Our summer in the northern hemisphere is Tanzania’s “winter,” and students returned from their winter break on July 5.
Their welcome back was marked by a host of activities including life skills training, health education, a trip to Moshi where the Faraja School Choir performed at the invitation of the World Deaconic Meeting, U.S. visitors to Faraja and, of course, their studies.
In the photo above, students and staff return to school and meet their brand new wheelchairs and crutches fitted to accommodate their growing bodies.
Faraja students have become especially proficient and creative in their craftsmanship, thanks to the vocational training emphasized by school principal Tumsifu and staff, and supported by our Faraja donor community.
Alabama resident Tom Gross (pictured above with family) also admires their beadwork.
Tom learned of Faraja through the website Generous Giving, which featured a documentary on Dave Tolmie continuing the family legacy of Don and Joann. Tom was so moved by the mission of Faraja, he, his wife, and three teenagers dedicated a day of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to spending time with our staff and students.
We are truly humbled by those who visit Tanzania to see the country’s extraordinary natural beauty also taking the time to meet its extraordinary people in a way that is intimate and profoundly impactful.
Next month, Faraja will be welcoming 25 visitors from the Chicago area who will spend the day in hands-on activities with the students during Career Camp. We can’t wait to greet them!
Welcome Back also included students and staff traveling to the World Deaconic Meeting in Moshi, where the Faraja School Choir was invited to perform for an audience of more than 250 deacons and deaconesses. The theme of the assembly was “Dancing the Faith – Drumming up Hope.” The Faraja Choir is the only traveling disabled children’s choir in Kilimanjaro, and are often invited to perform at special events.
Faraja Forward on the Road
Faraja Forward Mobile Outreach Clinic led by Executive Director Jane Lyayuka (first row center) continues its precedent-setting work in the rural and far-rural villages of Tanzania, where few have gone before.
Providing medical intervention, parent and community health worker training in disability management, and pyscho-social support to caregivers, the team is also forming coalitions with other NGOs to encourage more robust government response to the circumstances of the disabled.
The team revisits Angela, a disabled child at risk of severe malnutrition. Her caregiver was taught how to hold and feed her, leading to marked improvement in her condition.
Thanks to Faraja Forward, Elia receives his assistive devices, which will strengthen his muscles, improve his limb function, and promote his ability to walk by himself. This intervention also relieves Elia’s mother from having to hold him all day, enabling her to participate in economic activities to feed her family. We know that this work is multi-dimensional: When disability is addressed, poverty is reduced, mental health is strengthened, communities are uplifted, and human dignity is upheld.
YOU, our compassionate and caring community of friends in the United States and across borders, make this work possible. As always, we can’t thank you enough for lifting up children with special needs. They need us and we need your support to continue this work.
Have a happy and healthy Labor Day holiday!
Thank you for all you do.
