Happy Family Children's Village - huge progress!

We have made huge progress with the construction of the Happy Family Children's Village (HFCV), which is being established in memory of Amir Visram, and we are so excited to share the details and pictures with you!

For those of you who may be hearing about this for the first time, two years ago The Small Things took on the challenge of starting a children's village.  Since Nkoaranga Orphanage already exists, why was (and is) this important and necessary?  

Buying the land (and admiring the stunning view!)

Well, despite the existence and operation of Nkoaranga Orphanage, it is only able to care for children up until the age of five, and for a long time, children who aged out of the orphanage had to return to their villages regardless of whether there was anyone there to take care of them or not.  Often this meant a very bleak outlook for the child.  In recent years, the sponsorship organisation, The Foundation for Tomorrow, was able to provide a great sponsorship program for some children; however, it was not possible for them to take all children from Nkoaranga as they also provide for children from other communities, and additionally, it sometimes meant the children going to boarding school when they were not emotionally ready to do so.

Building the foundations

The HFCV was our solution to this!  The village will house children aged five and upwards, initially in two family-style houses where they will be cared for by Mamas, and attend Dinka School as day-pupils.  Staff and volunteers will be able to live on site, as well.  In the future, there will also be a community centre, where families from the surrounding community can bring their children for day care, allowing parents to go to work; and a community garden where local families can grow their own produce.  Much further down the track (in years to come) we hope to have 20 houses, capable of housing around 100 children.

Ribbon cutting ceremony

This project would not have been possible without the generous support of Shazi Visram, the CEO of Happy Family Brands, and daughter of Amir Visram (whose memory the HFCV honors); and the Seedlings Foundation.  We want to extend a huge thank you to these people, as well as to all of you, who have supported the project since the time that it was only a dream in the distance.  We are so glad to still have you with us as the HFCV becomes a reality!

We are delighted at the success of the Pilot House (literally a pilot program operated prior to establishment of the HFCV) - it has now been successfully running for over a year, and we are confident that the routine we have established there will continue to bring happiness and stability to the children once they move into the HFCV.

Construction is well underway

The foundations, walls and roofs have shot up - a credit to the fantastic architect and builders who have thus far worked on the project!  We are thrilled with how the houses are looking!

Some of you may have been involved in the 'Fill a Box, Make a Home' campaign, which we recently ran.  This project got lots of people involved in filling a large shipping container with many essential items, which are not easily purchased in Nkoaranga or nearby, to send from the USA to Tanzania, to fill the houses ready for the children to move into.  Parcels of toys, books and household essentials are still arriving at the warehouse in the USA (although it is now too late to send anything to put into the container), and soon the container will be ready to leave!

Roofs on, houses watertight and ready to be filled

Our next step is to ask local craftsmen to make beautiful wooden furniture (like those below) for the houses, and we would love for you to get involved in this!

Specifically, our annual Spread the Love online auction, is almost upon us - we are so excited, please check out our Spread the Love auction website - and all of the money raised this year will go towards the HFCV, funding furniture and other household essentials.  Although most of the items in the auction will be open for bids (naturally, since it's an auction!), if you would like to purchase a specific piece of furniture for one of the houses, you can do this through the Fund-a-Need section of our auction.  Here, instead of bidding for an item for yourself, it is possible to directly purchase and donate a chair (where a Mama or volunteer may sit to feed a baby), bookcase (where well-loved books will be stored) or other piece of furniture for the HFCV.  You will know that your Fund-a-Need item has gone to a good home!

Auction 'Fund-a-Need' items to fill the houses

So, there you go!  What amazing progress we have made with the support of all of you wonderful people!  

Please check out our Spread the Love online auction which opens on 15 April to continue to support the progress of the HFCV.  As well as the option of directly purchasing a Fund-a-Need piece of furniture, you can bid for many fantastic items, including beautiful handmade Tanzanian goods, hotel stays, jewellery, paintings and much more.

Thank you a million!

Meet Glory, Agape and Priska: three girls who would love to find sponsors! Could you help?

