With a Needle and Thread Great Things are Made

What started out as an idea has transformed my life and my home. When I decided I would return to Tanzania my mom suggested that over the Christmas holidays we make some dresses for the little girls at Nkoaranga. We went through all of her old sewing bins for scrapes of fabric and sent out a few emails in hopes of gathering a few more pieces. A coworker of mine provided me with fabric that her mom had been hoarding for years after convincing her she was never going to use it for anything else, to my house it came. My mom’s coworker offered to make pants and shorts for the little boys out of fabric she had laying around. We were well on our way! We spent our spare time in the evenings cutting out the patterns, sewing, and sometimes unstitching as I had sewn a few armholes shut! On the weekends we would have sewing marathons that started at 9am and went into the late hours of the evening. After they were sewn my mom would sit and hand-stitch the snaps, and her “Made with love by your Canadian Granny” tags in them. With each dress that was complete I could picture one of our little girls wearing them - I can't wait to see it this summer!

My mom is now working on a quilt that will be auctioned off at my fund raiser “Light up the Night” April 29th, 2012 at The Westin Bear Mountain in Victoria, BC.  My goal is to raise $10,000 so we can completely rewire the orphanage and install solar lighting to keep our gorgeous children safe. If we exceed our fundraising goals, we will also be able to install solar lighting in the hospital maternity ward, saving the lives of women and preventing children from being orphaned in the first place. Check out the details of the project here. 

My mom has spent time at the fabric store carefully selecting just the right colours for her quilt, countless hours upstairs in her sewing room laying out the fabric, designing the women, their outfits, their head pieces, and has just began to lay pieces on top of each other. As she begins to sew them together they come to life. I can see the ladies on the quilt as vividly as I see the ladies in my village back “home”. This morning she was up bright and early at 4:30am laying the colours out on the last lady, and entitling her quilt “The Mosiac Ladies”. With each new piece she cuts and lays down the quilt transforms. Through her talent, her time, and love for the children at Nkoaranga she will change their lives!

What started out with an idea has now transformed her life and home, and it becomes evident that with a needle and thread great things are made.

My Return Trip to the Beautiful Nkoaranga Orphanage

It has now been almost two months since I returned to Nkoaranga Orphanage for Christmas and I still think about it every single day. It was, most definitely, the strangest Christmas I have ever had, but returning to Tanzania, was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I was so nervous before I left England, which wasn't made any better by the fact that, when I arrived at Heathrow, I discovered that I had been removed from my connecting flight, which resulted in me sitting in Nairobi for 4 hours on Christmas day getting more and more frustrated. All I could think was, 'Typical! Happy blooming Christmas'.

It all turned out to be worth it though because, seeing the kids again, was the best Christmas present I have ever received. Even as we drove from the airport to the village, I already felt as though I had returned home. I couldn't believe how big they had all gotten and the fact that they actually remembered me- even the toddlers remembered me.

The two weeks that followed were some of the most hectic and fun filled of my life and I wouldn't have changed anything about them.

One of the days we were there, we took the kids on safari to Arusha National Park, which was so much fun! The kids loved it; I've never seen anyone get so excited about seeing a buffalo. They were talking about it for days afterwards and it was so nice to know that we had been able to give them such a lovely memory and repay them for all of the love they show us every single day.

Before we returned to the orphanage, Bekka made a video filled with messages from all of the previous volunteers, including myself. I was so amazed by how well the children knew the video; they literally knew it word by word, right down to the amount of kisses I blew to them at the end of my video- it really shows how much they must have watched the video and that they actually do care about us, as we care for them. The children are all so loving and smart and beautiful- I cannot actually describe to you just how incredible they all are, and what amazing things they are going to do in this world.

It was such a relief to see how HUGE Ebenezer had gotten, as he had been so ill when we had left, but now, he is a right little character! All the babies had gotten so big, and the toddlers, and the big kids! Everyone!

It was lovely to see how the children are maturing as well. I honestly couldn't count how many times big David came running up to me to ask me if he could help me with what I was doing. Before I left, it was quite common to see David having some kind of a tantrum because he wasn't allowed to do something, but now, he is constantly smiling and laughing. Trying to help everyone around him - beautiful.

