Bonanza Donation from Fred's World

This is looking back a bit now, but The Small Things is very grateful for the amazing support it gets from Fred's World in Denmark. Fred's World is a company that specialises in beautiful organic clothing for children. We have been so lucky that such a brilliant manufacturer has chosen to support us, and in such a big way.

Back in January Fred's world made an incredible donation. They were moving offices, and decided to give us 7 boxes of gorgeous, strong, good quality clothes - an impressive 105kg!!! As our board member Dorothy remarked, "Those kids are going to be the best dressed children in Tanzania. Fred's World rocks!"

Here are some of the pictures of this amazing haul of clothes:

The boxes arrive...

...bursting at the seams.

Here's what Fred's World say about their own clothes:

"Fred's world by Green Cotton is designed with a Scandinavian approach to children's development. There are no princes and princesses but active kids with a lust for life in practical but smart clothes. Keywords for how we want our children to develop are:

Safe, active, knowledge, understanding of the human interaction with nature, experience, absorption, fantasy, possibilities, co-responsibility, rights, freedom."

...which sounds perfect for our kids.

And quite clearly, it is perfect:

Peace in Fred's World

Andrea in Fred's World

Dainessi in Fred's World

There's nothing better in the orphanage than being able to dress the kids in good quality clothes that aren't ripped, stained or falling apart at the seams.


So, once again THANK YOU FRED!!!

Next week, we should be able to have a detailed welcome blog for our new baby (see Wednesday's Facebook post), plus wonderful things that have been made for Nkoaranga by some very wonderful people.

Part 1 - Update on the school kids

A massive thank you for all your support which allows all these kids to attend school!

Bethan with Tumaini (left), Eman kubwa (back right), Eman dogo (middle) and David (front right)

This week Bethan (above) writes about how they visited all of the school kids to find out how they were doing and, especially, to give you a long-awaited update on how our new four - Pendo, Andrea, David and Abdulli - are settling in!  This involved visiting Usa River Academy in Usa to see most of the school kids there, and to visit Abdulli in Tengheru, where he is staying with his family.

Tumaini (left) and Dainess (right) skipping/jumping rope

"So, the Usa visit was brilliant! So nice to see all of the kids! Emelie, Bekka, Riz, Mama Pendo and I went there two Fridays ago. The Nkoaranga kids suddenly ran up from nowhere! They must have all been playing together in some other place on the field. Olivia, a volunteer here from America (my friend) sent me with some skipping ropes which the children immediately wanted.  There were some Nkoaranga kids that I didn't know as they had left earlier than when we were first there but nonetheless they were still so friendly."

"They all spoke very old English, particularly Tumaini! But it was impressive to hear Andrea, David and Pendo who have only been there since January also immediately speak English. They all seemed very happy and it was lovely seeing them all together with strong bonds just like when they were in Nkoaranga.  They all looked very smart in their uniforms.  Mama Pendo brought a suitcase of new woolly hats and jumpers that had been donated and which the kids all loved and crowded round to receive.  A couple of kids came running to the car as we were leaving to see if we had any left - luckily we did!  The school grounds are beautiful and there is so much green grass and outdoor space for them to run around in. As we left, they were all going back to their dormitories. I hope to visit again before I leave in 3 weeks."

Left to right: Andrea, Eriki, David, Pendo, Dainess and Stevie

Dainess, Tumaini and David in their hats

"Unfortunately the SOS children's village visit to see Gracie, Farajah, Aroni and a couple of other Nkoaranga kids was unsuccessful. We arrived to find that very recently they have brought in a new policy where we have to make an appointment to visit any of the children, which never used to be the case. The secretary was not prepared to make an exception, so although we had made the journey especially to see the children and came so close, we were not allowed any further which was such a shame."

"Later at day, we met with Abduli and his father in Tengheru where we then drove to where they stay. They have just one room for Abduli, his father, stepmother and their other young son.  The father spoke of the few problems they are having such as the tiredness he faces everyday having to get up at 5 to journey into Arusha to drop Abduli in at school and then back again later. The Small Things do pay for the transport costs but the time it takes out of the day to get to Arusha twice means that they lose out on some money from their salon. Additionally, Abdulli is wetting himself every time he sleeps, including any naps he has at home. This is a problem as it costs extra to boil water to wash him twice or three times a day. He is still having some problems with being violent and hitting at school."

"Despite these issues, they are determined to keep Abduli with them in their family at home, which is brilliant. They want to work through the problems which we of course will help with wherever possible, as long as Abduli stays with them. They seem like a very strong unit.  Abduli spoke of his best friend at school which was lovely to hear about and he wrote his name down for us in a notebook.  He is enjoying it.  But we will talk and look into other options like a closer school, and also speak to the school about how they are managing the students and just get their opinion on how Abduli is doing."

