A Dad Reflects on His Spring 2025 Trip to Faraja by David Vermylen, Vice Chair, Faraja Fund Foundation
Years in the making, I finally got to travel to Faraja with my daughter Katie Hartman, the mother of four young children, each of whom sponsor a Faraja student.
Katie’s husband Joe is a very busy surgeon, thus a trip like this was always difficult to envision… but it finally happened. Traveling with us was Dave Tolmie, our foundation chair who has known Katie since she was 10, and Jon Wasson, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest and a close friend of Katie and her husband. So, Katie didn’t have to rely on just her father to ensure a safe trip. (We also met up at the school with Faraja board member Debi Swanson, who hand-delivered all your sponsor letters.)
Katie knows a lot about Faraja, but until you visit the school you never really know how special it is. For those of us who have been there many times, our visits are always a source of renewed inspiration to continue our mission. Soon after we arrived at the school Katie was surrounded by children who clearly felt a young mother in their presence. They followed her everywhere, holding her hand, sitting with her and playing together on the playground. I could see that she was in a very happy place.
Katie also participated in the business side of Faraja as we both sat with our nurse and physical therapist reviewing planned surgeries, critical equipment needs, and what we can do to take the children’s health care to a higher level. Katie was viewing this through the prism of a mom (we need to do this!) rather than me (but can we afford to do this?).
We need to do it and we will.
Katie came well armed with tons of small gifts for the children. A highlight was on Saturday night when she had brought along balloons that light up which when used in tandem with a few hundred glow sticks—along with the lights off and the music on high—created total pandemonium. She really saw that these are happy children who are well loved by the staff and their schoolmates.
Katie also saw the harsh reality of Tanzania, one of the poorest countries on earth. We visited families living in mud or stick huts who have severely disabled children with no access to medical care and no clean water or electricity. Without saying a word, I could see an OMG look in her eyes. Katie has lived in affluent communities all her life and while we have often talked about this poverty, seeing it first hand can be shocking. I’ve seen this many times and it still affects me… and inspires me.
Anyone who visits Tanzania for a safari should see this side of the country, plus visit Faraja to see that help exists.
Traveling with Katie was a great gift for me, as how often can a dad spend one week one-on-one with a daughter once they have their own family? I’m quite sure this trip will make her an even better mom, as she has seen how blessed her children are to live where they do.
Meet the Dads of Faraja
Baba Tumsifu Munuo, Head of Faraja Primary School
Dave Tolmie, Faraja Fund Foundation Board Chair (5th from right)
Mitch Engel, Faraja Fund Foundation Board Member (bottom right)
Paul Tolmie, Faraja Fund Foundation Secretary/Treasurer
Rev. Clint Roberts, Faraja Fund Foundation Board Member (top right)
John Tolmie, Faraja Fund Foundation Vice President (first row center)
David Vermylen, Faraja Fund Foundation Vice Chair
Don Tolmie, co-founder, Faraja Primary School for Children with Physical Disabilities
June 21,1928 – May 26, 2020
This newsletter is dedicated to Pastor Laban Isack Kileo, a father to all Faraja’s children.
Pastor Laban Kileo served the Faraja School and its children since the very beginning in 1999. His formal roles have, at various times, included school chaplain, teacher, and head teacher. But more than this, Pastor Kileo has been the heart and soul of Faraja. He loved the children deeply and conveyed God‘s love for them as well. Recently, School Director Tumsifu Munuo and many members of the school staff visited Pastor Kileo’s home, in effect to say goodbye. The Pastor’s kidneys had failed and he was surrounded by his loving wife Dena and his adult children, Emmanuel, Jerome and Beatrice. This extended family will continue to honor Pastor Kileo’s memory, together and in the future.
Pastor Kileo was also beloved by those of us in America who were blessed to know him. His humility and compassion were traits we all admired. Pastor Kileo appeared in many of our earliest Faraja videos and he coined the phrase “disability is not inability”. While the school will continue to thrive despite his passing, his spirit and impact on the Faraja School will never be forgotten.
Happy Father’s Day to All!
Help Faraja stay strong for the children!
Donating online is quick and easy. Your gifts are directed to the education and health care needs of disabled Tanzanian children who have access to neither.
As always, THANK YOU for your support!
Disability is NOT Inability!