and Baboo wait for their team to be called to the starting line at the St. Timothy’s Olympics in Moshi, Tanzania. © Bryce Yukio Adolphson, 2012

Tempers flare as Shadrock and Alex duke it out under the banners of their adopted countries during the St. Timothy’s Olympics. © Bryce Yukio Adolphson, 2012

James Nathaniel address the St. Timothy’s School student body on their final day of the semester. © Bryce Yukio Adolphson, 2012

Nyla and teacher Mercy help to organize the Tanzania team for the St. Timothy’s Olympics. © Bryce Yukio Adolphson, 2012

Students wait in line for the new St. Timothy’s school bus. © Bryce Yukio Adolphson, 2012

Making the best of a broken down bus during a field trip at Arusha National Park. © Bryce Yukio Adolphson, 2012

The kids and staff get to see themselves for the first time in Mama Hope’s Stop the Pity videos. © Bryce Yukio Adolphson, 2012

Nyla and the St. Timothy kids instant messaging with their friends in the U.S. © Bryce Yukio Adolphson, 2012

Tags: Mama Hope, St Timothy's, tanzania
Posted in Education, Moshi, Tanzania, Our Locations | No Comments »

Call Me Hope: Behind the Scenes in Africa

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

130 Participants! 72 Locations! 2 Continents! 2 minutes and 15 seconds long!

Call Me Hope is the second video in our Stop the Pity. Unlock the Potential Campaign which began with Alex Presents: Commando. With this piece we wanted to push the theme of interconnectedness from observational to participatory. We wanted to bring our friends and family in Africa into collaboration with their U.S. counterparts.

To the right are the people we live, laugh and work with on a daily basis in Africa. Program directors, project beneficiaries, and neighbors… they are our dear friends and partners in Mama Hope’s mission. To the left are the Americans that form our other Mama Hope community… resilient, forward-thinking, committed and involved individuals joining the movement to change the stereotypes that have blanketed an entire continent since guilt-based fundraising took over the development world.

: Mama Hope Founding Director Nyla Rodgers works with Call Me Hope co-director Joe Sabia in the back of the Impala Express (Photo by Bryce Yukio Adolphson)

The idea for the Call Me Hope video was born in the back of bus near the border of Kenya and Tanzania this last July. My colleague Joe Sabia (digital artist and filmmaker) and I were wolfing down nadazi pastries and playing mental ping-pong with Stop the Pity campaign ideas. We’d amassed a lot of outlines exploring perceived contrasts and hidden similarities between our African and American communities, but hadn’t fully tapped into the energy that each of these communities exude. Our Mama Hope partners on both continents needed to have a say in the project and to actively participate in its creation rather than act as displays to be captured and presented. After much deliberation and many samosas, the trifecta of our film concept emerged:

1. Call and Response

In Africa, it’s hard for us to finish a community meeting without a call and response song session. Back in the States, YouTube is swamped with people singing along with their favorite songs. It is a universal concept. Done.

2. Split Screen
Naturally we couldn’t bring both sides together, so we needed to facilitate some sort of interaction (ideally clever). All the better if we could film people in their natural Africa/U.S. settings and have them match up.

3. Paul Simon
Honestly, we were tossing around some pretty ho-hum ideas until Nyla Rodgers, Mama Hope’s Founding Director, threw her unending love of Paul Simon’s Graceland and “You Can Call Me Al” into the mix. It was the obvious choice both in tone and meaning (far outweighing Gary Numan’s 1979 hit “Cars”).

: Gracie at the Moshi Girls Vocational School in Moshi, Tanzania. (Photo by Bryce Yukio Adolphson)

We started our Call Me Hope journey by assembling a team for this past summer’s Stop the Pity campaign: Nyla; Joe; and myself, Mama Hope Visual journalist and Founding Member, Bryce Yukio Adolphson. We tasked ourselves with expanding the scope of what nonprofit video content could be. In line with our Stop the Pity message, we aimed to show the direct opposite of helplessness and hopelessness. We needed to present the truth that we experienced in Africa: capable individuals full of potential.

