Hearts in Unity

Hearts in Unity: Fair Trade for Tanzania

2011-09-11T17:01:00.003-05:00

Mark your calendars!

You can help the children of Tanzania by simply shopping for yourself and for your family and friends.

And isn't now the perfect time to start thinking about holiday gifts?

On Saturday, October 8th, "Fair Trade for All" will donate 10% of all sales at their Wauwatosa (WI) retail store to purchase textbooks and school supplies for the children in Seela, Tanzania.

"Fair Trade for All" (8730 W. North Avenue, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA) carries a unique selection of socially responsible, eco-friendly gifts, clothing, jewelry, home decor, coffee, chocolate, baskets, music and more from 40+ countries around the world, including Tanzania.

October is Fair Trade month!

Shop at "Fair Trade for All" between 10am and 6pm on Saturday, October 8, and the treasures you buy will in turn be a blessing for the children of Tanzania!

Vote For Your Favorite Calendar Photos!

2011-09-03T21:31:00.003-05:00

Our "Hearts in Unity" 2012 Tanzania Photo Calendar is nearly ready for production.

All that remains is to select the final 12 photos to be featured on the pages of the calendar. We've narrowed down the selection of our 10,000+ "Life in Tanzania" photos to just 40, and this is where we need your help!

Please go to www.heartsinunity.org/vote.pdf to view the photos.

Choose your favorite photos (up to 12) and email a list of the numbers of your favorite photos back to us.

When all votes have been tallied, we'll finalize the production of the calendar. It promises to be a beautiful representation of the lives of the children who are being fed, clothed and educated through the generosity of all who support the mission of Hearts in Unity.

Vote now! Ask your friends to vote!

Voting will be open until September 30, 2011!
And -- As a special incentive to vote now, one voter will be selected, at random, to receive a FREE copy of the calendar after it is produced. There is one chance of winning per email address.

Did we remember to ask you to vote now?

Postcards from Tanzania

2011-07-31T20:51:00.006-05:00

Our "Postcards from Tanzania" project is back!

Donate just $5 to purchase school supplies for a child in Tanzania, and receive a POSTCARD with a hand written "thank you" directly from the Tanzanian child who received your gift of school supplies.

Click HERE for more information about how you can receive your own postcard directly from a Tanzanian child.

Hearts in Unity: Coming together for At-Risk Children in Tanzania

2011-04-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

To learn more about the mission of Hearts in Unity, please read the wonderful article written by our friends and partners at Vivanista!

Hearts in Unity: Coming together for At-Risk Children in Tanzania

Share the Love!

2011-03-09T15:05:00.005-06:00

Do you have a little extra love in your heart to share with an orphan or other at-risk child in Tanzania?

Sharing your simple words of friendship and encouragement on a postcard can make a greater impact that you could ever imagine.

And now it's even easier to be a part of Hearts in Unity's ongoing "Message from the Heart" program to bring smiles to thousands of children in Tanzania, Africa.

Our new "postcards" can be printed directly from our website at: www.heartsinunity.org/postcards.pdf

Decorating and writing notes on these postcards makes for a wonderful service project for both adults and youth, and for both individuals and groups at schools, churches, etc.

When your postcards/notes are ready, just mail them to Hearts in Unity and we will then send them to the children in our Tanzanian villages of Seela (on Mt. Meru) and Mwika (on Mt. Kilimanjaro).

Have questions about participating in this project?

Learn more about this project at www.heartsinunity.org/postcards.pdf or send us a MESSAGE and we'll help you get started!

Help Us Win $1,000 With Your Click!

2011-02-08T22:50:00.006-06:00

Your vote for our "Hearts in Unity" photo in the "Share the Love of Philanthropy" photo contest sponsored by Vivanista will help "Hearts in Unity" to win $1,000 for our mission to help feed children in Tanzania.

It costs you nothing to vote, but we can't win the $1,000 prize without your vote.

You can vote once per day, but voting is open only until February 14th.

The photo with the most votes will win the prize!

To register your vote, simply...

(1) Go to http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/91336/voteable_entries/15614851?ogn=website

(2) Click the "VOTE NOW" button.

That's it!

You can vote once per day through Monday, February 14th, so hurry and click your daily vote!

Please cast your vote and encourage your friends to vote, too. Together, with our hearts in unity, we really have a good chance to win this $1,000 prize to help feed the children in our Tanzanian villages.

Thank you for your support in this effort to help feed the children of Tanzania!

Hope in a Corn Crop

2011-01-26T23:39:00.001-06:00

It’s early November in Tanzania, Africa – high on Mt. Meru. The annual corn crops have been planted everywhere there is available land – in large and small farm fields; in fields both on level ground and on steep hills. Corn is an important staple food in this region.

By early November, there are fields with corn plants that have grown to a height of just a few feet, and fields with plants stretching up to 5 feet into the air. The corn is planted in hand tilled and hand planted rows separated by shallow troughs to aid in irrigation when it does rain.

There is green everywhere, unlike so many of the prior years when seasonal rains never really came at all and grass and crops alike were withered and brown from the ongoing drought.

But the green on Mt. Meru this year is deceiving. Hopes were high a few weeks ago when there were several days in a row with light rains, but the rain never amounted to anything significant enough to soak deep into the soil. Scoop up a handful of the dirt in these farm fields, and it is light as dust, carried on the breeze that only gives temporary relief from the heat of the African sun.

Look closely at the corn crops and there is no real corn to harvest. By late November, the abundant rains needed to nourish these crops had not materialized. There are no tassels at the tops of so many of the corn plants, and the corn stalks that do have tassels bear only immature and underdeveloped cobs of corn.