Abdulli has become a lot more confident as well, which is really nice to see as he had been so shy when we all left. But now, he is running about with all of the other kids and interacting with everyone a lot more than he was before. On a number of different occasions, he came running over to me to show me a toy or ask me for something- which was quite rare before.

It was lovely to meet the two beautiful babies at the orphanage- Peace and Shujah. Both so calm and happy- very settled and well looked after. This all just goes to show what a wonderful job the mama's do in raising those children, which is something I am eternally grateful for.

Seeing the mamas again was also really nice. There were so many funny situations when one of the mamas would walk into the room, see me and run over with a huge grinning, but also slightly confused, face, before they enveloped me in a massive hug. It's really nice to know that they do appreciate the work that we do at the orphanage and remember us all individually.

I don't know when I will next return to Nkoaranga, but I am so glad that I was able to go there one last time before the oldest children went off to school. On my last day at the orphanage, Stevie, Eriki and Dainessi all went to boarding school for the first time and I feel so lucky for being able to wave them off.

They were so excited to go, as we sat there waiting for the car to arrive, reading and playing for the last time before they went out into the big wide world. I'm so glad I was able to have that time with them, as well as the older kids who were returning to boarding school after their Christmas holidays- Eman, Tumaini, Asimwe and Nsima.

As TFFT's car pulled into the orphanage to take them to school, Dainessi, Eriki and Stevie all suddenly went very quiet and this look of fear flashed across their faces. Dainessi clutched onto my hand and looked up at me with this uncertain look on her face. So, I knelt down in front of the three of them and told them that school was going to be amazing. I told them that we loved them very much and were all so proud of each and every one of them. They turned to me and said 'shule, ni nzuri sana?' Meaning, 'School, it is good?' and I told them that school was very good and that they were going to love it. Then I hugged each one of them and told them that I love them and miss them every single day.

I then helped to load their cases into the car and Dainessi turned to me and said, 'I want to sit on your lap in the car', at which point Eriki and Stevie turned around with these annoyed looks on their faces and said, something along the lines of, 'No! I want to sit on your lap'- which I couldn't help but giggle at. Sadly I had to tell them that I couldn't go with them to the school, but they were going to have an amazing time and love every minute of it. Then I stood there, waving them off, desperately trying not to cry as they sat in the car with these massive grins on their faces, waving frantically back. I feel so honoured that I was able to take part in such an important part of their lives.

Whilst returning to Nkoaranga, I was also able to go and visit Aroni, Farajah and Wema; who are all at another facility called S.O.S Children's Villages. They have a very prestigious school, and these children were chosen to attend it as they are all extremely hard working. It was really lovely to see how happily they had settled in, as the last time I had seen Aroni, he hadn't been very happy, but this time he was happy to show off all of his new friends and the beautiful place that he was living at.

A video of the kids seeing me for the first time in six months

I'm thoroughly proud of all of the children- they constantly throw themselves into everything they do and they do it with a massive smile on their face. I am so lucky that I was able to see the children again as, like many other volunteers, I am constantly thinking about the wonderful time I spent caring for those children. Needless to say, they remember us all. The amount of times they asked me where the other volunteers were and if they loved them- something which I could honestly and happily reply to with, 'Yes, more than you could ever imagine.' The children have a way of working their way into your heart and permanently cementing themselves there. I've never met anyone like them and honestly didn't think it was possible to love so many people all at once. But, it is.

My trip back to Tanzania was perfect. Even more amazing than I ever imagined it would be. I am so grateful for the fact that I was able to spend two more weeks with them than I had before. I want to try and return there again, but unfortunately, I don't think it will be in the near future. So, for now, I will cling on to my Christmas memories; the days I spent laughing, singing, dancing, loving every minute I had with them. With those funny, crazy, loving, smiling, smart, beautiful children.