Each African community had a different take on the project. Participants in the urban areas got it right off. Like most of us here in the States, the idea of acting for the camera is fairly ingrained into their culture. From Facebook to the movies, they’ve seen and experienced just as much as we have. About 60% of our friends in the film actually knew the song and perked up immediately upon hearing it. Our rural partners were different. The idea of participating in a way that went beyond allowing access to their lives and a few interviews took some explaining. Having worked with Mama Hope for the past five years, they were perfectly accepting of me and my camera. Their trust was earned, but how best to explain what we were up to?

We eventually took to carrying around a rough cut on my phone. Everyone would crowd around watching video footage of people singing Paul Simon’s lines and, of course, children dancing. The smiles were infectious. People instantly understood the message and their involvement. Afterwards, it became difficult to put a cap on the number of participants lining up (there’ll be a much much longer cut when we go back next year).

: Bryce Yukio Adolphson reviewing footage with community partners Amathe and Lucy in Kambi Garba, Kenya. (Photo by Amy Vaninetti)

Ultimately, Call Me Hope became a family album. It’s a cross-section of our projects and personal experiences. Not just of this year, but of the relationships reaching back to 2006 when Nyla first met our oldest partners. We feel this video is the truest representation of these relationships we have. From the schools to the gardens to the shops, everyone involved is an equal partner. They are who we are: our hope and potential intertwined.

Special thanks to Mama Hope Operations Director Amy Vaninetti for her constant outreach & bubble letter skills and Raffi Marty for his chalkboard-lifting biceps.

Stay tuned for our “Behind the Scenes in the U.S.” post!

Tags: Africa, Isiolo, Kenya, Mama Hope, moshi, Nairobi, nonprofit, Stop the Pity, tanzania
Posted in Articles, Isiolo, Kenya, Moshi, Tanzania, Our Locations, Our Stories, Videos | No Comments »

Sun up, Sun down Safari

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

At 7:00 am Amy, Bryce, Joe, Raffy and myslef were sleepily waiting on the side of the Arusha Highway for the St. Timothy’s Students to pick us up in their buses. Today all 134 students were going to the Tarangine National Park on a Safari. This is a field trip that Mama Hope funds annuallly as a way to celebrate the end of their school term. At 7:30am the buses pulled up and kids all stuck their heads out the windows waving to us. When I stepped onto the bus there was a sea of green and white uniforms because it was completely packed with students. There were 4 children to every two seats, they were sitting on each other’s laps but none of the kids seemed uncomfortable. They were all grinning and excited for their field trip so they just scooted around to make room for us and we were all on our way.

Almost immediately your typical “Field Trip Bus” hijinks began. One student would start singing a song like “Bingo” and for a few minutes everyone would raucously join in until it trailed off about 10 minutes later. A few students were playing a version of “I spy” counting everything they saw that was yellow and every time one of the students named Alvin saw a sign for Tarangine he would update me enthusiatically, “106 km and we arrive!”

When we reached Arusha, Esther tapped me on the shoulder excitedly pointing at something in the street, “Look, I’ve never seen one before. And now there are two!” I looked around trying to see what they all were so excited about and then Doreen told me “Look its a stop light. We don’t have them in Moshi”.

A little later into the trip I heard some commotion and Acinta shouted “Meshak, you just farted! Open the window!” Meshak sat there looking embarassed as everyone laughed and the girls looked disgusted. Then he laughed and proudly said “I did!” and played it off like only a 9 year old boy can with the other boys giving him high fives for grossing out the girls.

After about 5 hours we finally arrived at the park and a tour guide got on our bus and said “if you want see the animals you have to be very quiet.” The kids immediately got very serious. It was safari time.

Tarangine’s landscape was absolutely breathtaking it was covered with herds of animals, wildebeests, warthogs, impalas, zebras, giraffes, elephants and hundreds of massive baobob trees. At one point, we were looking at a group of zebra who seemed to be distracted by something and then we saw why. Under a baobob tree about 50 feet away was a giant lioness eating a wildebeest. The kids all clammered to get a look and whispered “simba”. I announced “that is my first time seeing a lion” they all responded enthusiastically “me too!”

