Thursday, September 01, 2005
It is hard to listen to the BBC and hear the increasingly dire news from the Gulf Coast and especially New Orleans. I'm told that the TV pictures are very graphic and just awful. It all makes me feel so very far away.
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Oh my. I looked up Tini Bennett on Google to see if I could find contact information for her and keep in touch regarding the school she is starting at Starehe. Yes: She has her resume there and it focuses on her feelings about Africa and Starehe and what she has and will accomplish there. I include it here, because in it she is so exquisite in describing what Starehe is and does.
Name: Kristina BennettSchool: Atlanta International School, USAYear of graduation: 1998
My name is Kristina Bennett. I graduated from the Atlanta International School in 1998. After attending University in London, England, and graduating with a primary teaching qualification I fulfilled a life long dream by moving to Africa. In August 2002 I arrived in Mwanza, Tanzania to begin teaching six-year-old children at Isamilo International School.
I love teaching, and Isamilo is a fantastic school, but since it mainly caters to expatriate children or very wealthy families, I wanted to get involved in local projects to actually make my ‘African experience’ more meaningful. Isamilo School runs a project called Saturday Club. It is a club that was initiated by one of the teachers several years ago and was designed to provide some sort of education for street children and AIDS orphans. Every Saturday we have about 70 children that come to our school for one hour of English lessons. Most of these children are street children or AIDS orphans raising younger siblings, and who thus never had the opportunity to go to school. Some of the teachers and the older pupils at school teach them English and then they have free roam of the facilities, including the pool and the soccer field and the basketball court.
I teach six kids - actually they aren’t really kids. They don’t live like children and are all taller than me (about two feet taller!). Some work as cleaners or gardeners and others are farmers. Most though have no jobs and survive by doing odd jobs or begging. Their English is very basic, but they study hard and will remember everything mentioned in the lessons. Their goal is to learn enough English to be employed by some of the expatriates as a driver or guard or by one of the English speaking companies. Learning English seems to be the key to accomplish something in life here in Tanzania.
Working at Saturday Club has been quite depressing at times. The children really don’t have anything and work so hard, yet life is everything but easy for them. Some of the kids live on the streets and can be seen begging around shops in the evening. They seem to have enough to eat, but very little else.
On the other hand Saturday Club is one of the best things here for me. I really enjoy most of it because the children are so appreciative and enjoy being at school so much. Swimming after the English lessons is really the highlight, as they all jump in (none of them can swim!) and have the time of their lives. If one of us goes in with them, usually about 30 kids will pile on top of you or try to hold your hand, all the while screaming ‘teacher, teacher!’ It really is so much fun and I hope that it will help these children accomplish what they are aiming for.
Another project I am involved in, and which seems to take up most evenings and the rest of the weekend, is volunteering at Starehe Orphanage. It is a local orphanage run by a Canadian couple that provides a home for about 85 children.
The orphanage is split into two houses, one for the older children (six years and up) and one for the babies and toddlers. There is one adult that lives with the older children, yet the children are entirely self-sufficient. They cook their own food, wash their own clothes and clean their own living space. The older ones are very protective of the younger ones and there seems to be a very family-like relationship among them. They have rather nice buildings (sponsored by a Canadian church), yet again, little else. I think they may have one soccer ball, but that’s pretty much it. Most of the older children go to an English speaking school, but the fees are too high and thus some only go every other term. Not one of them goes to secondary school as those fees are even higher.
When I go to Starehe I spend most of my time with the babies though. They seem to need it much more than the older ones, as they have largely become used to the fact that they don’t have their own families and thus rely on each other for support. The atmosphere in the baby section is very different. Many of the children have only recently lost their mothers and thus miss the affection and attention that she may have provided. They can be seen babbling ‘mama, mama, mama’ and are on the constant lookout for her.
Many of them are also still suffering the affects of having lived in very poor and desperate conditions, so that they are still recovering from malnourishment and medical needs that they acquired through poor hygiene and diet. Some of the babies are very sick. There was one little boy called Kevin who had sickle cell anemia. Diseases like that aren’t treated in Africa, especially not in children that are suspected to have AIDS, and most children die very young. He passed away just days before his first birthday and still weighed less than ten pounds. Seeing him die was among the hardest things I have ever had to endure.
Kevin’s twin sister on the other hand looks very healthy and is the sunshine among the babies. She cries very little and always smiles. Her babbling is unstoppable and I dare anyone not to fall in love with her.
