Have you been looking for a way of helping out the kids but
not sure how?
Well, this could be for you.
How about challenging yourself this April by taking part in the Taunton half
marathon? There are also options for a full marathon or a fun run.
Shujah says you can do it!
Bethan Crisp, Charlotte Foster, Emily Hayman and Jake Fuller are the first four
registered runners, racing on behalf of The Small Things. They are looking for
anybody else to join them in what is going to be a very gruelling but also VERY
rewarding day!
Our friend, Holly, is currently volunteering at The Girls Foundation in Arusha, teaching computer skills and presentation and speech skills to the girls there, in addition to guiding them through processes such as applying to university. During a break from this fantastic work, she spent some time with us at Nkoaranga. Here, she tells us a little about her experience!
Miriam playing with Holly's hair whilst
Baracka sits on her lap
"I recently spent a
week and a half volunteering at the Nkoaranga Orphanage
in northern Tanzania. I had visited the orphanage back in November for only a
few hours and the kids there completely blew me away. So I came into this
volunteer experience knowing the power these kids would have over me.
Miriam cuddling Baracka
"I spent the week
helping out the Mamas and playing with the kids. For the first time in my
life, I changed diapers and fed babies with a bottle. I got to swing with the
kids and give lots of high fives each day. I was particularly proud of myself
when I was able to put one of the babies to sleep by singing the hokey pokey
song, 3 times in a row!
"I and the other
volunteers also had to handle so many of the kids crying, desperate to be
picked up and held. Picking up the children and holding them close would
immediately soothe them. But when I would try to put them down, the tears would
often start flowing again. I bet parents experience this a lot with their kids.
It was a first for me and I wasn’t sure of the best strategy. So, I would end
up spending very long periods of time just holding the kids (I put a limit of 3
kids to my lap at one time) and doling out forehead kisses. I think I enjoyed
all the affection just as much as they did though!
Holly with Ebeneezer snuggled against her
Frankie cuddled on Mama Faraja's lap
"It really made me think a lot about how important volunteers are at this place. The Mamas (staff) are so busy with the day-to-day household duties of running a home for 30 or so little kids. Obviously cooking and cleaning are hugely important. But I really left with the impression that attention and affection are pretty much just as important. I am happy that this orphanage has a steady stream of volunteers ready to meet the kids’ needs. I feel especially lucky to have been a part of these kids’ lives and bring a little bit of love to their lives for the time I was there. They brought a lot of love to my life too.
Neema laughing with Mama Pendo
Holly on the swing with a delighted Neema
"Special thanks to
Emma, Megan and Bekka who I got to volunteer with and share a house with while
I was there. The dedication that these women have to the orphanage through the
non-profit The Small Things is what
maintains the orphanage and its staff so well. Because really, the small things
that all the volunteers do at the orphanage all add up to be a pretty big
thing, huge."
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
Dr. Seuss
I thought this quote was appropriate because this post will be mostly about shoes (and also the kids love 'The Cat in the Hat')!
Neema with the random assortment of shoes the
orphanage has in the background
When I was trying to find quotes about shoes on the internet for this blog, it struck me how many quotes were about shoes as expensive splurges, luxury items which people spoil themselves with. In some ways, I think this is very appropriate for Nkoaranga Orphanage, because shoes are luxury items in the sense that they are not very easy to come by for the kids (especially one's in their size!) - they are always very satisfied when you succeed in finding a suitable pair, and generally become quite attached to them! Simoni was delighted with a pair of wellies when he was younger, refusing any other shoes (rain or shine) and insisting on wearing his 'babooties'! About 90% of the shoes we receive are used, and it's quite rare to find a pair without rips, tears or missing pieces - so when the kids find a pair they like, they stick with it!
Two years on, Simoni is still delighted
at wearing wellies!
Simoni in his babooties last year singing the Nakupenda (I love you) song
While we were at the orphanage this winter Mama Pendo asked us to help her sort through the many donations stored in her office. It was a huge task as many people and companies had been extremely generous and there were lots of beautiful clothes which we were delighted to put out on the shelves to replace one's which were torn or worn out (and yet somehow we STILL can never find a pair of trousers that fit...). And it was a huge relief to be able to throw out torn and terribly stained clothing that we'd been using simply because we had no other choice.
The whole of the playroom floor filled with piles of old clothes being sorted!