After seeing the lion it was time for lunch and we descended upon the picnic area. When we were finsished and headed back to the bus out of the corner of my eye I saw a giant baboon sneaking up on a group of khakied dutch safari picnicers. He broke into a run, hopped on their table, roared and grabbed one of the women’s lunch boxes and jumped over the fence and defiantly ate it all right in front of her. Then if as on cue, 35 baboons emerged from the bushes hopping on tables, stealing lunches and chasing little girls. We all watched from afar and as they reclaimed the picnic area. When we all got back on our buses and left the baboons stood in the parking lot as if to say “And stay out!!!”

Two hours later, after seeing 5 more lions and hundreds more animals, it was 5:00pm and time to make our way back to Moshi. A few hours into the ride Doreen was asleep in my lap, Sarafina and Jessica on either side using my shoulders as pillows and I was balancing Peace’s head in my hand as she slept. The mosqitoe bites on my leg were itching like crazy but I didn’t want to move and wake the girls so I tried my best to doze off as well. Just as I finally was starting to dream I was awakend by a huge “BAM!!!” and a loud clunking noise started coming from the buses engine. It was about 9:00pm and it was pitch dark except for headlights of the passing cars. I stepped out of the bus and stretched for the first time in 4 hours. Soon all of students piled out of the bus excited by this new development in their field trip. They were playing tag and Joe showed a few curious students how to use the southern cross constellation to find Saturn. It was one of those moments I was sure could of never happened in the USA. There was no fear about the dark just joy. There was no complaining from the children or angry parents demanding a refund. Instead while we waited for a new bus to pick us up we watched shooting stars appear above us everywhere.

Tags: Africa, Arusha, moshi, nonprofit, Safari, tanzania, Tarangine
Posted in Moshi, Tanzania, Our Locations, Our Stories | No Comments »

Interviewing the families of St Timothy’s

Monday, August 16th, 2010

We kicked up a cloud of dust as we entered the village of New Land, just outside of Moshi, to interview the parents and students of the new St. Timothy’s School we all enabled the community to construct. Bryce (Mama Hope’s Visual Journalist), James (Director of St Timothy’s), Godfrey (New Land’s elected Street-Chair) and I ventured down a dirt road with the mighty Mt Kilimanjaro looming in the background. Our intent, find out why the community identified education as one of their most pressing concerns. Moreover, what impact the addition of St Timothy’s school would bring to the families and community.

Many residents were around doing chores here and there, while others stared at us in wonder. We trailed between mud homes, pig pens and occasional family graves. As we approached our first home to interview many thoughts whirled through my head; so this is life at the $2 a day poverty-line, what is daily life like here, if not for being born in a different country it might be strangers here interviewing me. Finally Bryce and I arrived at our first home.

Thoughts of things I heard and studied about Africa, Africans and global poverty whipped around my mind as we sat down face-to-face with student Theresia and her mother Elis. “Can you tell us about a day in your life?” we asked and James translated. Elis went into detail about how she prepared her home each day before going to work as a laborer in the neighboring maze (corn) fields until sun down. If she is able to pick enough maze that day she is paid 2,500 shillings (about $1.60) and buys dinner for the night. When we asked Theresia what she looked most forward to about starting school at St Timothy’s in January she said it was having a meal everyday.

Then we got into the more focused questions, “What difference does having St Timothy’s School in the communtiy have?” Elis response reflected that of all the families we interviewed, St Timothy’s school sought out and provided an option for the “forgotten kids.” The families made it clear that there were two options for children in their community, attend school and get an education or become a “street kid” exposed to many many dangers. Before St Timothy’s there were no other options for them.

As Bryce and I interviewed Elis and Theresia the grandmother joined us. The grandmother said she had hope that with a quality education Theresia could get a job and bring the family the support they desperately needed. We found it profound to see the hope that education could bring to three generations of family. Mother and Grandmother sought a better life for their family in Theresia’s education at St Timothy’s which had just begun.

This is just a little sample from the interviews we did. I couldn’t capture it all in a blog. I attached some picture of us interviewing the kids and from the footage we took.

