As many of you know, I am currently studying at the London School of Economics in the Master's of Public Administration program, focusing on International Development. I have never in my life encountered such a breadth of interesting, talented, intimidatingly intelligent people with such fascinating and diverse life experiences, all of which they bring to bear on the program. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it! They're also charitable and extremely generous - the program's Student Association, MPASA, has a Philanthropy wing, and each year the entire program votes on a charity to raise funds for. This year, they chose us at The Small Things!
Souraya
Joachim
Leo
Through the efforts of our two fearless second year leaders, Souraya and Leo, as well as our newly elected leader for next year, Joachim, as well as the amazing participation from the class, we managed to raise over $5,500! This was achieved through a number of creative avenues - from pub quizzes to bake sales to scavenger hunts to candygrams to hoodies to gambling! Here are a few highlights of the year's events.
Blackjack and "Pin the Tail on the Beaver (LSE's Mascot) at
Games and Poker Night
Jo (front) and Merce (back), two of our departing second years, showing off the charades slips at Games and Poker night
One team crammed into a London phone box
during the Scavenger Hunt
Another team rocking out in an intersection for the Scavenger Hunt
Ebenezer Ndogo, one of the preemies
being helped by the one-to-one care
After talking to the group and the board, we've decided to use $2,000 of the money raised to complete Light Up the Night! That means that thanks to the students of the LSE MPA, we will be able to put solar lighting in the hospital maternity ward as well as the orphanage, making things much safer for the 30 orphanage kids as well as for hundreds of laboring mothers each year. The rest of the money will be divided between various other projects - part will go towards paying for a new mama's salary for the next three years in conjunction with Western Union and Millie and Mikarla, part will go towards the new cooker and dryer for the orphanage, and part will stay in reserve for unforeseen expenses, like paying for one-to-one care for premature infants.
Pray, who was badly burned
in the fire that inspired Light
Up the Night
We at The Small Things are all incredibly grateful - but I want to personally thank each and every one of my incredible classmates for their participation in this huge gift to the kids of Nkoaranga orphanage. I want to thank you for choosing us, despite the complications of being a US registered nonprofit operating in the UK. I want to thank you for spreading the word to friends and family - Team Least Squares from the Pub Quiz (Tolu “T-Statistic”, Faisal “F-Statistic”, Sarah “Stata Star”, Joachim “Joint Hypothesis”, and Hayk "Histogram Hero") were particularly wonderful ambassadors. I want to thank the people who baked and helped us harass random passerbys for the bake sale - especially Molly, Kyla, Josephine, Liz, Merce and Josepha. And of course, none of this would have been possibly without the incredible leadership of Leo, Souraya and Jo, and the hard work of the rest of the Philanthropy team.
Andrea, one of the kids headed to
school in January
Most importantly, I want to thank you all for coming out to our events and making them such a pleasure. It will be up to the class to decide which nonprofit they choose to support next year - while we would be incredibly grateful to be chosen again, it would also be fair for people to choose another of the many deserving nominated charities. But please know that you've made a huge difference for us this year, and the projects you've sponsored will affect mothers and children in need for many years to come.
First daughter, Magnolia Zinashi,
chowing down with Ababi (dad)
This wonderful family is currently in the process of adopting a second daughter (this one with some special needs) from Ethiopia. Instead of taking out a standard loan or asking for unrestricted donations, they came up with a very cool and innovative concept - the "Give it Forward" loan. They ask people to donate towards their adoption costs - however, each month, they pay back an installment of those costs (usually $200), plus 10% interest, plus a 10% matching donation from an anonymous donor. These payments go to charities voted on by Finding Magnolia's readers - and this month, they chose us! Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us - we love this entire concept and the idea that each donation to this wonderfully family is effectively doubled, as it helps them with their adoption now, and then has a second impact as a donation to a charity as they pay it back. What a cool idea!
We have decided to put their $240 donation towards Project Education - we are now more than half of the way to the total amount we will need to raise to get all four wonderful kids enrolled next year! In case you need a reminder, these are the fantastic kids we are working to get into The Foundation For Tomorrow's amazing program, which puts them in high quality Tanzanian boarding schools, with fantastic extracurriculars, emotional and academic support, and care and transport over school breaks. This donation will help with the two years of up-front tuition required to enroll each child - however, we are still looking for long term sponsors for most of these beautiful kids. A quarter sponsorship is just $19 per month! Take a look at our beautiful kiddos, and then check out the Project Education page for more details on them and the program.