Have you ever thought about becoming a sponsor to a child in need, but perhaps have been put off due to wondering where your money might go? Or perhaps it seems quite daunting to send money for somebody who you do not know personally? Within the last few months, we have received three new girls who are in need of sponsors. The Small Things is very proud to have such a great sponsorship program in place, with 100% of the sponsors' money going towards the intended purpose, and ensuring that frequent updates are provided so that you can form a special bond with your child. If you would rather not commit to becoming a sponsor, we also have the option to make a one time donation, with the chance to add a note stating which child you would like the money to go towards. Sponsoring a child is a great way to support our work, open your family to a child without one, and develop an ongoing relationship with one amazing child.

Read on to meet our three new girls!

Glory

As you may have seen on Facebook recently, one of the three girls we are hoping to find sponsors for is Glory. Today is Glory's birthday and she has turned two years old! Becoming a sponsor to Glory would be the greatest gift: a huge benefit for Glory, and extremely rewarding for yourself.

Glory lived with her father until very recently when he became homeless and could no longer care for her. She is a sweet, shy girl who covers her eyes with her arms when she is overwhelmed, but sings and laughs once she relaxes. She has formed a beautiful bond with one of our current volunteers, and we are thrilled to see Glory so happy.

In addition to this, we have recently been able to hire her father as the guard at our volunteer complex. He is doing brilliantly, and is also learning English. Everybody loves him! We are very happy that we could assist him in such a way too. The complex where he works is just a short, five minute walk away from the orphanage, so he and his daughter are able to see each other very easily and continue their strong relationship.

Where will my money go if I choose to sponsor Glory?

Due to her age, Glory is residing at the orphanage. While we want our children to know and come to love their sponsors, we don't want to penalize children without one. Therefore, all sponsorship donations for the orphanage children go into a communal fund used to support all of the children's care and is spent in accordance with the immediate needs of the orphanage. However, any gifts or letters sent will go directly to your child.  

Click here to read more information on our Orphanage sponsorship program.

Or click here to sponsor Glory today!

Agape

Agape, who will be turning seven years old next week, is a very sweet young girl whose father abandoned the family before she was born, and has lived with her mother her whole life. She and her mother are both quite seriously ill, and she had to leave her school because of the stigma attached.

Her mother has requested that she live in the pilot house because she is so shunned in their area due to disease. It was very important to us that we listened to the wishes of her mother, and through continued discussion, we agreed that Agape would return to her mother every weekend. This set up is going really well so far, and both Agape and her mother are very content with the support being provided.

Where will my money go if I choose to sponsor Agape?

The Pilot House and Children's Village Projects are run by The Small Things, and our donors cover all costs for the children. While we want our children to know and come to love their sponsors, we don't want to penalize children without one. Therefore, all sponsorship donations go into a communal fund used to support all of the children's care, and children may have multiple sponsors. We will consider a child "available" for sponsorship until 200% of the sponsorship amount is met, and any overflow will be used to assist other children. However, gifts or letters sent will go directly to your child. 

Click here to read more information on our Pilot House sponsorship program.

Or click here to sponsor Agape today!

Priska

Sadly, a case of sexual assault has recently come to the attention of The Small Things.  Priska* is a 16 year-old girl from the Arusha region, who has now had to leave her village and her family because of the stigma attached to her experience of abuse. 

Unfortunately, in Tanzania and across the world, it is not uncommon for women who have been sexually assaulted to face isolation and rejection in their communities. Many have little access to services or support and go on to face homelessness, poverty and psychological problems.

Priska is currently living in Pippi House which is a partner non-profit that offers residential care to women and girls in similar situations.  Pippi House provides vocational training, medical care and psychological support. This gives those living there the chance to continue to learn and hopefully progress onto a job or higher education.

Priska is in need of sponsorship so that she can continue to live and learn there. Her care is currently being funded by The Small Things, but because she is not part of Nkoaranga Orphanage we are restricted to offering her temporary support. We would like to find sponsors to enable Priska to stay at Pippi House for the rest of her education (approximately 2 – 3 years), by which time she will hopefully be in a better position to move forward with her life.

We would love to assist Priska, and we believe that Pippi House is the best place for her to be. Her future should not be ruined by the acts of those who attacked her. We hope to find sponsorship so that she may build her confidence again, receive the vital support and friendships she needs, and flourish as an independent young woman with ambition and education.