By the end of November and the tail end of this “rainy season,” and with a resolute acceptance that is heartbreaking to watch, the villagers head out with machetes in hand, and begin to cut the drought damaged corn and clear their fields. They have given up hope for this year’s corn harvest. There will be no fruits from their months of labors. The corn crop has failed yet again.

In a sad twist of fate, the corn stalks and drought damaged corn will become a supplemental food source for the local livestock. But even for cattle, the nutrient value of the corn stalks and drought damaged corn is minimal.

As sustenance farmers living high on the slopes Mt. Meru, the people simply cannot afford to give up and become the victims of another failed crop. With their unwavering faith and simple acceptance that “God will provide” they resolutely head again to their now cleared farm fields, hoes in hand, to plant the seeds for the crop of the next growing season… potatoes.

But they are not simply planting the seeds for potatoes… they are planting seeds of hope.

As you give...

2011-01-22T19:12:00.003-06:00

We are about to begin a food distribution to the people in the village of Seela in Tanzania, Africa. We’ve purchased at the Tengeru market 100 kg of beans and 50 kg of rice to supplement the 1,000 kg of maize which has already arrived to help alleviate hunger here.

Despite best efforts and unwavering faith, year after year much of the maize/corn crop fails due to the ongoing drought in this Mt. Meru region. To further exasperate the situation, the economies of supply and demand push food prices beyond the means of those already “living on the edge” – those struggling to survive on an income of less than $1 a day.

We know this distribution is just a “drop in the bucket” of the hunger in this third world country, but it is a start, and we know this food will save lives. And despite the silent apology in my eyes of “I know it is not enough,” there is a palpable appreciation among those who are about to receive this precious gift of food.

The distribution goes on for hours as representatives from each family come forth when called to accept their share of rice, beans and maize. There is a determined patience. When the day is done, and the last spilled grain has been swept from the floor, we at last rest.

Weeks later, I am saying my goodbyes to the people of this Tanzanian village. I love these people as much as if they were my own family. Our goodbyes are bitter sweet. But we all trust and hold the faith that I will be back the same time next year.

During the midst of the goodbyes, I am approached by a small, frail woman who greets me and timidly says, “Zawadi kwa ajili yako” – a gift for you. I recognize the small black plastic bag. It is the same type of bag in which she received beans from the food distribution earlier in the month.

She places the bag in my hands, presses my fingers around it, and gives me a motherly kiss on each of my cheeks.

The bag contains a portion of the beans she and her family received just a few weeks prior. I know I would offend if I insisted she and her young children needed the beans more than I did.

It is a selfless gift. A sacrifice, really.

Yet it is given with genuine love. And it is given with a faithfulness and trust that, “As you give, so you shall receive.”

As I reflect on this gift she has given me, I realize the actual gift is not so much the beans, as the lesson that is learned through her sharing.

“As you give…”

A Black Plastic Bag

2011-01-11T21:39:00.001-06:00

As we get closer to the Tengeru market in Tanzania, our senses are increasingly bombarded. The sights, sounds and smells vividly announce to us that we have arrived. Vibrant color is everywhere – in the clothes worn by the people, and in the fresh produce for sale. In the food stalls, vendors announce their prices and encourage potential buyers to purchase from them instead of from the 20 people near them selling the same produce at the exact same price. There are street vendors frying fish and roasting corn to buy for a tasty snack. Even the sense of touch is not spared as we navigate shoulder against shoulder, pushing through the crowds.

As we pass stall after stall displaying huge bags of beans and grains, women busily sift beans and kernels of corn over a wood-framed screen to remove stones and other debris. Heaping buckets of beans and grain are measured out for buyers, and then poured into baskets, buckets and those black plastic bags seen everywhere at Tanzanian markets.

Young boys, trying to earn an income to help support their families, walk among the potential customers with the handles of empty, black plastic bags draped over their forearms. These boys are alert and street smart. They instinctively know when a purchase is about to be made, and are standing close by ready to sell to you a black plastic bag at the exact moment that you need to buy a black plastic bag for your purchase.

Unlike the proliferation of plastic bags available at stores here in the USA, plastic bags are not free with your purchase in Tanzania. If you need a plastic bag, it will cost you 100-shillings (about 7-cents). Yet, for the Tanzanian family struggling to survive on an average annual income of less than $400 a year (about $1 a day), even the purchase of a 7-cent bag is financially difficult.

Shopping at market without buying a black plastic bag from one of the boys is certainly possible if you’ve brought your own basket or bucket with you (which is at the same time an unfortunate “catch 22” for the boys trying to earn an income selling 7-cent bags).

But sometimes the purchase of one of those black plastic bags becomes a necessity. If you are fortunate enough to have money to purchase a piece of beef or goat meat from the butcher, the meat is unceremoniously hacked off of the hanging animal carcass, tightly wrapped in layers of old newspaper and handed directly to you. Suffice to say, at this point, with blood from the meat beginning to seep through the newspaper, a black plastic bag passes beyond luxury to necessity.

When I go to the Tengeru Market, I look for the boys from our village. They aren’t too hard to find once I am near the entrance to the busiest area of the marketplace. Or rather, maybe it is I, the lone white woman in a sea of Africans who is not hard to spot, and one of the boys from our village usually finds me before I find one of them.

Greetings are exchanged, and one of the young boys follows me as I walk through the marketplace. Even as he watches for other potential customers in our vicinity while I am shopping, he doesn’t stray far from me. He is always ready with a black plastic bag whenever I purchase something, and then insists on carrying all of my purchases, too.

