Update Letter - Halfway Point

Jambo from Tanzania!

I am about halfway through my stay here, and I wish to update you about the amazing progress in two short weeks.

I have spent my time at the Tuamke Orphanage. All orphans live with either grandparents or older siblings, therefore the orphanage doesn’t actually house the children. It serves more so as a school for orphaned children, specifically children who have lost both of their parents to HIV.

It is a small , two classroom, cement building. There are three classes for children ages 4 to 9. The younger students are grouped into 1 classroom, while the 8 and 9 year olds are in the other. Since the orphanage opened just over a year ago, they have only had one teacher for the 3 classes. She had to run back and forth between the 2 classrooms and attempt to teach all 3 classes (35 students) at once.

They needed a lot of help, and I am thankful for being placed in a spot where I can be used so thoroughly. I now teach the older kids, and the staffed teacher works with the younger. In addition to their dire need of teachers, I saw many other projects in desperate need of an answer.

The kids have about an hour break each day. We would send them outside to play, however there was no place to play except for a dusty alleyway. In back there was a large plot of land, but it was completely grown over with trees, bushes, weeds, and most sadly tons of garbage. It took a stretch of imagination to ever picture it a place where kids could play, but with the students help it became a reality. Now we play futbol everyday and the kids can actually work up a sweat.

During week two we took the initiative to repair the desks. Just about every single one of them was on the verge of collapse. It was disastrous. The kids couldn’t sit still if they tried because the whole desk seemed like ocean waves. Many of you, when you chose to support me, commented that you wished you could give more, or that you knew it wasn’t much. I spent $8 for a hammer and nails. You can’t even imagine the difference it has made. So I assure you that every little bit goes a LONG ways here. So thank you.

It’s now week three, and I can’t wait to see what’s next. I love teaching, although it’s a tremendous challenge to teach orphaned children English. I love teaching because the kids love that I am there. I love it because I’m convinced it’s making a longer impact than fixing desks and building a field. However, I have plans to continue to make the orphanage more practical and a better place to learn. The next task at hand is chalkboards.

In my classroom there is an old chalkboard that, if you’ve seen pictures, is a sight for sore eyes. It’s been so deeply used that it’s difficult to see what’s even written on it. It also sits on the floor, so anyone other than the first row can’t see the lower half without getting out of their desk and walking to the front. Then, as I realized last week when fixing the desks, there isn’t even a chalkboard in that classroom. So this coming week we’ll use the left over hammer and nails to build stands, and bring in new chalkboards.

It’s been fun, too, to get the chance to visit a few other placements that other volunteers are at. On Wednesday I visited the Faraja Center for Orphaned Children. They were a far more developed orphanage, with a full staff or cooks, maintenance men, and teachers. They had a relatively strong set of resources; crayons, markers, games, etc. Not much by US standards, but compared to Tuamke, where the only resources we have is what I pick up at the store before arriving in the morning, they have a lot.

On Friday I visited what is commonly called ‘The Widows Project’. This was a show put on every Friday by a group of widows in a nearby village. They have all kinds of animals to go around and see, as well as an African Band, traditional African dances, and an acrobat show. It was started recently with the help of volunteers. People pay to get in, and they also serve food and drink to raise money. It’s a beautiful project because it has made them self-sufficient. The money raised goes 70% to widows who have lost their husbands to HIV, and 30% to the local orphanage. It has caused me to consider ways I can help Tuamke one day become self-sufficient.

To recap the three principles I originally set out for:

I am strongly encouraged by the way we have been able to impact the Tuamke orphanage. Everyday when I get home I am completely drained of physical energy, but so filled with emotional and spiritual energy. I love the kids and am truly going to miss them when I leave.

I have had so many great conversations with other volunteers. Originally I wanted to move to the volunteer house where there are 20 other volunteers. However, being at the homestay has allowed me to really invest in the two other guys, Jeff and Shane, that I have lived with the past 2 weeks. Jeff left last night, and 3 new people arrived. There are now five of us total. It’s such a unique experience because all five of us are from different countries (US, Canada, Sweden, England, and Australia). We already had some great conversation last night.

My inner peace; I feel I have been internally challenged in so many directions. Being alone so much has done nothing but encourage me to talk to God more. I am more comfortable than I ever was with just being myself. I couldn’t help but smile yesterday when one of the newbies asked me what there is to do once you get back from placement. “You mean other than just love life” was the only way I could think to respond.

Thanks to my home Pastor of Missions, I’ve added a fourth principle. He mentioned, and I agree, that so many of us go to a country like Africa and assume we are going only to help them. He asked me, “Andrew, how are you ready to receive love while you are there?“ We have the American mindset that they need us more than we need them. It’s not true, there is so much love we can receive from them if we are willing to accept it.

I can’t thank you enough for helping send me here. I really believe, and I hope you do too, that this will make a lasting impact on Africa, as well as all the many other nations involved in this program. God Bless, and I’ll see you soon!

Love,
Andrew