(*name changed and detailed information restricted for purposes of anonymity)       

Where will my money go if I choose to sponsor Priska?

We currently support several outreach families through our program, and in extenuating circumstances provide outreach services to young adults in need. Since each situation is different, they each require a different amount of monthly support, as you can see in the descriptions. Donations for Priska will go towards the living and learning expenses that are required for her to stay at Pippi House. However, you can always choose to give more and split it between a few recipients! 

Click here to read more information on our Outreach sponsorship program.

Or click here to sponsor Priska today!

After reading the profile's of our three newest children, perhaps you have a few more questions?

What will I receive by becoming a sponsor?

Sponsors receive twice-yearly updates with photos and videos, and a letter detailing your child's progress. 

What can I do from home for my sponsored child?
Sponsors are also encouraged to send letters, birthday or holiday presents, and can track their child's progress through our website and Facebook page.

How much does it cost to sponsor a child?
We have five levels of sponsorship available. These are:

• Rafiki (Friend) sponsorship: $15 or ₤10 per month covers your child's toys, games, trips off the property, and medical care.

• Mualim (Teacher) sponsorship: $30 or ₤20 per month covers your child's day preschool, plus buys books for the orphanage.

• Shangazi (Aunt) or Mjomba (Uncle) sponsorship: $50 or ₤30 per month covers your child's food and vitamins.

• Mzazi (Parent) sponsorship: $75 or ₤50 per month covers the mama's salaries and the child's housing and clothes.

• Shujaa (Hero) sponsorship: $150 or ₤100 per month covers all of the above! Shujaa sponsors can also choose to help cover our administrative and other costs by adding on an additional amount per month.

If you think that you could be a part of helping any of our children, please follow the links provided above in their profiles, or click here to visit our full website with details on all our children. Don't forget, we also have the option to make a one-time donation, just add a note with the name of the child that your money is for.

Thank you from all of us at The Small Things for anything you are able to give to help build a future for these wonderful children.

Board Bio: Bethan Crisp

My name is Bethan Crisp. I am 21 years old and I am currently studying Anthropology at Brunel University in West London.

In the Amazon!

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to pursue my studies and career in Law. That was until I began planning some time out of studying in order to travel to Tanzania. Suddenly, my head was filled with adventure, spontaneity, getting ‘out there’ and experiencing the world, (as cliché as that may sound!)

I visited a few universities  and it was during one visit that the realization fell upon me that spending the next, however many years in a dull, brown bricked classroom, (which is how this one particular Law department looked!) was just not for the person I was becoming.

I changed my course and I could not be happier with my decision. I have been on an inspiring placement to Ecuador where I lived in an indigenous Quichua community in the Amazon for 6 months and the confidence it has given me is brilliant and extremely encouraging.  

Anyway, how did I get to Tanzania? I originally went to Tanzania through the organization “Oyster Worldwide” in September 2010 as part of my gap year between college and university. I taught English at a primary school to a class of 70 students for 6 months, until meeting some amazing volunteers in Nkoaranga, also there through Oyster, who took me on a visit to the Orphanage. I fell in love with the children and from that moment, I just knew it would be impossible for me to keep away.

Big Franky with Pray and Fillipo during music class

Such happy faces make working for The Small Things and being a volunteer at Nkoaranga so rewarding!

I was nervous at first to meet the children. Before Tanzania, I had never really been a ‘children person’ or very natural with babies. The children at Nkoaranga completely changed me. They were so welcoming and full of love that I had no time to be shy. They were just such brilliant characters and made an immediate impression and I suddenly felt like I had come to the place that I was destined to go to since arriving in Tanzania. Something had always been missing and until I met these children at Nkoaranga, I didn’t know what that missing thing was.

This year whilst I was back in Nkoaranga, I saw the arrival of baby Hope. It is a very bitter sweet situation to witness the arrival of a new resident of Nkoaranga Orphanage; to be able to hold and interact with such an amazing form of life but to have to wonder about the tragic circumstances that have brought him or her to us. It was fascinating looking at such a small bundle of 'Hope' in her blankets with her eyes closed and thinking about her future. It was very emotional for me as I stood in the baby room looking over at all of the small, sleeping little people. I can only be glad that they are in a safe place surrounded by love and people who will be there for them for years to come.