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St. Timothy’s School, Moshi, Tanzania

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7_1UJIV_qY]
Here we have a short overview and progress update on St. Timothy’s School in Moshi, Tanzania. Construction began in September of this year and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30th, with children attending in January 2010. I can’t tell you how exciting it’s been to see this project rise from the fields of Newland village! The efficiency and care our local community partner Tanzania Children Concern has been giving this project is a shining example of how communities know best. From local knowledge of land rights, power and water to the best vendors and manufactures. Again and again, it’s made me believe that communities need to be helped to help themselves!

-Bryce

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To read about my nonsense between work, check out my personal blog at: neitherherenorthere.org

Tags: Children, moshi, School, tanzania
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St. Timothy’s: What I want to be…

Friday, October 30th, 2009

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5qn7x3hzt8]

What started out as a Q and A about thoughts on the new school turned into a “What I want to be..” fest. It really seems to me that kids throughout the world generally have the same aspirations. Whether it’s about excitement or connecting with people, the occupations are usually somehow related with the people who take care or us. And, of course, there’s always one kid who wants to be president.

-Bryce

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Read about my moments between the work on my personal blog at: neitherherenorthere.org

Tags: Africa, Children, moshi, Occupations, School, tanzania
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St. Timothy’s Students on the New School

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYL2g4_-bSc]

Our plans were to ask a few of the students what they thought of the school. Thanks to their vigor we ended up with a mob of children ready to tell us how excited they were about the number of toilets. Amazing since it was mere bricks when they saw it! Afterward, James was telling us that some of them wanted to have class in it before it was even completed. A few wanted to go live in the construction site. Wow.

-Bryce

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To read about my moments and people between the work, check out my personal blog at: neitherherenorthere.org

Tags: Children, moshi, School, tanzania
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St. Timothy’s Kids Visiting the Site

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWeNcb9cLis]

This was a treat to behold. On October 14th, all the current St. Timothy Students got to visit the construction site of the new school. What’s not included in the video is the jostling and kid climbing the kids did to get into the buses that brought them to the school! Hope you find it as ridiculouly cute as I did.

- Bryce

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To read about my moments between the work, check out my personal blog at: neitherherenorthere.org

Tags: Chilren, moshi, Orphans, School, tanzania
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Lucia, James and Facebook Causes

Monday, October 26th, 2009

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1FsHOATg1E]

Here’s a video of Tanzania Children Concern Founder, James Nathaniel getting a lesson about what the heck Facebook Causes is from Lucia. I also had it explained to me about 3 minutes before this video was shot.

You can check out our Causes page for yourself here:

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/60174/15070448?m=e56504ed

-bryce

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To read about my moments between the work, check out my personal blog at: neitherherenorthere.org

Tags: Chilren, Facebook, Facebook Causes, moshi, tanzania
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St. Timothy’s Update

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

by Lucia Crenshaw

When I wrote you the last blog, I said that I thought things were about to get moving really fast, and I sit here today, exactly one month after breaking ground on the school, completely blown away by just how fast they have gotten moving.

The new school, two months ago just a barren piece of land, is now a completed foundation, and the beginning stages of the exterior walls. So, needless to say, the past month has been extremely busy.

The more time I am here, the more I am aware of things that I take for granted—things both learned and observed. When it comes to the school, I have realized just how reliant I am on technology to build and cultivate things, and how here, almost everything is done by hand. This might not seem like a “no-brainer”—Africa is behind the times when it comes to technology. But after watching the progress of this school, I am starting to wonder if we are not the ones who are in fact “lagging behind in terms of development,” and by development, I mean actually building something from the ground up.

Building

In the past month, I have witnessed exactly this—a building process that is tedious; however, it is beyond resourceful and it involves the whole community. Neighbors store and guard the building supplies; women cook lunches and bring them to the site; and local masons combine their skill and expertise in such a way as to make it look effortless. Many of the workers are members of the community with whom Tanzania Children Concern does outreach with—some are masons who have worked on the current orphanage, others are parents of some of the students. I guess for all of these reasons and more, that is why I get the feeling that this project goes deeper than bricks and mortar. It is a true community project—designed by, built by, and sustained by the community that it will serve.