Although we were very excited and grateful to open a box of donated used shoes which allowed us to give one pair to each kid, shoes are always in short supply at the orphanage. It is quite a challenge each morning to find a pair which fit each child which is not a good thing: correctly fitting shoes are very important for a child's growing feet and it is necessary for the kids to wear shoes whilst playing outside. Because of this shortage we are thrilled that Melissa Hale has taken on the challenge of raising enough money to buy each child a pair or two of new shoes! Thank you Melissa!
You can check out Melissa's fundraiser at her Crowdrise page - 'SHOES FOR THE CHILDREN!' here - thank you so much for reading, sharing or donating to her fundraising page, we really appreciate any support you can give! And just to give an idea of how appreciative we'll be, here are some pictures of the kids saying thank you and showing off their the used shoes they got in June from our wonderful volunteer Claire.
This is just a very short post because we are excited about the fact that little Neema (who you may know from the 'We ♥ fat healthy babies!' facebook post (see here) is now standing...with a bit of help!
Up until now she has now shown very little interest in doing much else than sitting...and occasionally falling asleep whilst eating! Although this is pretty adorable, we were keen to get her making some progress towards 'pulling to stand' which is the milestone she should be hitting soon according to developmental charts.
Neema after falling asleep whilst eating
It took a few times of Neema dangling in mid-air in a determined sitting position, but after a bit of perseverance she is now standing if someone holds her hands. It's a small step, but judging by the way she sticks her tongue out in excitement and bends her knees to bob up and down like she is dancing (encouraged by the Mamas!), hopefully she should soon be pulling herself to stand all by herself!
She's always been persistent about staying in that sitting position - check out this video from when she was tiny!
As promised, I will now tell you all about Andrea, David, Pendo and Abdulli heading off to school!
Before I start, a quick update to say that the final total from Beaconhurst School's Christmas Carol Concert fundraiser was £1,770 - thank you so much to everyone involved in raising this fantastic amount towards Project Education!
David, ready for his first day at school
As Emily was last year (read here), I was so grateful to be able to be there to wave the kids off at their first day at school at USA River Academy with the help of The Foundation for Tomorrow and, of course, their fantastic sponsors. Andrea, David and Pendo were collected by TFFT on 7th January, but we wanted to wait until Abdulli had also left (on the 14th) so that we could tell you about them all at the same time.
Abdulli before leaving with TFFT
As the TFFT car pulled up outside, all the younger kids got very excited. We held back with them whilst the Mamas, who have known the kids since they were babies, got Andrea, David and Pendo ready for school, changing them into bright new clothes and filling a bag each with extra things which they would need. It was all a bit of a whirlwind and a bit overwhelming for them, as any first day of school is...
Left to right: David, Andrea and Pendo in their going-to-school clothes!
..but they were all very excited and couldn't wait to get into the car! So after lots of cuddles and goodbyes, they climbed in. David even got to sit in the front seat!
Andrea, Pendo and David enjoying their lollies!
Abdulli will be attending Step by Step Learning Centre in Arusha (about 30mins drive away) which is a day-school; therefore, we have arranged for him to live with his biological father who will accompany him on the dala dala (bus) there each day. On my last day in Tanzania, Mama Pendo took Abdulli for his compulsory medical check at the hospital and then the excited waiting began all over again while everyone waited for the TFFT car to arrive to pick him up and take him to his father's house. Although I was not there to witness the reunion with his father, I can tell you all that his father has been very involved over the last couple of weeks and is really looking forwards to being involved in this new chapter of Abdulli's life!
Abdulli showing off his artistic skills!
We are so proud of the four kids - starting school is such a huge step in any child's life, and especially for Andrea, David, Pendo and Abdulli who have left the orphanage very infrequently during their lives. However, I speak for all of us at The Small Things, when I say that I know they can handle this new adventure, and we can't wait to see the incredible things they achieve. Eriki, Dainess and Stevie have all done fantastically during their first year of school and I'm sure they will all be there to look after their younger 'siblings' if they need it whilst settling in!
Andrea (middle) surrounded by Eman (left) and Eriki (right)
who are already at USA River Academy
Thank you so much to their sponsors and to anyone who has supported Project Education - the chance to attend a high quality school really will change these kids' lives.
I have now been back in Nkoaranga for almost two weeks now and have so much to write about - it has been fantastic. But for now, I want to tell you all the 'safari' (trip) which we took the kids on! We had decided that it would be really fun for the kids to visit an outdoor play area which Bekka found near Arusha. Aside from being a little nervous about the possibility of huge downpours, everyone was really looking forwards to it!
