siku ya maji salama (clean water day)

focus is good.  our team’s water project has narrowed in on a community in dar es salaam that suffers from water borne illnesses, especially during rainy season when rain water overflows everything including the public septic tanks. the community is kigogo and today we spent our saturday afternoon there. but we (our team) were not alone – which emphasizes one of the many significant aspects of the day — the involvement of our church members. 

nearly sixty children arrived on the scene, ready to partake in every activity we had to offer – from balloon-tossing to the tunes of michael jackson to slurping down maji salama and lots of dancing and laughter. they had a great time!

the other tent was full of people interested in learning more about how the water filter works. nixon did a great job, as always, taking time to talk to people and demonstrating how the filter makes it is possible and more affordable to have maji salama without boiling water everyday.

people know us in kigogo and that is a good feeling; when we packed up our tents and water balloons today they knew we would be back. we are building relationships through clean water, economic development and time spent together in the sun on a steamy saturday afternoon in dar.

Girl Scouts Treat Tanzania

 

This entry is long overdue. Erika (a former student of mine at Thomas Worthington) and her generous Girl Scout troop made a few days in July very sweet for the boys living in the DYOC (Dar es Salaam Youth Olympic Center) hostel.

As previous readers may know, DYOC exists to develop youth through football (soccer for our fellow Americans), it also helps find funding for over 30 children’s education, and 22 children of the 120 that are a part of DYOC live in the hostel.  The hostel provides shelter and direction for these 22 youth who are either orphans or their parents are not able to provide for them.

 I don’t think any of these boys had ever experienced the small pleasure of a Thin Mint.  Thank you all so much for your generosity.  

Through the process of sending these cookies you were also educated on the cost of mailing a parcel internationally.  Those were some very expensive cookies! But they were an unexpected treat for the boys.  Thank you so much.

 I have included some pictures from the day I brought the cookies to the hostel. I hope these help to give you a small glimpse of what life is like for these young men.

 Thank you again Erika! 

 

doing laundry after school

 

the hostel jiko (kitchen)

 

view from the back porch of the hostel

ready for football practice

 

hostel director, me, and the youngest boy at the hostel