When we are done, I press several shilling coins into the palm of his hand. He looks and sees an amount more than the cost of the few black plastic bags I needed. As he reaches in his pocket to give me change, I smile at him with a small shake of my head, and I close his hand tightly around the coins and motion for him to put them safely in his pocket. He understands. There is a shy smile on his lips, but his dark eyes reflect a solemn appreciation.

In that simple, silent exchange, he knows that I understand the struggles of his family to survive in this 3rd world country.

Random Acts of Kindness

2010-12-20T19:26:00.001-06:00

Simple random acts of kindness are especially contagious – you do something nice for someone, and it sets the mood for that person to carry that kindness forward to another person. And so on… And so on... And so on…

I was in the store about a couple months ago, and grocery bill for the gentleman in front of me came to $20.03. He had a $20 bill in his hand, and started to fumble in his pocket for an additional 3-cents, only to find that all he had was another $20 bill. The cashier looked at him with a look of “don’t you have a smaller bill?” and he looked back apologetically.

Without much thought, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a nickel and handed it to the cashier. The gentleman seemed almost embarrassed, and kindly insisted that I didn’t need to do that. I told him with a warm smile “It’s ok – just pass it on next time you see someone who needs 3-cents.” We both chuckled and he went on his way. Just a simple act of kindness. Nothing big.

A couple of weeks after that, I took my daughter to her friend’s farm where she helps care for the horses for her friend’s family. She was brushing one of the horses, and I was standing nearby watching. Her friend’s father came into the barn. When he saw us, he smiled and said hello. I had met him only once before, but never really had a chance to sit and chat. We got to talking, and at one point, he laughed and with a smile, he remarked, “Hey, by the way, thanks for the 3-cents at the store. I really wasn’t looking forward to getting $19.97 in change.” Ahhh – that’s why he looked familiar! But when I was in the store, I couldn’t place where I had seen or met him before.

I told him, ”No problem” -- a bit embarrassed myself that I hadn’t recognized him earlier when we were in line in the store. When I asked him kiddingly if he had found someone else along the way who had needed 3-cents, his face lit up and he proceeded to tell me a story of how he was at the gas station a few days after that, and had done the same thing to help another customer in line -- with a dollar-bill. He said he remembered that I mentioned to “pay it forward”.

Just a simple act of kindness.

Amazing… The ripple of kindness spreading as with a drop of water into a pond.

You may never know the full impact that your simple act of kindness will have as it gets carried forward to others. But isn’t enough to know that you have the power, with one simple act of kindness, to make a difference in the lives of others?

You can truly be an inspiration to others. What simple act of kindness have you shared?

"Messages from the Heart"

2010-11-30T21:24:00.001-06:00

Thousands of cards and letters containing greetings and notes of friendship and encouragement have been distributed to the children of Tanzania, Africa within the last month.

Each child receiving a "Message from the Heart" from someone elsewhere in the world.

Each child knowing that someone cares, and that they are loved.

Click on the following link: "Messages from the Heart" to see our latest video clip of the Tanzanian children receiving their cards and letters.

Social Networking Sabatical

2010-10-30T08:54:00.005-05:00

This summer I took a one-month sabatical from all marketing and electronic social networking. No Twitter tweets. No Facebook updates. No blog writing. No updates to the Hearts in Unity website. No newsletters. No video productions. No presentations at schools, churches and to other organizations.

I wanted to prepare my heart and mind for my upcoming return to Tanzania. I wanted to take time to think about the beginning of Hearts in Unity years ago, and where we have come so far in this mission. I wanted quiet time to contemplate the future of the Tanzanian children we support, and to consider how we might best be a part of their future.

I wasn't sure how the sabatical month would play out. Those of us who have delved into the social networking realm find it a natural and rewarding part of our daily lives. It's a wonderful way for an organization like Hearts in Unity to keep all of our supporters apprised of the wonderful progress we are making in our mission to help feed, clothe and educate the children of Tanzania, Africa. It is exciting to talk about this mission and to watch as more and more people open their hearts to the precious children of Tanzania.

It is also exhausting. Mission work is not for the weak.

During this self-imposed social networking sabatical, the world didn't come to an end. There was really no "hole" in my life. It was in fact, one of the best things I have done (or haven't done, in this case) for a long time. I feel rested and rejuvinated and ready for the return to Tanzania, Africa to continue this work.

And while I worried about the mission slipping into obscurity without these regular networking updates to our friends around the world following and supporting this mission, my worries were in vain.

Once I dipped my toe into the familiar waters of marketing and social networking for the mission of Hearts in Unity, I found that our Tanzanian children were still in the hearts of our Hearts in Unity family.

People continued to inquire about how they could help. Our mailbox continued to be filled with letters and postcards for our Tanzanian children. People continued to sew and send us the simple fabric school bags they were making for the children. Our knitters continued to knit warm hats for our kids living high on Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro. Pen pal letters continued back and forth to kids in our villages.

It's amazing and I am encouraged.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we travel back "home" to Tanzania. Our children our waiting with anticipation. Welcome to Tanzania!

www.heartsinunity.org
www.twitter.com/heartsinunity
www.facebook.com/heartsinunity

Receive a Postcard from a Tanzanian Child

2010-04-20T21:00:00.005-05:00

Hearts in Unity is offering a unique opportunity for you to help in the education support of an orphan or at-risk child in Tanzania, Africa, and in return receive a postcard of thanks directly from that Tanzanian child.

Hearts in Unity representatives will be returning to Tanzania again in November 2010. For each $5 donation you make to Hearts in Unity before October 15, 2010, we will purchase -- on your behalf -- a postcard, postage stamp and school supplies (pens, pencils, paper/notebook) when we arrive in Tanzania.