Baby Hope in her bundle of blankets, the first day I met her. 

I didn’t expect to become so involved and connected to the orphanage. I think that may have been due to every time in England if I was given a baby to hold, he or she would immediately cry their eyes out! Here, at Nkoaranga, a baby would stop crying and feel content if put into my arms. I felt needed. I felt infinitely responsible to care for them and ensure I could be a part of their lives and a part of giving them a future they deserve; a future that any child deserves.

This is why I now work for The Small Things. It gives me the opportunity to do just that – have the ability to contribute to the livelihoods of these beautiful individuals from England when I can’t physically be there with them. I was first in Tanzania for 10 months and I returned for the Christmas and New Year of 2011. This year, after 18 months, I made my third return and saw such a wonderful difference. Such big, gorgeous, healthy children! I had the opportunity to visit the older school children at USA River Academy who had been at the orphanage on my previous visits. How amazing to see them as such flourishing individuals, learning, happy, running around on the grass together and absorbing life.

Visiting the older children at USA River Academy this year. I first met them in 2011 in Nkoaranga Orphanage. It is so great to be able to see such wonderful, physical changes and pure proof of development.

Life at Nkoaranga Orphanage is tough, to say the least. The mamas and, not forgetting, big Franky, do outstanding work. I'm sure many parents would say that looking after one or two children is hard enough. But imagine two mamas a day with over 20 babies, toddlers and young children craving their attention, not enough toys to go around, or not enough of the same toys to prevent any arguments! Sounds challenging, right? 

Loveness taking care of Isaac. The older children can be so helpful when there aren't enough hands to feed a hungry mouth or to sooth a crying baby.

I grew very fond of big Ebenezer. It seems so ironic for him to now be named 'big' Ebenezer (now that we have another little Ebenezer in the orphanage too,) considering he was so tiny and so sick when I first held him back in 2011. I feared for his life. So to see him again this year was indescribable. He is such a funny boy who absolutely loves a cuddle and although he seems relatively sweet and innocent, he definitely has his cheeky moments! He certainly knows how to win your heart, even after you send him to bed and wait for an apology after he has misbehaved, he quickly makes it up to you with a kiss on the cheek!

A tiny, premature baby, Ebenezer,  who became so sick that it was touch and go as to whether he could pull through. 

....But he did! And he is such a fun, lovable, beautiful and, most importantly, healthy little boy today! 

I love a good challenge and what better motivation to complete one, than to do it for the kids? Upon return from Tanzania my first time, I conducted 'Project Maji' which raised over $1,000 for water filtration systems for the orphanage and hospital. 
Then, I went a step up and in December 2011, planned for myself and 4 other previous Nkoaranga volunteers to jump out of a plane and skydive! I still to this day have no idea how I managed that. I not only have a fear of planes, but also of heights! So if THAT wasn’t a challenge, I don’t know what is!
This April, I also took part and completed a sponsored half marathon in aid of The Small Things. I’m not a huge fan of running, especially a run that goes on for more than 2 hours! But I did it and I would do it all over again for the children.
I am of course now thinking and planning my next challenge; something bigger and better. Ideas are on the cards so you will have to keep a look out to see what I plan to get myself into next time!

Success of Project Maji! Stevie, Andrea and David drinking safe, clean water.

High up in the air! A terrifyingly amazing experience.

At the finish line! My first half marathon which I plan to do again next year and beat my time.

  

There are too many amazing memories of the children and Nkoaranga Orphanage for me to go into here. This is why I would tell you to go to Nkoaranga and experience it for yourself and to make your own memories!

 
I am very grateful to be a part of The Small Things because it allows me to play a part in the continuing development of the present and the future of these children. I am a member of the communications, fundraising and volunteers committees and I love being able to assist and help prepare new volunteers who are set to travel out to Tanzania. I am thankful to have met such devoted people and to work as part of a team where our strength grows immensely due to the support of all of you who take the time to read our blogs, keep updated on the children, provide feedback and donate to our projects.

Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement to The Small Things but also to the steps of my past that led me to where I am today. 

Meeting Daniel

A few weeks ago, myself and a fellow volunteer, Emelie, took a very long, hot and dusty bus ride (13 hours each way!) along the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, through the beautiful Serengeti, passing numerous Maasai villages until we eventually reached the town of Musoma in the very north of Tanzania. We were in search of a boy named Daniel Meshack.

The Serengeti on the bus ride back to Arusha

Lake Victoria in Musoma

Daniel is a 16 year old orphan who suffers from a disability with his legs and struggles greatly when walking. He knows very little about his condition and due to a lack of money, his parents were forced to stop any further treatment after one operation that he had as a child.

He is being sponsored largely by a woman named Susan Green to attend Tabora boy's boarding school, as well as by The Small Things who are assisting in covering the rest of Daniel's school fees. Thanks to some amazing donors and Susan, who read Daniel's story and immediately knew she wanted to make a difference to his life, Daniel has been given a wonderful opportunity for education, and his passion for studying was clear to see during our visit.

This was our chance to meet him for the first time, to see how he is enjoying his new school (which he began in January 2013) and to find out his plans for the future.

He is currently living in a community called Nyakato with a 66 year old lady called Ms. Pelagia. She is a remarkable woman who has taken in many other orphans and children who are in difficult positions, which has led to 16 people living in the household at present. She is referred to as 'Bibi' (grandmother) but is not the biological grandmother of Daniel. Ms. Pelagia saw Daniel on the streets and did not hesitate to take him in and provide shelter and care. It was lovely to see the clear bond that Daniel and Ms. Pelagia share, as well as the help and support she tries her best to give, despite her own difficult living situation.

Daniel using Ms. Pelagia to support his weight as he stood for the photo to be taken

From the outside, the house appeared large with two smaller out-buildings. However, as we walked in we saw the crumbling walls and the bare rooms. It was clear to see that the overall construction was unfinished and not in a very good state. Ms. Pelagia and her husband had to take out a loan in order to build the house but, due to a lack of money, they were unable to complete the building and are now unable to repay the loan.

The main house building

The two outbuildings situated on the right of the main building

The living room

On the other hand, Daniel himself is doing brilliantly! He loves school and is thriving there. Every test paper we saw was graded between 80% and 100%! We were unable to see an official school report as he is still in his first term and will receive the report at the end of term. His favorite subjects are biology, chemistry and physics but his ambition is to become an accountant. We could see his face light up when he spoke about school. It was wonderful to see such a contrast after having to go over the difficult part of speaking about his heartbreaking past.

A variety of Daniel's test papers

One test paper where Daniel scored 100%

Another great test paper! Daniel scored 93 out of 100

Additionally, during the vacation periods from the boarding school, the students usually have to take extra tutoring in order to catch up with any work missed when a teacher at the school has been absent. The tutor has been kind enough to give Daniel a discount because of his condition, but it is still another payment for them that is not easy to find.

Daniel is burdened by his condition but he certainly does not let that stop him.

Instead of one pair of shoes that a Tanzanian would usually make do with for a couple of years, Daniel has to go through at least two pairs a year as they wear away so quickly from the way he has to walk.

Travelling to school at the beginning and end of term isn't straightforward. He cannot walk for long without having to take regular breaks, so he has to take a taxi from home to the bus stand in Musoma, then a bus from Musoma to Mwanza where he then has to stay for the night. His journey continues the next day with another bus ride and a taxi. Transport alone is costly but necessary. It is time consuming yet worth it for the joy and respite that education offers Daniel.

Through this inspiring visit, The Small Things would like to assist Daniel to get a hospital consultation for a thorough checkup of his legs. We would like to see if there is anything that can be done to improve or cure his condition. We also plan on discussing options for helping Ms. Pelagia and the other children that live in the household, perhaps by funding their primary school education. Daniel also has a younger brother of 9 years and a sister of 12 years. One lives in Dodoma and the other lives in Morogoro. Unfortunately, Daniel is unsure of who they are living with as the siblings were all split up when their parents passed away. We would love to try and track them down and to explore the possibilities of reuniting them.