Mama Pendo with some of the many kids she has raised and who were delighted to see her!

We will continue to monitor how all the kids who are at school with your help (THANK YOU!) are doing and to help out wherever we can, and keep you updated!  We have lots more pictures of individual kids that we will share with you all on facebook - there just wasn't room for them all here!  Thank you, Bethan!

7 photos of our beautiful 7 year old Dainess!

Dainess having issues with her ugi (porridge)!

Looking very girly in her very own cot
(you can see the 'D' in the top lefthand corner)

Always excited...

...and often pulling crazy faces!

And here she is at 5, all grown up and looking
forwards to school...

...and there she is!

And an almost-7-year old Dainess this Christmas
playing with Simoni (middle) and Stevie (right)!
 

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY DAINESS!!!

All kids are thriving!

We're very happy to do yet another post about how all of the Nkoaranga kids are thriving! The babies are growing, the toddlers are running around singing and dancing, and the school kids are in the top of their classes at school! 

On saturday, Bekka, Mama Pendo and I went to Usa River Academy School were we with the help of The Foundation For Tomorrow and our great sponsors among you we were able to send Ericki, Dianess and Steve last year. Many older Nkoaranga kids are also at the school, and everyone was very excited to see us and came running at Mama Pendo with big hugs.

We were able to visit all the different classes with Nkoaranga children in them and see their work and results. It was wonderful to see how all of the kids are doing really well and even have top spots in their classes - so proud! They were all very proud to show us their work and how well they could spell things and tell us what their favorite subjects were - everything from English, Swahili, math, geography to social studies!


Other than doing really well academically the kids also seemed to be very happy and enjoying going to school. We were shown around the school and it is located in a beautiful area with lots of green, luscious  nature surrounding it and it is a great place for the kids to be staying.

At the orphanage all of the children are thriving as well! Filipo is now walking which is very exciting! Frankie still prefers to sit down or to be cuddled - however, I managed to get one step from him yesterday. Hopefully he will be walking on his own in no time! Kristina's beautiful home made dresses were handed over to the kids on Friday and they absolutely loved them! Great colors, adorable prints and pretty little girls to match them! The mamas very grateful as well and thought they were beautiful dresses! So for the past few days we have had colorful, happy girls running around the orphanage with these dresses on!

The orphanage also really appreciated all the shoes, thermometers, sheets, clothes, cups and plates that I brought for the kids that I have received from sponsors in Denmark. 


All in all, the kids and the mamas seem to be doing really well. I am so happy to be here again and I can't wait give you more updates on our work and how the kids are doing. In the coming weeks we will be joined by many other volunteers and we will start working on several projects. The installment of solar energy at the orphanage and parts of the hospital will begin and we are right now looking into expanding the chicken coop at the orphanage as well as expanding the kitchen garden.

Furthermore, our micro grant pilot project will run this summer and it will be very interesting to follow this project.  The mamas have shown their gratefulness for all of the work we have done at the orphanage and since it is very important to us, that we are working with the orphanage staff on what the orphanage really needs and how we can support them it is great to get such feed back. As an example of this, one of our current projects is providing all of the mamas with English lessons and they are enjoying this so much that they have requested to continue attending class for another few months!

My internet time is up - more updates should be coming soon from our current ground members!

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.

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. 

Making a transition

 

Me and fashionable Ericki

We all have to make transitions. It's part of life; growing up and moving on.

It's not always that easy but we do it. And a lot of the time, we can do it because of the people around us, supporting, motivating and pushing us to do the best that we can.



With gorgeous Dainessi

Not everybody in the world, unfortunately, is lucky enough to have this strong support system that provides them with such courage, but, I think it is safe to say that the children of Nkoaranga Orphanage, thanks to the incredible Mamas, The Small Things and yourselves that keep us going, do have the ability to make the transitions that they face, successful ones.

Ericki, Stevie and Dainess have just started boarding school this week. A transition, that, for them, is most probably going to seem very surreal for some time - the orphanage is the only home they've ever known. It may take a little while to get used to, but, they have each other. They are amazingly smart and dedicated individuals with such bright and bubbly personalities that are going to hold huge places in the world. I know they can do it.



And with silly Steveni



I just started back at Uni this week; back to the bustle of London city life, where it still feels like a transition that at times I sit and think if it's where I want to be and what I want to be doing. Since, after coming back from such an awesome (but of course, very different) few weeks out over the holidays, spent with the kids, in a small village on the slopes of a mountain, in East Africa; you wonder what it really is around you that you need in order to be 'happy'.