We will present your gift of school supplies to a child in one of our Tanzanian villages. The child will then write a thank you note to you on the postcard, and we’ll mail the postcard to you directly from Tanzania, Africa.

To learn more information and to participate in this special project, please visit the Postcards from Tanzania page of our website.

Do you have room in your heart to reach out to a child in Tanzania?

An Encouraging Word

2010-04-04T12:00:00.006-05:00

It's amazing!

In just 3 short weeks since we announced our partnership with Postcrossing.com, we have already received over 100 postcards with wonderful, heartfelt messages of encouragement and friendship for the orphan and at-risk children in our Tanzanian villages!

Our grateful thanks for the postcards we have already received from those in:
Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, England, Finland, Germany, Helvetia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, and the USA
We at Hearts in Unity are sincerely humbled by the outpouring of love that has been shown towards these precious third-world children who have so little.

The postcards that have already been delivered were placed in the hands of Tanzanian children looking up with huge smiles of anticipation on their faces. Imagine the delight as they looked at the pictures on the postcards and listened as the written greetings were read to them. Their eyes lighting up in wonder as they saw phrases in their native language of Swahili written by someone in another country so far away.

Postcrossers are truly a special group of people who have hearts of gold! On behalf of the children, ASANTE SANA -- THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!

To learn more about how you can send postcards with notes of encouragement to the orphan and at-risk children of Tanzania, check out the blog on Postcrossing.com

To learn more about how you can become part of the Postcrossing community, so that you, too can send and receive postcards from wonderful people like these all over the world, visit www.postcrossing.com.

Postcards from the World

2010-03-14T08:00:00.007-05:00

We are pleased to announce our newest partner in our mission to help the orphan and at-risk children in Tanzania Africa. Karibu! Welcome to all of our new friends at:
www.postcrossing.com
Through this new partnership, people around the world will be able to send words of encouragement and friendship on postcards that will be hand-delivered to the children in our Tanzanian villages.

It's a wonderfully heartwarming way to show these children that they are loved and that people care about them.

Read all about the project and learn how you, too, can send a postcard to one of these precious children...
"At Postcrossing HQ we are always looking for ways to do good through postcards. Today we are happy to share with you a simple but very powerful way to ignite big smiles..." (read more...)
For more information about Hearts in Unity, and our "Messages from the Heart" project, please visit us at Hearts in Unity

Sights on a Cow

2010-02-18T20:00:00.004-06:00

There is a very special group of students at Kennedy Middle School who have their sights on a cow. And they have embarked on their own unique journey to help make a difference in the lives of orphan and other at-risk children on the other side of the world in Tanzania. Africa.

What set these children on this path?

For the third year in a row, Hearts in Unity was warmly welcomed to the classrooms of Mr. D's "Foods" classes at Kennedy Middle School. While listening to stories of life in Tanzania, Africa, the students had a hands-on lesson on how to prepare several traditional Tanzanian foods... chapati (flatbread), ugali (stiff porridge), and mchzi wa mboga (vegetable stew). Yum!

Take a look....

(If you are not able to view the video above, CLICK HERE)

So what is the connection to the cow?

Hearts in Unity helps to support the students and teachers at 2 schools in northern Tanzania. When meeting with the teachers at Seela Primary School on Mt. Meru this past November, we asked what more we could do to help them, as teachers, to teach the 1,000 children at the school in this remote village.

Expecting a discussion about the ongoing need for additional textbooks, school supplies and other teaching materials, we were surprised with the request they shared.

After much thoughtful consideration, one of the teachers stood and humbly relayed the request of the teachers -- a request for two cows.

Two cows? Did we misunderstand?

The teacher went on to explain....

He reminded us of what it is like to live in this region of Tanzania, the 5th poorest country in the world. A single meal per day is reality for many of the children in this remote village. Neither the school nor the parents of these students have financial means with which to provide a daily lunch to the students at the school. The hunger these children live with is compounded by the long, exhausting walk up the mountain that so many children travel to the school each day -- more than 5 miles each way for some students.

And the connection to the request for two cows?

The teachers, responsible for their classroom of 75 or more students, are not able to effectively teach when the most at-risk children arrive at school hungry and exhausted -- only to faint when they finally reach the classroom.

And when a child faints, there is no school nurse. The teacher must care for that child... leaving the rest of the class to wait. Teaching on hold. Sometimes for hours.

And the 2 cows?

It's a simple solution, even if barely adequate. Having 2 cows would give the teachers the ability to offer a small cup of milk to the children at greatest risk for fainting at school due to hunger and exhaustion.

A simple cup of milk when they arrive at school. A way to help the poorest of the poor children to get through the school day. A way to help keep the teachers in the classroom doing what they are there to do and what love to do. To teach.

And so, as the hearts of the Kennedy Middle School children open to the children of Tanzania, they have set their sights on raising enough money for Hearts in Unity to purchase a cow as a gift for the students and teachers of this Tanzanian school.

Children reaching out to making a difference in the lives of children on the other side of the world. It's heartwarming.

To learn more about how you can help feed the children of Tanzania, visit us at Hearts in Unity.

The Mail's Here

2010-02-14T21:37:00.003-06:00

Check out the latest "Hearts in Unity" blog in our local community newspaper...
"The Mail's Here"

Father's Love Letter

2010-02-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

Asante sana. Wanasuhkuru. We are so thankful to all who have opened their hearts to the orphans and at-risk children of Tanzania, Africa, through our mission at "Hearts in Unity"

Each of these precious children need to know...

they are MY children,
they are YOUR children,
they are OUR children.