Another child who lives with Daniel. She was intrigued by the camera!

Another child living with Daniel. She shyly came over as she wanted her photo taken too

Daniel has had an extremely hard childhood. He lost both parents in the space of a year, lost a friend named Zackaria who died in an accident when he was helping Daniel find a school, he has lived on the streets finding food remains to live on for six months and, throughout it all, he has had to battle a painful problem with his legs. Despite all of this, his thirst for education and enthusiasm for learning is completely awe inspiring. Daniel is an extremely intelligent boy who has the ability and motivation to succeed. He has another three years of studying at Tabora Boy's School and he then wishes to study at University. If you would like to contribute to his future, please click here to donate for Daniel.

Emelie and I hope to visit Daniel again in a couple of years. This was not just a 'business trip,' it was a very emotional and inspiring visit that touched us both. Meeting Daniel put a lot into perspective for us and those 13 hour bus rides didn't seem worth complaining about after all.

Emelie, Daniel, Ms. Pelagia and Bethan

A letter from Daniel

Time flies!

I can't believe that tomorrow Abdulli will have been at school for a month, and David, Andrea and Pendo will have been at school for a month and a week!  We've been getting regular updates on how they have been getting along, and can't wait to tell you all about it very soon.  For the moment though, rest assured that these little guys have settled in well and are doing just fine!

Andrea fine-tuning his drawing skills before
heading off to school

Meanwhile, back at Nkoaranga orphanage, Vicky is itching to join her big 'brothers' and 'sisters' and get started on her schooling!! You've got a little while to wait yet, Vicky!

Vicky hard at work with her picture book

Just thought this little blog would be a nice place to let you all know how thankful we are for your continued support with Project Education, and your belief that these kids deserve the chance to shine!

THANK YOU!

About us!

The Small Things

a nonprofit working to support the children and 
staff of Nkoaranga Orphanage, Tanzania

and its parent hospital

Ebenezer

Simoni and Zawadi

Peace with his mohawk and James Bond look!

Vicky, who also has a fantastic scowl when grumpy

Isaac being held by Loveness

Gracie and Eman

A quick refresher on what we do, for those who've joined us more recently! 

The Small Things was founded in June, 2011 and since then we have completed several projects aimed to improve, aid and support these beautiful children and the incredible women who care for them...

Project Maji (water)

One of our first projects was installing a well at the orphanage and hospital, since they were without water as much as one day out of three! Since then, we also installed sustainable water filters into the taps in the orphanage kitchen and maternity ward at the hospital, relieving the need to constantly boil water and wait for it to cool.  Clean drinking water is now readily available, meaning the children no longer need to go without when they are thirsty. 

 - Read more about Project Maji here - 

Light Up the Night

The electrical system at the orphanage was old and dangerous - we decided to raise the money rewire the whole orphanage, to prevent a repeat of the short circuit which caused a fire on Valentines Day, 2009, and would have claimed the lives of seven babies had it not been for the heroic efforts of Mama Cantate, one of the women who looks after the children.  In addition, installing solar panels means no more changing nappies by the light of gasoline lamps or candles.

- Read more about Light Up the Night here -

Project Education

Nkoaranga Orphanage only cares for children up until the age of 5.  If they did not have the option to attend school, there future would consist of being shuffled from orphanage to orphanage, and at best, becoming house servants.  The chance to attend school and receive an education really will change their lives! Project Education works with a fantastic sponsorship organisation called The Foundation for Tomorrow which facilitates the children to attend a high quality boarding school, as well as receiving medical care, pastoral support and extracurricular activities.  So far we have helped 7 children to start school!

- Read more about Project Education here - 

Staff

We have a few different projects that support and enrich our staff. We have directly hired four staff members - Mama Linda, who works with the children, Mama Kevin, a cook, and Mamas Agness and Brenda, who keep the orphanage and grounds clean. We've also started paying overtime for extra mamas to come in on the weekends, when there are rarely enough volunteers, and begun a one-to-one care program for premature infants, where an extra mama is hired to work explicitly with a premature infant until they have caught up in weight and health. We additionally provide English courses and run monthly staff-volunteer lunches to encourage communication. We have also provided management training to Mama Pendo, our incredible head mama. We love our staff! 