Light Up the Night

Cantate with Ester

Valentine's day is not a carefree day at Nkoaranga orphanage. Just three years ago, an electrical short caused the orphanage baby room to catch fire, and seriously burned two children. It might have been much worse except for the heroism of Cantate, one of the orphanage mamas and one of the two kindergarten teachers. She carried every one of the seven children in that room (all under nine months) to safety, incurring serious injury herself in the process. Her scars are badges of courage. Pray and David will also carry the scars of that day on their bodies forever. We are very, very lucky and grateful that nothing worse happened.

We want to honor her heroism and keep the children safe, which is why we're launching Project "Light Up the Night" - a two part project which involves rewiring the entire orphanage to prevent dangerous shorts, as well as installing solar lighting for the frequent nightly power outages. Previously, the mamas often had to carry a child in one hand and a candle in the other - obviously an extremely dangerous proposition. Over the last few years, we've been moderately successful at supplying them with battery powered lights, but they are far from an ideal solution. Since December, they have had small solar lanterns, which are a huge improvement - but they deserve a better solution. We are committed to bringing it to them.

David, whose legs were very badly burned

Pray, who was burned badly on his head

Project "Light Up the Night" will culminate in April with a gala dinner being thrown by Kristina Alexander in Victoria, British Columbia, with all proceeds going to the project. If we exceed our fundraising goals, we can also install solar lighting in the hospital's maternity wing. Currently, laboring mothers are left in the dark for hours at a time, seriously endangering them and preventing the doctors from doing their jobs properly. Part of supporting the orphanage is doing everything within our power to prevent children from being orphaned in the first place, and we take that responsibility seriously. 

Take a look at the video to see Cantate describe the day in her own words, and to meet David and Pray. Don't forget, David is also one of the children we are hoping to find sponsors for, to allow him to attend school next year. See all the details on our Education page.

For $6,000, we can rewire the entire orphanage and install solar lighting, and for another $3500 we can install solar lighting in the hospital's maternity ward as well. To contribute, click below (you will enter the amount you'd like to contribute on the next page) or go through our "How to Help" page, and select "Light Up the Night." 

Thank you for caring about our kids, and thank you for anything you can give. 

Happy Birthday Dainess!

Today is our gorgeous girl Dainessi's sixth birthday, and I thought it would be a good time to share with you some updates from their first month of school, and a few of my favorite Dainess moments. 

She's so proud of her missing teeth! 

Baby Dai

Dai has had a strong personality from day one, as is obvious from looking at any of the baby pictures we've been given by former volunteers. She is just the most confident, gorgeous, dramatic, LOUD little girl imaginable. One of the big problems with children from institutionalized care is often that they are withdrawn and don't express their needs, because they're used to them not being met. I've seen this in person in other facilities. We DEFINITELY don't have that problem at Nkoaranga - and what a beautiful thing that is! Dainess lets you know exactly what she's feeling, all the time - every thought she has shines straight through her face, which leads to some hysterical pictures. She loves attention and loves to perform. I absolutely cannot wait to see what this girl is going to do with her life - she is a force of nature.

From left: Ericki, Dainess and Stevie holding their presents

Dainess started school on January 9th, with Stevie and Ericki, at USA River Academy with the help of The Foundation For Tomorrow. Before they left, we wanted to give them a little something to keep with them. These were their first personal possession, the first items that had ever been just theirs - a book called "Lala Salama: A Tanzanian Lullaby." The book is mostly in English but tells the story of a day in Tanzania, and repeats the line, "Lala Salama, little one" - "Good night, little one" - throughout, along with gorgeous illustrations. We hope if they ever feel lost or scared or alone, they can hold those books close and know we love and miss them, every minute of every day - and we're so incredibly proud of how far they've come. Below are a few pictures taken by TFFT staff of the kids on their first night at school.

Wearing the PJs - Dai is giving us a look, not sure why!

The kids outside their new home, holding their PJs

Despite everything they've been through, they are so incredibly loving and trusting - a true testament to the incredible work that the mamas and volunteers have done with them over the years. I am and continue to be inspired by these kids' strength, smarts, and heart, every day. Happy birthday, Dainessi - I can't wait to see where this year will take you! 

Dainess saying (a slightly uncertain) thank you to her sponsor - my mom! 