And all are God's children, too.

The following "Father's Love Letter" reminds not only the children of the world, but also reminds each one of us, that we are loved.

The letter "Barua ya upendo wa Baba" is also available in Swahili. (http://fathersloveletter.com/Swahili/textswahili.html)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is… Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

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Thank you to fathersloveletter.com for reminding us of this love.

A Tanzanian Meal

2010-01-29T07:00:00.007-06:00

Do you like to cook? Do you like to try new recipes?

If you live in the Menomonee Falls or Germantown area (Wisconsin, USA), registration is now open for our Hearts in Unity "Tanzanian Cooking" class through the Village Recreation Department. See page 27 of the current brochure for information about the class, and page 40 for the class registration form.

We'll be making several traditional Tanzanian foods:
- chapati (flatbread)
- ugali (cornmeal porridge)
- mchuzi wa mboga (vegetable stew) and
- chai (Tanzanian tea)!

And after we finish cooking, we'll sit down together to eat our Tanzanian meal!

Yum!

Even if you can't join us for the class, you can still get a
"taste of Tanzania" in your own home.

Check out the recipes on our website!

Tanzania to Haiti with a Song

2010-01-25T07:00:00.015-06:00

We tell the story of the mission of Hearts in Unity over and over.... of our dedication to help feed, clothe and educate the orphan and at-risk children in our villages on Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

We invite people to open their hearts to our Tanzanian children and to join us making a difference as we change lives... one precious child at a time.

Sometimes, however, a non-profit organization can get so entrenched in the mission that they have committed not only to paper but also to their hearts, that they lose sight of the basic foundation of the work that they are doing.

Isn't every charitable organization really built on a foundation of helping others in need? A foundation of caring and sharing?

I admire the non-profit organizations that keep their mission close to the heart, but who react with swift and decisive action to adjust to the ever-changing and urgent needs of the world that we live in.

One has to look no farther than organizations such as the American Red Cross, or World Vision, or Soles for Souls -- and their current focus on and committment to those in Haiti -- to see a ground swell of hearts opened to helping others. The efforts of organizations such as these are a testament to the impact and difference that our individual contributions CAN make when we come together in unity for others.

At Hearts in Unity, we don't want to lose sight of our mission to help the children of Tanzania, but at the same time, who would we be if we were to close our eyes and turn on backs on the children of Haiti?

In this time when there are so many children around the world with an urgent need for food, clothing and shelter, we at Hearts in Unity want to do our part to help the children of Haiti just as so many around the world have reached out to help our children in Tanzania.

And it is in this spirit that we are so very pleased to announce that, for the next 2 weeks, our long-time partner CDBaby will make a Haitian Earthquake Relief donation of $1 to the American Red Cross for each of our Roland Maanga "Omba!" music CD's purchased online.

In addition, Hearts in Unity will also donate an additional $2 to the American Red Cross for each online "Omba!" CD purchase through CDBaby. The remainder of the purchase price of every CD goes directly to the ongoing programs through Hearts in Unity to continue to help feed, clothe and educate the children of Tanzania.

Produced by Hearts in Unity, the "Omba!" music CD features original Tanzanian music by Roland Maanga, accomplished musician and the Tanzanian co-director of Hearts in Unity. The song lyrics are mostly in Swahili, but the music itself transcends all language barriers. Besides, each CD includes a wonderful booklet with all of the song lyrics in Swahili and English so you can sing along!

Listen to song clips on the CDBaby website, and feel the joyous beat of hearts overflowing with compassion for the children of the world as this amazing music flows around and through you. The music will fill your soul with the same hope that we wish for the precious children of Tanzania -- and now also, for the Haitian children who need your support now more than ever.

The children of the world are MY children... they are YOUR children... they are OUR children.

Let's join together, with hearts in unity, to make a difference. Take a stand for the children of the world and purchase a music CD for yourself and one for someone in your life that you hold dear in your heart.

Until next time, I'll leave you with a favorite quote from Charlotte Lunsford...

"We won't always know whose lives we touched and made better for our having cared, because actions can sometimes have unforeseen ramifications. What's important is that you do care and you act."

Asante sana -- Thank you very much.

Destination Tanzania!

2010-01-23T09:00:00.009-06:00

Attention all world travelers
(and yes, world traveler "want-to be's" are certainly included)!

Today's destination?

Tanzania, Africa – home to the precious orphan and at-risk children who are held so close at heart by all those who support the mission of Hearts in Unity.

Let us give you a brief tour... Tanzania is the proud home to:

Mt. Kilimanjaro -- At 19,000 feet, it is the highest point in Africa and a destination for some of the world's most adventurous and dedicated climbers.

The "Big Five" -- lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, rhino. "Big Five" is a term originally coined by big-game hunters to refer to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot, but is used commonly now by most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss wildlife safaris.

Some of the most beautiful national parks in the world are in Tanzania (Our Hearts in Unity website includes videos of some of the national parks and also includes links to the official websites for each national park in Tanzania).

Located in East Africa, the eastern border of the country is on the coast of the Indian Ocean. Tanzania is also bordered by 9 other countries including: Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mosambique, Malawi and the island of Madascar. The island of Zanzibar, along with mainland Tanzania, make up the United Repuplic of Tanzania.

The influx of refugees from neighboring Rwanda, Burundi and Congo over the last decade has placed a heavy burden on a country already struggling to care for its own people. Tanzania is the 5th poorest country in the world with families living in heartbreaking poverty -- struggling to survive on an average household income of less than $1 a day.

$1 a day?
Can one even buy a cup of coffee these days for less than $1?