- Read more about one-to-one care here - 

Community Outreach

It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that's the rationale behind this project. In the summer of 2012, we ran a pilot business education and microgrants program, aimed at helping struggling families in the community providing care for orphaned and vulnerable children. All families in this project were living in dire poverty; in many families one parent had passed away, and in several others the family are caring for orphaned children in addition to their own. It was an amazing experience, and we learned a lot, while helping 14 incredible families. We are currently evaluating our options for future years, as to whether we should continue to run this type of project alone, or whether we would do better to team up with organizations that specialize in this type of work. 

- Read more about the program here - 

We hope you have enjoyed reading about who The Small Things are and some of the things that we do (or at least looking at the pictures!) To get involved, click here, and donate, volunteer, or just help spread the word!

Please join (or like!) us on facebook - HERE!

And if you would like to learn more, we would love to hear from you at info@thesmallthings.org or (firstname)@thesmallthings.org to contact one of us directly.

From all of us at The Small Things...

Thank you!

P.S. Here's a picture of Vicky wearing that scowl I mentioned earlier!

Beaconhurst School supports Project Education

I thought that Christmas Eve would be a lovely time to tell you all about the fantastic success of our Christmas fundraiser carol concert which was run by Beaconhurst School and raised money for Project Education.

Pendo two years ago, and Pendo this Christmas - starting school in January! 

I attended Beaconhurst School from the age of 4 until 18 so I have many fond memories of it.  The school has a fantastic music and drama department and I enjoyed taking part in many musicals and concerts during my time there.  My mum is a teacher at the school, and it was on her suggestion that I approached Mr Bain – the head of music at Beaconhurst School – in late May about the possibility of the school holding a concert to raise money for The Small Things.  Although I knew that the term calendar would already be very full with other exciting things, I trusted her advice and asked Mr Bain what he thought.  To my delight he was extremely enthusiastic and supportive of the idea and suggested that he organise a Christmas Carol Service in which many pupils from the school would take part! 

David this Christmas, starting school in January!

David when we started work with Nkoaranga

The concert was held in Dunblane Cathedral on 13^th of December and included a range of different music performed by pupils and teachers of all ages.  We organised a slideshow of pictures of the kids and mamas from Nkoaranga Orphanage to play before the concert began, to give the audience an idea of who the concert was raising money for.  Both the junior and senior choirs performed, and the audience also enjoyed listening to duets, ensembles and solos.  After a short speech which told them a bit more about the The Small Things and the work we do, the audience tucked into some mince pies and mulled wine during the interval.  One of the highlights of the evening was the more light hearted sing-off between the two sides of the audience: one side sang ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas’ with great gusto, whilst the other side were determined to out-sing them with the less well known ‘Pine Cones and Holly Berries’!

I wish to say a huge thank you to everyone who made the concert such a success.  I want to thank my family so much for all their support of the concert.  I also want to extend a special thank you to all the staff at Beaconhurst School who were involved in organising the concert – I know from experience how much effort goes into such an event, and without their hard work it just wouldn't have happened.  And of course, a massive thank you needs to go to all the pupils who performed so fantastically on the night!  Finally, thank you to everyone who came to support Beaconhurst School and The Small Things – I cannot thank you enough.

Tumaini  with Baba Christmas 2 years ago

Christmas Tumaini this year, about to
 start her third year with TFFT!

The final amount which was raised was over £1000 which was incredible!  The exact figure is still to be confirmed, but I will let you know as soon as I can.  All proceeds will go to Project Education, which will allow four of our beautiful children to begin school this January (less than a month to go!).  I am so lucky that I will be returning to Nkoaranga Orphanage in time to see Pendo, David, Abdulli and Andrea start school with The Foundation for Tomorrow.  It is because of everyone who has supported Project Education that this can happen, so I just want to finish by thanking you all for giving these children the change to become the incredible young people that they are meant to be.

From all The Small Things' board members, and on behalf of the Mamas and kids (who had an amazing time with Baba Christmas today, and are looking forward to their Christmas meal tomorrow!) of Nkoaranga Orphanage, I wish you all a very happy Christmas!