But, this is life. It's often easy to get distracted or taken away by experiences and moments that feel too perfect and sometimes it's as if we really do need a pinch on the arm to bring us back to reality. We just have to be thankful for these moments and that they ever existed, thankful we had the opportunity and thankful that we have the memory. Admittedly, a University workload isn't fun, but then neither is a 9-5 job in an office, or trying to keep up a business when modern economic situations aren't making it very easy to do so. But it's these hard times that move us to the good. It's just about patience, determination, positivity and support.

Seeing the picture of Ericki, Stevie and Dainess in their new pajamas in their new school just re-inforced to me why I am studying and why living as a classic poor student right now is going to be worth it in the long run! This is a transition that I am currently making in order to succeed, gain qualifications and build life experience that I hope will give me further chances of beng back with the children and helping them to integrate as they grow up.

By seeing this simple but effective photo of the children, it just gave me the boost I needed. Writing this, I hope to boost any body else who just needs that positivity of not giving up if they are in a difficult place right now and to support each other and stay focused. These kids just supported me without even realising it!

Good Luck to Stevie, Ericki and Dainess with making your transition to USA Academy, and, good luck to everybody else who is beginning a fresh new year with new goals and plans. We can do it.

First day of school!

UPDATE: Here are the kids on their first night of school in their brand new PJs! Photo courtesy of The Foundation For Tomorrow on Facebook. 

"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes." ~ David Platt

I stole this quote from the Facebook profile of a friend who works full time at another Tanzanian orphanage (shameless plug, check us out on Facebook today!), and it's just beautiful in its simplicity and truth. Nothing is ever the same once the children become people to you, rather than statistics, and I'm truly grateful for that. 

I'm back in the UK now, girding my loins to start classes again tomorrow (eek!), and, of course, missing the kids like crazy. Tomorrow isn't just my first day back after break, though - it's also Stevie, Ericki, and Dainess's first day of school at USA River Academy with TFFT! We are so, so proud of them, and so grateful for all your help in getting them into school - these kids are going to go so far! 

From left: Ericki, Stevie and Dainess showing off their skills and saying thanks to all of you! 

Not to mention, they're multitalented - here are a few of the (many!) other things that make these kids particularly awesome. 

• They're absolutely fearless - that's (from the rear) Dainess, Ericki and Stevie piled onto the piki piki, and mad as heck that we wouldn't let the guy pull away with them for a ride! 

• Dainess has a face made of putty, and she never hesitates to show it off!  

• Stevie's ridiculously large mouth makes him a world class cake eater - you wouldn't believe his speed! 

• I harbor a suspicion that Ericki might have been bitten by a radioactive spider - he'll happily climb anything and everything, in this case peering through the window of the local school building after hours. 

•  They're hams. Plain and simple. But hams with some of the most gorgeous smiles I have ever seen. 

• They're athletic little monkeys - Stevie and Dainessi seen here on the brand new monkey bars paid for with your generous donations - more pictures and details to come. (Special thanks to Hazel Ross Russell for her support!) 

People frequently tell us that the kids are lucky to have us - I feel the luck goes the other way. I honestly feel so honored and proud to get to be a part of these fantastic kids' journey, to be part of helping them reach their potential. We can never truly replace their parents - but I know that, together, we feel as much pride and take as much joy in their growth as parents would - and I hope they know, tomorrow as they take this huge step forward and every day, how much they are loved. 

Guest Post by the lovely Amy Summers!

Amy is a great friend of Nkoaranga orphanage who is in the process of finalizing her adoption of Pray, a gorgeous five year old who lived at Nkoaranga until he was three. She has graciously agreed to write a guest post (hopefully one of many!) to keep us updated on the kids! You can read more about her journey at Kusali-To Pray. Thanks also to Amy for letting us use her gorgeous photos here and elsewhere on the site.

Amy and a grumpy Zawadi

Maureen Ndogo

Gracie pushing around Amy's son Pray!

Oh wow, my first post on The Small Things! I feel honored.

After almost two months (school starting, moving, etc. A busy time of year!), Pray and I finally made a much-needed visit to his old home. I, of course, had to take photos of Zawadi for Bekka! The kids are doing well. Frankie and Filipo were in the hospital with malaria, but the rest of them were running around as usual! Zawadi was being changed when we got there and seemed a bit grumpy. Probably because of the diaper changed--no one likes those! I managed to get a few photos, then she waddled off to play with the kids. I only saw her once more in the next hour--busy girl! Gracie is practicing her walking skills. 

She almost has it! Maureen mdogo is proudly crawling and is more beautiful than ever. I didn't think it was possible! Frankie was almost crawling when we visited in late July, so I imagine he is a pro by now. Vicky was being held and then put to bed, so I didn't see much of her.

Ebenezer and his proud Baba

David is so big!