Maybe "living on less than $1 a day" in Tanzania is easier to comprehend when put it into some sort of familiar context.

Let's compare it to poverty in the United States. Our government has established that the "poverty level" for a family of 4 is approximately $21,000 per year -- or about $58 a day. Yes, it's all relative, and one must put the numbers into context, but the difference between $1 a day and $58 a day is both striking and alarming by any measure.

But for all the ways that this crushing poverty affects the daily lives of the people in Tanzania, they are a people rich in culture and hospitality. Perhaps they don't know what they are missing -- other than the basics of life such as food, clothing and education for their children.

But they seem to have their priorities in order. Their foundation is their family. Their strength is in their faith. Their hope is in a better future for their children. Though complicated in so many ways due to the poverty of the generations before them, their lives are simple.
And they simply need our help.

To learn more about the many ways that you can join us is in making a difference in the lives of the orphans and at-risk children of Tanzania, please visit our Hearts in Unity website.

Asante sana – Thank you very much.

Travel with us on Twitter!

2010-01-16T17:30:00.003-06:00

Check out our "tweets" on Twitter! You don't need to have your own Twitter account to read the exciting updates on our mission. Just click onto our Twitter website and read all the latest!

Follow us on Facebook!

2010-01-16T17:00:00.002-06:00

Join our new "Hearts in Unity" group on Facebook and get all the latest updates on our mission to help the precious children of Tanzania!

A Partnership with "Cards for Kids"

2010-01-15T12:00:00.011-06:00

Hearts in Unity is delighted to announce our new partnership with "Cards for Kids" -- an organization started by an amazing teenager who is dedicated to the creation of handmade and painted cards for children around the world who are facing poverty, homelessness, or difficult circumstances.

We just received in the mail our second package of beautiful hand-made cards from Haley and her friends at "Cards for Kids" which we will be sending to the orphans and at-risk children in our Tanzanian villages of Seela and Mwika.

These cards really do bring smiles -- and will be treasured by the children in Tanzania who will receive them.

Please visit the "Cards for Kids" website to learn more about our newest partner.

Become a fan of "Cards for Kids" on Facebook just like we are and read all about "Cards for Kids" in a recent news article.

When we join together, with hearts in unity for the children of the world, we can truly make a difference and change lives!

We welcome you to join us in this mission!

A New Year's Resolution

2010-01-10T17:00:00.014-06:00

As you reflect on a the year gone past... and contemplate the year to come... consider the following...

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." -Morrie Schwartz-

Imagine the impact we could have on the world if we EACH were to make a New Year's resolution to do just ONE small thing to make a difference in the life of another.

A random act of kindness.
A friendly offer to help.
A word of encouragement.

It's really quite simple. And we can help you to help another.

All it takes is a pen, paper, a postage stamp and a few minutes of your time. Simple words of encouragement, written from your heart, can give hope to an orphan or other at-risk child in Tanzania, Africa.

It's a new year. Start it out with Hearts in Unity.

Visit us at http://www.heartsinunity.org/Message.html to help make a difference in the life of a precious child in need of your encouragement.

Recycle your Christmas Cards!

2009-12-26T12:00:00.001-06:00

Recycle your Christmas greeting cards… and send a smile to a child!

Did you know that those Christmas cards you received this year can be "recycled" in a way that will bring hope and joy to an orphan or other at-risk child in Tanzania, Africa?

Just cut off the front of the card and use the blank side as a postcard on which to write a note of encouragement. You then simply send your written postcards to us (U.S.A address) and we will ensure they are delivered personally to children in Tanzania who are in need of a message of encouragement.

It’s a gift that stays in a child’s heart. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. And it’s easy for everyone to do.

Learn more at www.heartsinunity.org/message.html

Nimble Fingers in a Labor of Love

2009-12-24T12:00:00.005-06:00

We are continually humbled by the selfless giving of time, energy and love by those who are knitting and crocheting hats for the children of Tanzania.

The most recent distribution of these beautiful, donated hats took place just last month. It was a day of smiles and laughs -- each Tanzanian child delighted with a new hat to help keep them warm during the cold, rainy season high up in the mountains of Tanzania.

We welcome you to view this short video of some of the children who have been truly blessed by these gifts.

We are always looking for additional volunteers to join us in this mission of love. If you knit or crochet, and you would like to make a difference in the life of one of these precious children, please contact us at hearts_in_unity@yahoo.com

To learn more about this ongoing project, please visit our website at: www.heartsinunity.org

Merry Christmas

2009-12-22T21:00:00.005-06:00

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."
~Charles Dickens

This Christmas season, may you experience the joy that comes from acts of kindness and generosity shared among all of the people of this world.

May God bless us all.

Krismas Njema...Merry Christmas,
Sue and Roland

A Gift of Shoes

2009-12-07T19:00:00.005-06:00

A school uniform ... a shirt, a skirt or pair of trousers, and a pair of shoes. Seems simple enough. If you have a school uniform and shoes, you can attend school.

Yet, for families in Tanzania, buying the required school uniform and shoes for their children is a burden that they too often can not bear. When a family is struggling to survive on less than $1 a day, parents must often make heartbreaking choices about providing for their families.

Their children are hungry -- for both food to nourish their bodies, and for education to nourish their minds. Do they, as parents, sacrifice their children’s access to education, the only key to breaking out of the cycle of poverty, in order to have the means to feed their children sometimes even just a single meal each day?

Orphans, often living with grandparents, are at an even greater disadvantage in the stronghold of the cycle of poverty.

