Christmas 2015!!
It has been another incredible year at Tumaini and as usual there are countless people to thank. Rosie will complete secondary school next year and Omari the year after and have excelled at their studies. Omari was just awarded certificates in Biology and Geography for maintaining the top marks in the school for four years straight! As you know, Raymond graduated from the University of Dodoma and has chosen to join Oddo and I here as a part of Tumaini’s administration and he is settling in to his training and the children adore him. Don’t say anything but I do too!
We gained enormous fundraising support from Dada Holly Gleason in the U.S. and Tumaini Holland this year and are taking delivery of a new (to us) Land Cruiser any day now.The Rotary Club of Simcoe Along with Dave Egles of Home Energy Systems in Canada and Hanwha Canada have provided the funding/panels/parts and installation of a supplemental solar array which is now here at Tumaini and waiting for installation in January!
And Dada Tine from Belgium and her family have provided the funding for the purchase of five beautiful acres where we can build our new home! Tumaini Australia donated 10,000 dollars which is being used to fund closing costs and to allow us continue moving forward with construction. Further support is coming through Rotary International, Tumaini Holland and Tumaini U.S.A. and for all of these gifts we just have no words to best express our thanks. Our children are healthy for the most part. HIV issues are controlled and everyone continues to grow and develop. English is heard everywhere now at Tumaini and the children’s mixture of Kiswenglish is a wonderful reminder of our efforts to allow our children the best educations we can provide.
We were robbed at gunpoint recently which has sent us into a whirlwind of increased security and we now look for a sponsor to help with increased security at a cost of $375.00 monthly. We are looking for two new, or relatively new laptop computers with good batteries (no electricity) to assist our Social Welfare Officers here in Meru District. They are sorely needed and terribly underfunded and we’d like to help them out if possible.
We are working with a wonderful Architect from neighbouring Moshi who is helping formalize our vision for our new Tumaini and we need to thank Village Chairman for Nshupu “Baba Maziwa” for all of his help. Thank you to friends for your support of Mary and her send off celebration and pending marriage (December 29th). We send our best wishes for much happiness! We are well. We are busy and it is REALLY hot here. I understand from Valerie’s Facebook post that we will have a green Christmas in Canada. I have posted recent photos of our adventures on Instagram (Tumaini_mama_dee).
We would like to wish each and every supporter of Tumaini a very Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy new year. We will eat kuku (chicken) tomorrow with thanks to Baba Vita (Cal Clark) and we hope he is feeling better after his accident. We will enjoy ice cream compliments of Rebecca McCann (Australia). It will be pistachio tomorrow with our freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Mama Joan Malo, thank you for helping with the rest of our Christmas dinner needs in your love filled Christmas card. Thank you to Peter for you know what, and to Amanda and Steve and everyone who helped get everything we needed over here, especially after the robbery. Thank you to EVERYONE who has taken a turn (or two or three) at our Panorama Christmas Booth and to Cambridge Moksha Yoga for SOOOOO many goodies sent our way. Thank you to friends and sponsors and donors who continue to love us year after year. Brenda C. Steve told me you stopped by to ensure we didn’t miss a support check. Thank you so much for that.
We wish everyone a happy holiday. We are well here and full of love and the Christmas spirit and hope that you are also. Merry, Merry Christmas with love and a heart full of thanks from all of us here at Tumaini!!