Ebenezer's baba (father) was there visiting! He seemed very proud of his son. I pulled up some pictures of Ebeni from his first week of life and his baba was amazed and said he forgot Ebeni was so small! Ester is running everywhere. She politely asked for a banana and proceeded to stuff it all in her mouth. She was another one that was so little. Thanks to Annette and Miriam takinig her home every night, she thrived and you all know how precious she is now! David mdogo is another walker/runner now. He was glued to the TV and Faraja was nicely sharing her lollipop with him. Neema has lost some of her chubbiness now that she runs everywhere! I don't think I saw her walking at all, just running. She still has her gorgeous dimples and has turned into such a little helper.

Baracka has been one of my favorites since I met him at two months old. He was such a difficult baby. He spit up every ounce of every feed and would scream within 10 minutes because he was hungry again. I love watching him grow. Despite his many days of crying and fussing (even now), he was in a great mood on Wednesday and kept asking me to turn my camera off and on. It has a little picture on it as it turns on. Maureen mkubwa was outside most of the time, so I didn't get to see much of her. She had a very serious face on when she finally came inside (against her wishes!). Pray is as ornery as ever. He went straight for Claire so she would hold him. He still seems a bit behind, but he's much healthier than we ever thought he'd be! He was another sickly newborn that I often worried about. 

Andrea (left) and
Baracka holding hands

Simoni offering to share his candy

Saimoni, oh Saimoni. His unusual gait from the rickets is hardly noticeable now. You would never know he struggled so much! I love that smile and his happy attitude. David mkubwa was helping Gracie walk. I am always relieved to see how sweet he has turned out. Besides his physical battles, he went through a period when he would just walk up and bite even the tiny babies. And with a smile on his face! He now prefers to hold them and help the mamas. What a mini adult! Andrea was my second favorite before Baracka came along and still has a big part of my heart. I will never forget the night when he was 14 months old and sick with pneumonia and malaria. I watched his little heart beat and I thought it would beat right out of his chest. Ironically, after that hospital stay, he lost weight and started walking! He talks up a storm and had no interest in the TV--yay! Loveness sat and watched over the volunteers who were holding the babies. She's still such a little mama! 

Pendo was also outside most of the time, but seems to have settled in. She gets along with the other kids (mostly). Back in July, every time I heard someone crying, it would be her. Of course, our visit was only two hours, so maybe she was just having a good morning - but we hear good things from the mamas. Dainessi has three missing teeth! It makes her look SO much older and fits her new mature personality. She can't wait to start school. Stephen was busy watching a movie with Ericki, Faraja, and Aroni. He obliged when I asked for a photo and gave his big ol' trademark Stepheni smile! Ericki is just so 

Proud Dainess

Stevie is way too cool

handsome! He was watching a movie and then playing with pictures. I often wonder about him and his history of headaches, but he seemed well and happy during our visit.

Farajah and Aroni *should* be going to SOS on Monday. The twins from Cradle of Love are going on Monday and they have been waiting since April, too. I asked Mama Andrew, but she said she hadn't heard anything and Mama Upendo would know better. Unfortunately, Mama Upendo wasn't there. Wema, an older Nkoaranga kid, will also join them, along with two older kids, Allan and Vumilia. HeavenLight is supposed to go, also, but he recently went to live with an aunt and last I spoke with Mama Upendo, everyone was very happy with the arrangement. Hopefully we will hear something soon about the kids going to SOS. It is past time for Faraja to be in school! And I don't know why Aroni stayed behind after the summer holiday. His English had been progressing so quickly and he loved school. I hope SOS ends up being the perfect place for all of them.

Abduli is still Abduli. Pray was often in tears asking to leave because Abduli pulled his hair, pinched him, or punched him. I remember the days when Abduli's father and other family members would visit every weekend. I wonder if they stopped because of his obvious delays? It breaks my heart, because we all know how hard life in TZ is for people with disabilities. (Hopefully we can find a school that will help him to thrive for next year -Bekka)

In related news, there are two new babies. Shugya (I need to check her file for the correct spelling, but it sounds almost like "sugar" but with a "ya" at the end) is about two months old. I don't know her story, as the mamas were very busy and we didn't have much time to talk. She looks very healthy, though. The other newbie, Daoudi ("Dah-oo-di" Swahili for Davidi, said Mama Andrew), turned two weeks on the day we met him, making his birthday October 12th. He weighs all of two kilos and is very skinny. He is not as small as Riziki, quite a bit longer, but looks very unhealthy. I hope he will get the love and nourishment he needs to grow
. 

New baby Shugya

I will try to go back this Wednesday or Thursday now that Pray's midterm break is over. Hopefully Zawadi will be smiling and Mama Upendo will be around to get more updates! 

Until then,

Amy

Daoudi

Little Daoudi

Without a huge amount of attention and care, premature babies like Daoudi and Ebenezer don't make it - as we learned the hard with with gorgeous little Reziki. Please consider donating to help us hire more staff to care for these incredible children.