Andrea, our sweet silly boy - one quarter sponsored
Abdulli, our sensitive little man - not yet sponsored
Pendo, our loving girl - fully sponsored
And David, our little firecracker - one quarter sponsored
Mosey on over to the Project Education page to find out more about the program and how to get involved and help give these wonderful kids the future that they deserve. Thank you again to Finding Magnolia and everyone else who has helped us come so far!
My mother is having a tough mother's day - I am in graduate school in London, and my brother (and only sibling) is on a semester abroad in Australia - she is literally a quarter and half of the way around the world from us, respectively. I miss her, and I'm sorry not to be there - but at the end of the day, she's instilled in my brother and me both the confidence to travel, to explore, to let our life path find us, and I am so grateful to her for that gift. Mine found me in a beautiful little girl named Zawadi, and I can't wait until the day we have our first mother's day together.
Me and my girl Zi
Unfortunately, for most of our incredible kids, there are no adoptive mothers waiting in the wings. So instead it's up to all of us, the community of care that is The Small Things, to think on this day especially of what their mothers would have wanted them to have. Education. Opportunity. Safety. Health. Love.
We are doing our best, and with your help we have achieved amazing things in the past year. We've started three kids in high quality Tanzanian boarding schools with the help of their sponsors, everyone who donated to their up-front costs, and The Foundation For Tomorrow - and in January, we hope to have found full sponsorship for the next four. With your help, we will give them education to take advantage of all the opportunities life has to offer - and with Tanzania's rapid growth (over 6% per year) and more companies investing heavily in the continent, their future is looking bright.
Mama Pendo with a group of former Nkoaranga orphanage
kids, now all thriving at school with TFFT
As for safety, we are more than 80% of the way to our goal for Light Up the Night, which has already rewired the orphanage, will be installing solar lighting in the orphanage this summer, and, if we can raise that last 20%, will fund solar lighting for the hospital maternity ward as well. We have raised sufficient funds to fulfill our commitments to the orphanage to keep them fully stocked with formula for all children up to six months as well as chewable and liquid vitamins - which the kids LOVE and ask for daily as their candy! We've also had success with our one-to-one 24/7 preemie care program, which has helped our (previously) little Peace to grow into a beautiful, chubby prince, and is currently funding care for little Ebenezer to catch up to his healthy new buddy Neema.
Frankie with Dainess and Pray
Mama Neema
Mama Pendo with Farajah
Last but absolutely not least, these children need love to thrive. There are two parts to our responsibility here - encouraging and modelling ongoing commitment and engagement from volunteers, and supporting the incredible mamas who stay with these kids day in and day out for their first five years. We do that through ongoing salary support and funding new hires - one in January, the wonderful Mama Linda, and we are hoping for a second this summer. These kids may have had the bad luck to lose their mothers - but they have the mamas, and they have us, and we have their mothers' memories to guide and inspire us.
Thank you from each of the Nkoaranga kids -
and their twenty-plus siblings!
Please consider donating to support any or all of these projects through the How to Help page - we can't do it without you! To those who have helped us come so far already, thank you - and you should feel some pride today, because in a way, everyone who has helped these projects has become part of our mothering effort. Happy Mother's Day to you, too!
(PS: Shameless plug - if you aren't already signed up to our mailing list, check out our spring newsletter here and/or sign up in the sidebar!)
It has been a long time coming, but finally on April 29th my gala dinner and silent auction for "Light Up The Night" (details) took place at at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa in Victoria, BC.
"Light Up The Night" The evening proved to be a huge success; and thanks to the generosity of all who attended, and made a donation in lieu of attending we were able to raise $608.00 for food which includes: bananas, pineapples, rice, oil for cooking, meat, fish, chicken, toothbrushes, and underwear. This will help to stock the pantry and provide them with a surplus to use in times of need. Thank you to those who purchased 3 containers of baby formula. This will help with our new baby Ebeni who is very weak and struggling right now. I feel fortunate to be able to return in less than 2 weeks to assess the needs of this little one and help where I can.
$1100.00 was raised for education and an additional $7292.00 for the electrical work and solar panels for the orphanage. With the $60 already donated, that brings us to a grand total so far of $7352!