Tanzania Children Concern has been trying to build this school for over 5 years, but due to financial restraints, they have been unable to do so. James says that this past spring, he received a letter saying that St. Timothy’s must register (which means build a school) as soon as possible, and at the time, he had no idea what they were going to do. He then said, “I can’t believe that I am getting to witness this (the building of the school) in my lifetime! I am just so overjoyed; I can’t wait!” I am right there with James—I feel privileged to be a part of this!

To read more of my personal stories from St. Timothy’s check out my blog:
Luciacrenshaw.blogspot.com

Tags: construction, Education, moshi, tanzania
Posted in Education, Moshi, Tanzania, Our Projects, Uncategorized | No Comments »

James Nathaniel, St. Timothy’s is a refuge

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

This is a video of James Nathaniel, the Founding Director of Tanzania Children Concern and the headmaster of St. Timothy’s School in Moshi, Tanzania. Here he talks about what St. Timothy’s means to the children that currently attend.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5YFGeQZZE0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b]

Tags: Education, moshi, st timothy, tanzania
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Breaking Ground on the new St. Timothy’s School!

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

We broke ground on the new St. Timothy’s School yesterday, August 15th, 2009, exactly one month and one day after I first arrived in here in Moshi, Tanzania!

It was absolutely perfect–not a dramatic, public event (it was just James, a few village executives,the workers, and me)–but James’ excitement and enthusiasm felt almost tangible.

For the past three past weeks, James has worked endlessly to finalize the building proposal for the new school. A process that I have come to learn is more meticulous than even the most complicated college application (kind of sad that that is all I can compare it to, but you get the drift). After a lot of patience and some compliance on our part, the proposal was approved with flying colors by the Moshi municipal ministry of education, and it has now been sent to Dar-Es-Salaam (Tanzanian business capital) to be officially registered by the country government.

In the meanwhile, we were given the go-ahead to begin construction. And so yesterday, I met James in town. He had just purchased the piping for the plumbing, and together, along with a truck load of supplies that followed, we ventured to Newland. In the past month, I have made this drive several times, and each time, I am continually amazed by the beauty that is Newland. It is a beauty that has changed since I first got here. The sunflower fields have been cut for harvest, and in their wake, the wildflowers have taken over, reclaiming their land back.

We pulled up to the site of the new school to see the workers busy digging trenches for the plumbing. We got out to walk along part of the newly dug trench, and James stopped to take it all in. He said with a huge smile on his face, “You know Lucia, this is going to be where the classrooms are going to be!” And he pointed to the land right next to where he was standing. He then ran over to where one boy was rhythmically hoisting a shovel up and down into the ground, and asked if he could try. He laughed as he pounded the shovel into the ground, pushing the dirt over to one side.

On the drive into Newland, James told me that when he was a child, public school cost one dollar per year. At the time, he did not have the money to pay for it, and he had to sell his bike so that he could go to school. He explained that this is one of the reasons that he feels so called to educating the “vulnerable children” in Tanzania. Watching James swing that shovel into the ground, I could see how determined he is to help these children, to make this vision a reality. He has come a long way, and now because of this school, others like him will now have an opportunity to receive an education. It was pretty amazing to witness.

The plumber and his workers say that they expect to finish digging the trenches and installing the tubing in the next few days, and after that, construction on the school will officially begin! James says that he thinks everything is about to get moving really fast, and judging by how fast the men were working yesterday, that is an understatement!

As for me, I have been busy working with the children at St. Timothy’s and helping with some of the Tanzania Children Concern outreach. I am planning to meet Nyla and Bryce in Kisumu, Kenya this upcoming weekend, and together we are going to launch the Rita Rose Drip Irrigation Garden! I look forward to keeping you updated on the school construction and everything else that is going on over here! Thank you again for being a part of all of this!

Yours In Hope,
Lucia Crenshaw

Tags: Africa, Education, moshi, St Timothy's, tanzania
Posted in Education, Moshi, Tanzania, Our Locations, Our Projects | 2 Comments »

Taking time with the kids

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

“To the children St. Timothy’s has been a refuge… for safety and to feel relieved from the pressures of the day, from the pressures of the night. …the school has been the place to run to for security and safety and for hope.”