The trip started off with all the younger children piling into the dala dala (local bus) which we had hired to take us there. We were really sad that we were unable to take the children who had already been in school with us, due to them being picked up by TFFT for school that afternoon (we'll be writing about this year's kids starting school soon!), although to be honest it was probably a good thing space wise. I think the kids were just as excited about the trip the playground as actually playing there: they sang songs, calling out the names of everything they saw out the window, waved at people walking along the roadside, and yelled in excitement at every speed bump!
The playground was great, really big with LOTS of swings, trampolines and see-saws spread out over a big grassy area. It was perfect for all the kids to run wild and try everything!
Peddling backwards seemed to be much easier than going forwards!
Simoni pulling a goofy face
Zawadi loving the trampoline
Neema and Holly on the swing
When the rain arrived (it had been threatening to for some time), it was time for a little break and we all sat under two thatched umbrellas and the kids tucked into some peanut butter sandwiches, juice and biscuits, thanks to Christina, Therese and Emma for providing these! Needless to say, everything was enjoyed immensely.
Baracka (left) and Pendo (right) tucking into their sandwiches and juice
Neema getting excited over the food
After that it was time for some more playing before the final excitement arrived - a big blow up slide! Although there was some initial craziness as EVERYONE pushed to get up both the steps and slide and slide down five kids at a time, once Megan was installed at the top of the slide to keep some kind of order (thanks Megan!) there was a constant stream of kids climbing up and delightedly sliding down before heading straight back up again! As the kids became more confident we saw lots of inventive ways of getting down the slide - I think they enjoyed flinging themselves down and finding that they just bounced!
Queuing to get to the top...
...and David and Baracka grinning from ear to ear
as they slide down!
Finally it was time to head home. We all climbed back into the dala dala and all the kids got lollipops...and needless to say, everyone was very excited and got very sticky! Aside from lots of calls of 'MAJI MAJI' ('water') every time we passed a river (or puddle at the side of the road), everyone was quieter - tired but happy! We got back to the orphanage just in time for dinner - what an amazing day!
Thank you for your continued support which lets us make days like this happen!
Hello all! After a week of internet and electricity problems, we're finally back online - just in time to tell you (and show you) our amazing Christmas and New Year with the kids. First, with your donations, we were able to buy a ton of new toys for the kids. This is so important for their development, both physical and mental! Here is a quick video showing the difference that made, and saying thank you directly to our donors.
Then, on the 24th, we had a whole day of fun-filled activities. All the kids got beautiful new clothes from Fred's World and greengorilla, who donated a TON of gorgeous organic clothing. We also were (just) able to get new (to them) shoes for each kid - although that's definitely our biggest need right now, and most of the time, shoes! If you or someone you know would be willing to take up a collection of good quality used shoes, please get in touch.
Andrea in Fred's World
Dainess in Fred's World
Ericki in Fred's World, feeding his baby
Shujaa in green gorilla
Maureen and Ester in green gorilla
Vicky in Fred's World
Simoni, Zawadi, Neema, Maureen and Baracka in Fred's World
We've also been loving the gorgeous nappies donated by Baba and Boo! Amazing quality - some of the only nappies we can use with a single outer - and beautiful. The little girls even express opinions about wanting the pretty ones!
Little Ebeni in stars
Miss Vicky
After everyone was dressed, we got a visit from Dimples Junior, a wonderful clown based in the Arusha area. All the profits that he and his lovely wife make from clowning go to their own nonprofit, which is dedicated to helping street children, so we were especially happy to support them.
Then in the afternoon we got our yearly visit from our wonderful friends at KATZ Volunteers, who arrange Baba Christmas's visit to a number of local orphanages! The kids were thrilled, and especially enjoyed the "snow." Thanks KATZ!
Snow!!
Mama Neema getting in on the fun
Baba Christmas and Loveness
Isaac isn't sure he approves
We also received a Christmas gift of another kind - a miracle baby named Angel. She is so beautiful, and we are honored to have been entrusted with her care. We will do our best to honor her mother's memory.
WHAT IS THIS MAGIC?
All in all, a great Christmas.
We get to do this EVERY YEAR?
Finally, yesterday we had a little mini celebration with our toddlers ringing in the new year.
Mama Pendo and Maureen
Vicky
Thank you all so much for an incredible 2012, and we can't wait to do even more for these wonderful kids in 2013. We are so grateful to have you by our side!