None of this would be possible without the commitments of the kids' sponsors. A huge thank you goes out to this year's sponsoring families - the Harts, Goldbergs, Crisps, Al-Azawies, and Butlers. Please take a look at our amazing kids starting school next year, and see if you have space in your family and your heart for one more! Even if you can't make a long term commitment, please consider contributing towards their education fund - we'll need to raise two years' tuition for each child to get them enrolled, and every penny helps. 

On an unrelated but exciting note: take a look at how big and strong little Peace is getting! Such a long way from the premature little waif he was, and we couldn't be more thrilled. 

Climbing Mountains to Save Lives

Working with The Small Things, I never cease to be amazed by all of the brave and slightly crazy things that people are willing to do in order to help those in need. There are many wonderful people out there, who work unbelievably hard every single day to help people they haven’t even met, care for those who need them the most, and take part in ridiculously courageous challenges to try to raise money for charity.

One such person is Danielle Carr, a 19 year old student at Manchester University, who is willing to push her body to the limits and attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in order to raise money for the Meningitis Research Foundation- a brilliant cause.

Here, Danielle tells us more about this incredible project:

“Hi, my name is Danielle, I’m 19 years old and from Newcastle. I currently live in Manchester and am in my second year at the University of Manchester studying Management, specialising in Marketing. This year I wanted to do something different and help to raise money for charity, which is why I’ve taken on the challenge of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The charity I’m raising the money for is the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF), which helps to fund research to prevent meningitis and septicaemia in order to improve survival rates and outcomes. It promotes education and awareness to reduce death and disability, and gives support to people affected. This disease can kill people within hours and those who survive it can be left with problems that can dramatically affect their lives. I’m sure you will agree that MRF is a great cause and the work they do really does make a difference. The money I raise will go directly to the charity in order to help them with their research and in return they will fund the costs of flights to get there. I have a target of £2500 to reach and I would love to be able to exceed it.

The reason that I’ve decided to do this project is that I wanted to achieve something that was challenging. The climb will be in August this year so I’ve got a lot to do in preparation such as raising the money and doing some training so that I am fit enough. I’m nervous, but very excited. It will be such an amazing experience and so rewarding to know that I’ve helped raise money and awareness for Meningitis as well. To sponsor me or to find out more about how my fundraising is going then please click here. Thank you so much for anything you can donate and for supporting me along the way- I really appreciate it."

I really admire anyone who is willing to face such a challenge in order to raise money for people who really need it. Climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the rooftop of Africa, is an incredible achievement and I can’t think of a better reason to raise the money. Every year thousands of children are affected by meningitis, including some of the children at Nkoaranga Orphanage.

Please join us in supporting Danielle in tackling this mountain of a challenge (Get it? Mountain? Oh dear...). Thank you so much for anything you can give.

As a thank you, please enjoy this beautiful video of our gorgeous boy Ebenezer - who was desperately ill last year with malaria, pneumonia and meningitis all at once - showing us just how far he's come. Give these kids a chance and they will move mountains.

Never far from your thoughts!

I just thought I'd write a little blog about how easy it is to always find a link between anything and everything, and life at Nkoaranga. For example, I just ate a banana, and thought of how the kids sit along the countertops, eating pieces of banana after their supper or as a snack, and how it would always end up mushed everywhere...with any pieces on the floor generally being pursued by Ester. 

Or I'll be painting my nails and remember the time when I brought nail varnish up to the orphanage because I'd promised Faraja that I'd paint her nails before she left for SOS, and ended up, in a power cut, with ALL the big kids going crazy because they wanted their nails painted first...or had had their nails painted and weren't satisfied with my efforts!

Today what made me think of them was the module we're studying in psychology - developmental psychology. It was hard not to remember how amazing it was to be able to watch the kids grow up, and see how they changed and developed. I was remembering how Filipo was such a tiny baby when I first saw him - I can't believe how HUGE he looks now! It's so lovely and such an honor to see how quickly they become little people, with their own characteristics and individual traits. 

...just thought I'd share that with you all. Thank you for being part of it!