James Nathaniel, Headmaster St. Timothy’s, Founder Tanzanian Children’s Concern

It’s easy to approach a group of playing children and take their happiness for granted. It was in my second week at St. Timothy’s when the schools headmaster opened up about what the school really means to the children and the community. He told me, “these children are the happiest when they are in school and during their break they are just counting down the days until they can return and be well taken care of.”

Last week, the students finished their finals on Tuesday and had the rest of the week to play and celebrate while their teachers corrected their exams. Up until this point we had been occupied with community meetings about launching the new school and had not spent time with the children. Fortunately, the end of their exams happened to coincide with handing off the project to the community, which gave us time to hang out with the students.

To help the teachers out we decided to hold a field day where we did every relay race we could think of. The next day we taught the kids different songs and dances. I went way back into my head to remember every song that I learned at summer camp. We even taught them how to do the Macarena, which was a huge hit. By mistake while I was dancing I started a conga line (for the big kids)/ choo choo train (for the young ones) that took over the whole playground.

The last day before their break, we played every game under the sun until we were so exhausted and the kids settled down for story time where Lucia recounted the plots of Sleeping beauty, Aladdin and finally Lion King. They sat there mesmerized. You could have heard a pin drop.

St. Timothy’s school is a special place. By taking care of the most vulnerable children in the community it gives these children a chance to have a childhood. During their break they might be faced with the realities of their situations, some will have to go to work to help a sick parent care for their family. Some who were so dependent on the meals they got at school will go hungry. But after the break they will get to return to school and be kids again.

Many times I get so wrapped up in the work that I have to do during my field visits that I don’t get enough time to spend with the communities that Mama Hope supports. I am so happy that I had this opportunity to be reminded by the children how important it is to just laugh, dance, sing and play. It allowed me to remember why I started this organization in the first place.

Yours in hope,

Nyla

Tags: Conga, Kids, Playtime, Primary
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“We are together now”

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Dear Friends of Mama Hope

For the past two weeks, I have been living in Moshi, Tanzania, working with Nyla and Bryce on Mama Hope’s most recent project, the new St. Timothy’s School in honor of Vince Mulroy. How this whole project got propelled into action, I am still unsure, but I am going to do my best to try to explain.

Three months ago, I sent Mama Hope an email asking if they could help to build the new St. Timothy’s School. My email explained that a few summers s ago I volunteered as a teacher at the St. Timothy’s school. Currently St. Timothy’s rents their facility, and due to a Tanzanian law they must build a school of their own. In my email, I emphasized the sense of community that I felt in the Newland community. Before I knew it, Mama Hope had agreed to take on the project, I had a plane ticket to Tanzania booked, and the rollercoaster of a ride had officially begun.

Last Wednesday was the community meeting with the Newland village leaders. It was in a small one-room school. We squeezed onto about 5 benches with 16 village leaders. At one point in the meeting, almost every single village leader had their hands up with ideas and suggestions about how to get the community involved, using local labor and the most cost-efficient materials.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Minja (the village chairman) said, “We are together now.” He then explained that the village leaders had decided to hold another community meeting on Saturday where they would invite all of the surrounding villages.

That following Saturday, over 200 people crowded outside in a makeshift arena. Nyla and I sat with the women against a wall in the back (they tried to get us to sit in the front with the men and we said no way jose!). Bryce sat in front with the men.

Throughout the meeting we could hear a man going around the village announcing the meeting on his megaphone, and soon enough people started arriving from all corners; men on bicycles and women with babies on their backs. For 3 hours there was a lot of back and forth in Swahili, and then all of a sudden, we were being taken to look at a plot of land the village had just given for the health center (phase two of the project). I’m going to be honest. To me, this was a plot of land—no different from the next plot of land. But when we turned around and smiled, the whole place erupted in cheers, laughter and clapping. To them, this land was the best of the best, more so, it was the future site of their health center, and very symbolically, they were entrusting this land to “us” as their partners.

It was humbling. It also once again emphasized that these communities are far stronger and more united than anyone gives them credit for; they really do know what is best. We couldn’t help but laugh and dance along with them.

As you can see, this whole project is progressing at a very fast pace and it is definitely taking on a life of its own. We will break ground in a short while, and I look forward to keeping you updated!

All the best,

Lucia Crenshaw

Tags: Education, moshi, St Timothy's, tanzania
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