Thank you to everyone in my local community that contributed to the silent auction tables. Thank you to The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa in Victoria for sponsoring my event, and taking a chance on a girl with a crazy fundraising idea! I can't even begin to thank the members of my team at work who have provided the funds for David's first year of education; and I feel blessed to be a part of sponsoring this amazing kid.
Many people are wondering where "The Mosiac Ladies" ended up. Well, the beautiful quilt that was made by my amazingly talented mother was auctioned off with all funds going towards "Light Up The Night". It will be a lovely house warming gift from one sister to another. Don't worry if you missed out on this beautiful piece of fabric art, there will be a chance to bid on another one...more details to follow.
"The Mosiac Ladies"
I can not even begin to express my thanks and gratitude to my family as I have planned this fundraiser, whilst working on my degree. Their support has been more than I could have ever asked for. From the very beginning my mom has been hands on assisting where she could. Thanks to my dad for taking some wonderful and memorable photos of the event.Thanks to my sister and brother in law who out bid many people and took home 8 silent auction items; the record for the evening! Without them this night would not have been possible. Last but not least a tremendous thanks to my boss at work for giving me the time off so I could return to Nkoaranga, and spend 7 more weeks with the children and mamas; I can't wait!
My family ~ my cheerleaders!
I wish that I had the words to express how thankful I am for everyone that attended the evening and made it possible, but there are no words to express what I feel and how grateful I am for all of you. I think that Mother Teresa says it best, "We ourselves know that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. We can do no great things, only small things with great love." That's what we are all about at The Small Things as we work to enhance the children and mama's lives at Nkoaranga, one small thing at a time.
My brother in law, my beautiful sister and niece.
My "oldest" sponsors, my grandparents
Neela, Sandra (my mom), and Deborah. Deborah made 50 pairs of pants and shorts for the children this summer.
My work team and some of David's new sponsors
To contribute to "Light Up the Night" and help us reach our goal, click below!
UPDATE: We are so honored to announce that over £600 has been donated in honor of Lewis John William's life. The funds will be going towards Project Education, and will fund almost a full year of schooling for Andrea, Abdulli, David, or Pendo. We are still looking for long term sponsors for everyone but Pendo - please get in touch if you are interested in changing a child's life! Thank you endlessly to Jordan, her nan, and everyone who contributed. You've created a beautiful legacy.
Jordan with Franky last year
A wonderful former volunteer and friend of The Small Things and the orphanage kids named Jordan has been hit hard by the death of her grandfather this week. However, she has been comforted by a generous gesture that her grandmother has chosen to make - instead of flowers or gifts, they have asked for donations, which will be split between The Small Things and the British Heart Association. We are honored by their generosity, and so happy that Jordan was able to so clearly communicate her love and passion for these children to the people around her. Here are some of her recollections about him:
My Grandad's name is Lewis John Williams and he was 85 years old when he died on April 7th , suddenly but peacefully at home with my Grandma. He was called John his whole life to family and friends. To me he was 'Dad', we think I picked it up from my Mum when I was little and it just stuck.
I can't really sum up what he was like; I would be writing forever. He was the best Grandfather anyone could wish for; I have memories of being driven to the park near my grandparents home where he would let me play for hours and hours. We used to go to Bournemouth when I was younger twice a year and he would spend so much money letting me play on all the rides and play all the games on the pier and never complained once. My grandparents never forget Christmas cards, birthday cards, Easter cards, good luck cards before exams, well done cards for when I passed the exams and Valentines day cards. They would be on time every single year without fail. He used to tell me stories (completely ridiculous and made up) about how he was best friends with the Queen and I would make him tell them over and over. He also used to take me swimming when I think he hated it, as I used to make him ride the rubber ring ride forgetting he was over 70. I could go on forever, and I think I've gotten a bit carried away! But basically, as a Grandad, he was so loved and adored by both my sister and myself, and I will always remember the memories he has given me and never ever forget him. I know he's around all the time anyways.
As a person, he would do anything for anyone. He loved my Grandmother and looked after her and they had so much fun, they were always laughing together about the silliest things; and the main thing about my Grandad, I know this, and many people have said, that he was ALWAYS laughing, making jokes, and not one of his friends has ever seen him in a mood. He was always smiling and couldn't do enough for anyone who needed help. He has lived in the same place for his whole life, except for the periods of time in his life where he travelled, and has therefore made hundreds of friends who will all miss him dearly.