There is another child, called Hamisa, who has cerebral palsy and again doesn’t receive the proper medical attention or physiotherapy. I didn’t realize that children who have this disease (to the degree to which she has it) are still so responsive. It was difficult to tell at first, but now I find it very easy to detect her moods. She has also perfected the use of her left leg, as a means to make herself clearly understood…if she doesn’t like something or someone, she has an evil kick that will usually take care of things. She also uses it to gain attention and I often have a little left foot poking my side if I have neglected to play and joke with her first. She has come a long way since I first started going to Starehe. She tries very hard and spends long hours trying to grasp a single thing. She tries relentlessly and if she does manage to maneuver the desired item she shrieks in excitement. Yesterday I watched her for two hours trying to pick up a sock. It was too large for her to grasp, but her hard work paid off and she eventually managed to move it ten centimeters to the left, which overjoyed her. Hamisa's determination is really admirable.
There are so many other stories - some sad, some happy. Some children obviously suffer more than others, and thus need more love and attention. The nurses who take care of them are very nice, but as they also come from pretty poor living conditions, they don’t really see that these children need even more than they are providing for them.
At the end of the day they have a roof over their heads, clean clothes, and food. With the money that our fundraising has generated we have been able to improve a lot of things. All the children now go to school. Previously funds had run out and so the children were taking turns. Additionally we have been able to persuade a kind Dutch doctor to come to Starehe and look at most of the children who had some sort of ailment. I have been able to buy medicines from the funds and all the children now get vitamins every day and fresh milk twice a week. It seems like very little but it is the little things that make the difference and help these children.
I love going to the orphanage. It is heart-wrenching sometimes, as I just want to take them all home with me, but I guess I put a smile on their faces every time I go and that has to be enough for now.
So that’s what I do when I’m not dillydallying around the market, taking trips to Zanzibar, or teaching at school. The more time I spend in Tanzania, the more I see myself drawn to these projects. Teaching is wonderful but I have to admit that the highlight of my day comes when I get to Starehe and from every corner children start running towards me screaming my name and looking absolutely overjoyed. I love it there, and I wish you could all see the kids. They truly melt hearts with their big brown eyes and warm smiles.
I knew that coming to Africa would have a big impact. I never expected it to be as it is. Most days I love it, but when my children get ill, or I have malaria, or the power and water gets cut for a week I find staying positive very difficult. Despite everything I feel very fortunate to have experienced this. I will remember these children for the rest of my life and hope that I have made a positive impact on their little lives. They certainly have on mine.
If you or someone you know would like to learn more about my fundraising you could contact me at tinibennett@yahoo.com . I have also set up an account in the US for Starehe Children’s Home and checks can be sent to Tini Bennett, 31 Winghaven Lane, Fort Pierce Florida, 34949 (made payable to Starehe Children’s Home). Pictures of Starehe can be found at Http://www.ambeny.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
** **** **
Oh my. I looked up Tini Bennett on Google to see if I could find contact information for her and keep in touch regarding the school she is starting at Starehe. Yes: She has her resume there and it focuses on her feelings about Africa and Starehe and what she has and will accomplish there. I include it here, because in it she is so exquisite in describing what Starehe is and does.
Name: Kristina BennettSchool: Atlanta International School, USAYear of graduation: 1998
My name is Kristina Bennett. I graduated from the Atlanta International School in 1998. After attending University in London, England, and graduating with a primary teaching qualification I fulfilled a life long dream by moving to Africa. In August 2002 I arrived in Mwanza, Tanzania to begin teaching six-year-old children at Isamilo International School.
I love teaching, and Isamilo is a fantastic school, but since it mainly caters to expatriate children or very wealthy families, I wanted to get involved in local projects to actually make my ‘African experience’ more meaningful. Isamilo School runs a project called Saturday Club. It is a club that was initiated by one of the teachers several years ago and was designed to provide some sort of education for street children and AIDS orphans. Every Saturday we have about 70 children that come to our school for one hour of English lessons. Most of these children are street children or AIDS orphans raising younger siblings, and who thus never had the opportunity to go to school. Some of the teachers and the older pupils at school teach them English and then they have free roam of the facilities, including the pool and the soccer field and the basketball court.
I teach six kids - actually they aren’t really kids. They don’t live like children and are all taller than me (about two feet taller!). Some work as cleaners or gardeners and others are farmers. Most though have no jobs and survive by doing odd jobs or begging. Their English is very basic, but they study hard and will remember everything mentioned in the lessons. Their goal is to learn enough English to be employed by some of the expatriates as a driver or guard or by one of the English speaking companies. Learning English seems to be the key to accomplish something in life here in Tanzania.
Working at Saturday Club has been quite depressing at times. The children really don’t have anything and work so hard, yet life is everything but easy for them. Some of the kids live on the streets and can be seen begging around shops in the evening. They seem to have enough to eat, but very little else.
On the other hand Saturday Club is one of the best things here for me. I really enjoy most of it because the children are so appreciative and enjoy being at school so much. Swimming after the English lessons is really the highlight, as they all jump in (none of them can swim!) and have the time of their lives. If one of us goes in with them, usually about 30 kids will pile on top of you or try to hold your hand, all the while screaming ‘teacher, teacher!’ It really is so much fun and I hope that it will help these children accomplish what they are aiming for.