But there is a simple solution. With a single donation to Hearts in Unity to purchase school uniforms and shoes for the orphans in the Tanzanian villages of Seela and Mwika, you can help ease the burden of a difficult choice for these parents. By making a simple donation towards the purchase of school uniforms and shoes, you can help these children to attain the education that allows them to have greater opportunities in life than they ever dreamed possible.

During this Christmas season, give a gift that helps feed a child's mind -- a simple gift of shoes for a child living in Tanzania, the 5th poorest country in the world. When a child has shoes, he or she can attend school, and a whole new world of opportunity opens.

Is there room in your heart for these precious children?

Please help us to reach our goal of providing 100 more pair of shoes for the orphans in our Tanzanian villages before the start of their next school year in mid-January. Click on the "Give" link on the right-hand column of this site to make a difference today.

For more information about this and other Hearts in Unity programs to help feed, clothe and educate the orphan and at-risk children of Tanzania, please visit www.heartsinunity.org.

Asante sana na Mungu akubariki sana (Thank you and God bless you).

Daily Life in Tanzania -- Tweet!

2009-11-01T00:30:00.002-05:00

Karibu! Welcome to Tanzania!

Today is the start of the journey back to Tanzania! Please join us!

Experience life in the remote villages on the slopes of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro. If the internet connection is cooperative, and fuel is available to run the generator for electrity, we plan to log our November travels and project updates through our journal of daily "tweets" on Twitter.

In addition to the full history of our "tweets" on Twitter, the most recent Twitter updates are also viewable on this blog (see right-hand column) and on our Hearts in Unity website.

Don't have a Twitter account? No problem -- our Hearts in Unity Twitter page is open to the public. We hope you will follow us!

Welcome Home to Tanzania!

2009-10-31T21:00:00.002-05:00

The month of November will be an exciting time for Hearts in Unity!

Sue returns to Tanzania again this month where she and Roland will continue to build on the many wonderful Hearts in Unity projects underway in the mission to help feed, clothe and educate the orphan and at-risk children in Tanzania.

So what will the next month bring? Here are a few of the highlights...

Spending time in the villages of Seela (on Mt. Meru) and Mwika (on Mt. Kilimanjaro), we plan to meet with the women of the Mioyo Pamoja (Hearts in Unity) sewing coops to help them further evaluate and fine tune their business plan so that they can continue with the great success they have with their tailoring/knitting business -- in particular, the important service they provide to the community by sewing school uniforms for local children. We are excited that we will be able to purchase the knitting machine that they have been requesting. We will also begin to gather the information we need to apply for financial grants from the Tanzanian government to help assist these women in the expansion of their sewing coop to include tailoring classes.

We will also spend time at Seela Primary and Maring'a Juu Primary schools to meet with the teachers for a discussion of the current needs of the school, the teachers and the students. While there, we will distribute donations of fabric school bags filled with much needed school supplies, and distribute eyeglasses to the children who need corrective eyewear to help them better succeed in school.

We are excited about our upcoming implementation of a music education program for the children of Seela...distributing recorders (flutes) and sheet music, and teaching the older students how to play the musical instrument so that they in turn can teach the younger children. Music is such an integral part of the Tanzanian culture that this will be such a joy for the children and parents alike.

We will also visit with the orphans in Mwika who have been connected with pen pals through Hearts in Unity, bringing greetings from the U.S. and taking photos to bring back to the pen pal partners of these children.

We are eager to continue to expand our livestock project -- with plans to purchase a cow and several goats to help provide nutrient rich milk to the children in our villages, as well as purchasing chickens to provide protein rich eggs. Several meals are also planned to help feed the children of families in the village who are struggling to put food on the table for their families.

Many of the orphan and at-risk children will receive hand-knit hats to help keep them warm during the rainy season. These hand-knit hats are a labor of love donated by the many volunteers who have opened their hearts to the children of Tanzania.

It will be a busy month!

What a privilege it will be to give gifts from those who have so generously opened their hearts to the children of Tanzania. With your help and support, we are truly making a difference and changing lives, one precious child at a time.

Thank you for joining us in this mission!

Kind Hearts... Warm Kids!

2009-10-17T16:00:00.001-05:00

Africa gets cold? It sure does!

For those living on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro or Mt. Meru, the rainy season brings cold weather that chills everyone to the bone. Children living on high on the slopes of these Tanzanian mountains are at particular risk -- they often live in houses made of mud and sticks, and rarely have enough clothes -- hats, jackets, shoes -- to protect them from the cold rainy seasons.

But thanks to the kindness and generosity of Kathy M. and her friends at of Lodi Presbyterian Church in Wisconsin, more than 50 children will soon have brand new hand-knit hats to help to keep them warm as the rainy season approaches.

Asante sana! Thank you very much!

This gift is truly a labor of love -- God's work through the hands of so many who have opened their hearts to the orphan and at-risk children of Tanzania.

If you also knit or crochet, and you'd like to get involved in the mission of Hearts in Unity, please visit our website to learn more... http://www.heartsinunity.org/Clothe.html

Messages from The Heart

2009-10-08T21:00:00.008-05:00

Jambo to the 2nd grade Girl Scouts at Shady Lane Elementary School!

We are so happy to have spent time with these 23 wonderful girls who have opened their hearts to children on the other side of the world.

They learned about life in Tanzania through stories and photos, and then shared their messages of encouragement and friendship through their letters from the heart....letters that will be hand delivered this November to the children at Seela Primary School in Tanzania.

Please take a few minutes to watch the start of another amazing connection -- child to child -- reaching out with hearts in unity!

Their efforts are inspiring!