As a Grandad, he would worry about my sister and I unnecessarily. He was especially worried when I decided to go to Tanzania for two months last year, and even though I know my grandparents didn't want me to go, he was always so happy to hear the stories and to see pictures of all the kids. And true to the way my Grandad was, he would be so happy to know that he might be able to help them in any way. My Grandmother deciding to split donations from his funeral between a heart charity and The Small Things would have made him happy and is so very appropriate considering it was his nature to help anyone he could, even if it was just a small gesture.
John and Jordan
I don't know what else to say other than I love my Granddad very much, I'm so proud of him, and I am so very lucky to have grandparents like I do. My heart goes out to the kids at the orphanage when I think about how lucky I am to have someone like my Granddad in my life, but then I remember that they all have each other, and all of us volunteers and the Mamas who love them just as much. And I hope that whatever the amount is donated will help the children, even just a little, in whatever way possible. I know my Granddad would hope so too.
We're so grateful for the beautiful gesture, and our hearts are with Jordan at this difficult time. This is what The Small Things is about, connecting the amazing web of people who care about this children to work together on their behalf. This is a fantastic example of that web being not JUST about people who have met the kids in person, but those who have fallen in love with them by proxy, through stories, photos, and videos. We're so grateful for all those members of the Nkoaranga extended family, and we wish peace and comfort to Jordan and her family.
I just realized that while we've alluded to it a few times, we've never told the full story of the day we took the Nkoaranga kids on safari to Arusha national park, which we are lucky enough to have just down the road. We rented a dalla-dalla (minibus) for the day, and piled all the big kids in - sadly, there wasn't space for the toddlers, and we could only bring kids who were potty trained. They were so excited before we even set off, they were making up their own songs for the moment and dancing with all the little ones!
Then we all piled into the vehicle - no small feat with two mamas, three volunteers, and a whole bunch of kids! They didn't seem to mind the close conditions, though - part of growing up in an orphanage, I guess! I think they enjoyed the car ride almost as much as seeing the animals - it's such a rare treat for them... with the exception of Tumaini, poor thing, who got carsick. Luckily, we were prepared.
Just the back two rows - all I could capture with the camera!
Multiply this by 3.
Pray is psyched, Stevie's out the window, and David just
wants in on the photo op.
Once we got to the park, we saw all kinds of amazing things - zebras and giraffes and whole herds of water buffalo, plus some incredible scenery. The day was so clear that you could clearly see Mount Meru on one side (where the orphanage is) and Kilimanjaro on the other. We couldn't have been luckier with the weather!
Buffalo grazing
Bethan helping Pray to see
On the way back, kids started to get sleepy... it was extremely cute to see them slumped up against each other. We steeled ourselves to wake them up, though, for another treat. On the way back, we stopped a local game lodge, where the kids could get even closer to the animals. This particular place, "Meru Game Lodge," rehabilitates injured animals and cares for those that can't go back into the wild. It's a really great place to stay (if you can afford it!) and otherwise to come by for lunch, or just to see the animals. Here the kids saw a crocodile, more zebras, wildebeest, antelopes, porcupines, tons of birds, and ostriches.
Dainess (minutes from falling asleep) with Andrea passed out on her shoulder
Pendo, Asimwe, and Loveness looking at the zebras
On the final leg of the journey home, we got the best treat of the day - the kids singing their "Thank you" song. It was and is unbelievably sweet, even when half the voices are a little sleepy! "Asante kwa safari" means "thank you for the safari (trip)," "asante kwa upendo" means "thank you for the love," and "asante sana yesu" means "thank you Jesus," and "moyoni" means "from my heart." There were a lot of verses that went through all of our names and the mamas names, but this was what I managed to catch on video.
What they should have been singing, but probably wouldn't have fit the rhythm of the song, was "Thank you donors to the Small Things," because your support is what makes it possible for us to splurge on day outings like this - it cost about $150 to make fifteen kids insanely happy, but if we'd been working out of only our own personal funds, that $150 would have had to go to vitamins, or formula, or salaries. Having your support gives us the flexibility to give the kids a few real treats, give them a chance to just be KIDS for a day, excited to see some animals. We're very grateful.
.jpg)