Another project I am involved in, and which seems to take up most evenings and the rest of the weekend, is volunteering at Starehe Orphanage. It is a local orphanage run by a Canadian couple that provides a home for about 85 children.
The orphanage is split into two houses, one for the older children (six years and up) and one for the babies and toddlers. There is one adult that lives with the older children, yet the children are entirely self-sufficient. They cook their own food, wash their own clothes and clean their own living space. The older ones are very protective of the younger ones and there seems to be a very family-like relationship among them. They have rather nice buildings (sponsored by a Canadian church), yet again, little else. I think they may have one soccer ball, but that’s pretty much it. Most of the older children go to an English speaking school, but the fees are too high and thus some only go every other term. Not one of them goes to secondary school as those fees are even higher.
When I go to Starehe I spend most of my time with the babies though. They seem to need it much more than the older ones, as they have largely become used to the fact that they don’t have their own families and thus rely on each other for support. The atmosphere in the baby section is very different. Many of the children have only recently lost their mothers and thus miss the affection and attention that she may have provided. They can be seen babbling ‘mama, mama, mama’ and are on the constant lookout for her.
Many of them are also still suffering the affects of having lived in very poor and desperate conditions, so that they are still recovering from malnourishment and medical needs that they acquired through poor hygiene and diet. Some of the babies are very sick. There was one little boy called Kevin who had sickle cell anemia. Diseases like that aren’t treated in Africa, especially not in children that are suspected to have AIDS, and most children die very young. He passed away just days before his first birthday and still weighed less than ten pounds. Seeing him die was among the hardest things I have ever had to endure.
Kevin’s twin sister on the other hand looks very healthy and is the sunshine among the babies. She cries very little and always smiles. Her babbling is unstoppable and I dare anyone not to fall in love with her.
There is another child, called Hamisa, who has cerebral palsy and again doesn’t receive the proper medical attention or physiotherapy. I didn’t realize that children who have this disease (to the degree to which she has it) are still so responsive. It was difficult to tell at first, but now I find it very easy to detect her moods. She has also perfected the use of her left leg, as a means to make herself clearly understood…if she doesn’t like something or someone, she has an evil kick that will usually take care of things. She also uses it to gain attention and I often have a little left foot poking my side if I have neglected to play and joke with her first. She has come a long way since I first started going to Starehe. She tries very hard and spends long hours trying to grasp a single thing. She tries relentlessly and if she does manage to maneuver the desired item she shrieks in excitement. Yesterday I watched her for two hours trying to pick up a sock. It was too large for her to grasp, but her hard work paid off and she eventually managed to move it ten centimeters to the left, which overjoyed her. Hamisa's determination is really admirable.
There are so many other stories - some sad, some happy. Some children obviously suffer more than others, and thus need more love and attention. The nurses who take care of them are very nice, but as they also come from pretty poor living conditions, they don’t really see that these children need even more than they are providing for them.
At the end of the day they have a roof over their heads, clean clothes, and food. With the money that our fundraising has generated we have been able to improve a lot of things. All the children now go to school. Previously funds had run out and so the children were taking turns. Additionally we have been able to persuade a kind Dutch doctor to come to Starehe and look at most of the children who had some sort of ailment. I have been able to buy medicines from the funds and all the children now get vitamins every day and fresh milk twice a week. It seems like very little but it is the little things that make the difference and help these children.
I love going to the orphanage. It is heart-wrenching sometimes, as I just want to take them all home with me, but I guess I put a smile on their faces every time I go and that has to be enough for now.
So that’s what I do when I’m not dillydallying around the market, taking trips to Zanzibar, or teaching at school. The more time I spend in Tanzania, the more I see myself drawn to these projects. Teaching is wonderful but I have to admit that the highlight of my day comes when I get to Starehe and from every corner children start running towards me screaming my name and looking absolutely overjoyed. I love it there, and I wish you could all see the kids. They truly melt hearts with their big brown eyes and warm smiles.
I knew that coming to Africa would have a big impact. I never expected it to be as it is. Most days I love it, but when my children get ill, or I have malaria, or the power and water gets cut for a week I find staying positive very difficult. Despite everything I feel very fortunate to have experienced this. I will remember these children for the rest of my life and hope that I have made a positive impact on their little lives. They certainly have on mine.
If you or someone you know would like to learn more about my fundraising you could contact me at tinibennett@yahoo.com . I have also set up an account in the US for Starehe Children’s Home and checks can be sent to Tini Bennett, 31 Winghaven Lane, Fort Pierce Florida, 34949 (made payable to Starehe Children’s Home). Pictures of Starehe can be found at Http://www.ambeny.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