If you'd like to reach out to a child in Tanzania and share a message from your heart, please visit us at www.heartsinunity.org/message.html

The Food Crisis Continues...

2009-09-26T13:00:00.005-05:00

An update from Maanga about the continuing drought and food crisis in Tanzania...

"The food problem is all over the country not only a few places.

There are some places where the harvests were good but unfortunately people sold their food in high price to nearby countries hoping to buy food in Tanzania to replace it and then keep some money. But that was the end because they couldn’t find food from anywhere in Tanzania with the money they had so they are trying to eat their money now if that is possible. Pole sana.

Otherwise Meru and Kilimanjaro at large is also affected and wherever there is food, the price is real high. We don’t have maize (corn), maharagwe (beans) and mchele (rice) which are our common foods. Ndizi (banana) are also finishing as people are even selling them before they are ready just to get some money to exchange for other foods. It is real so very hard here right now."

In November, Sue will be returning to Tanzania as we to continue to build and expand our programs to help feed our precious children there. We are so grateful to all of you who have been following our mission, and would like to give you a gift of Tanzanian coffee, tea or music as a thank you for your continued support.

Karibu sana! Please visit www.heartsinunity.org/gifts.html to select your gift. Asante sana nu Mungu akubariki sana.

The Circle of Life

2009-09-15T07:00:00.006-05:00

Just received a message from Maanga in Tanzania...

"My mbuzi (goat) got a new babe in the middle of the night a few days while I was away and no one could hear it to help mama with delivering, so the babe died."

The circle of birth and death -- the same in Africa as all over the world -- yet this simple message speaks volumes of lost opportunities and the struggles to survive in Tanzania, the 5th poorest country in the world. One less goat in the village to help us in our efforts to feed the precious children in our Tanzanian villages is heartbreaking.

So we're reaching out to you, our friends in this mission. Can you help us in our goal to purchase 25 more goats for the people in the villages of Seela and Mwika before the end of the year?

Please visit www.heartsinunity.org/feed.html to learn how you can help us to help feed the precious children of Tanzania.

Asante sana!

Scouts with Kind Hearts

2009-08-21T18:00:00.002-05:00

This past week, the Girl Scouts and Leaders attending Winding River Camp participated in a unique project to reach out to the children of Tanzania.

The children and adults spent time writing letters of friendship and encouragement, making gifts of decorated bandana head scarves, and donating nearly 50 pounds of much needed school supplies to be given to the students and teachers of Seela Primary School located on Mt. Meru in northern Tanzania.

Hearts in Unity is truely grateful to be invited for a third year to this wonderful summer camp to offer the girls a unique service opportunity to connect them with Tanzanian orphans and at-risk children.

We invite you to view the video and see how much fun the girls had again this year.

If you are a part of a scout, school, church or community group, and you would like to participate in a similar service/partnerhip project, please let us know. We would be delighted help you to help the precious children of Tanzania. We welcome your email at hearts_in_unity@yahoo.com.

Stitches of Love

2009-08-03T20:00:00.010-05:00

We are delighted to share with you an update from our Mioyo Pamoja (Hearts in Unity) sewing coop in the village of Mwika, Tanzania.

Thanks to the generosity and support of so many people, this sewing coop is thriving.

We started with 4 women in the sewing coop in early 2008, but 2 of the women are now suffering from the ravages of AIDS, and they are no longer able to come to the coop to sew. The sewing coop is currently equiped with 4 treadle sewing machines and 2 electric sewing machines (which they are able to use when there is electricity available). As their first project, the women finished sewing 54 school uniforms for Hearts in Unity to distribute to orphans in Seela. They have spent the last year growing their business by obtaining contracts from local schools to sew school uniforms, by expanding their tailoring services to the community, and by starting their own tailoring school.

They are so pleased that they now have their first two tailoring students... giving opportunities to others as they have been blessed by the opportunities given to them.

Roland writes...

"They are four women now. Two of them are well experienced teachers/trainers and two are students who are learning and will be employed after training. (After the initial opening of the sewing coop by Hearts in Unity in 2008) the women started by donating their shares to buy fabric and start sewing and they managed to pay the house rent, get their daily bread (daily wages/income), pay for electricity and buy new fabrics.

October to January is the best season for them because there are many orders and need of clothes for confirmation, weddings, Christmas presents and new school year starting on January so they make a lot of money around this time.

Please put your effort with them because they are real hard working people I have ever seen."

This business is their life blood, and it provides them with the means to help support their own families... to feed, clothe and educate their own children.

If you are interested in further supporting these women as they labor to raise themselves out of the poverty of life in Tanzania, please visit us at: www.heartsinunity.org

Dreams to Reality

2009-07-28T22:00:00.015-05:00

Education... the hope and dream of children living in Tanzania, yet endless barriers limit their opportunities

Education... the true stepping stone out of poverty, yet out of reach of so many Tanzanian children

Education... the foundation to our mission, possible when we join together with our hearts in unity

We invite you to check out our newly updated "Education" web page at www.heartsinunity.org/educate.html where you can read stories about the struggles faced by school children in Tanzania -- from a lack of books and school supplies to a shortage of both classrooms and teachers.

You can also learn more about the ways that you and others can help these children through a donation to purchase books, school supplies or desks... or through volunteer opportunities to sew school bags or make simple textbooks for us to send to the children.

Asante sana! Thank you very much for opening your heart to these precious children!

A World of Priorities

2009-07-18T21:00:00.007-05:00

The following Bible verse was shared again with me recently, and I am passing it along as it speaks so well to the world in which we live where priorities are often so different based on the possessions of one’s life.

When Jesus heard his answer, he said, "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich.
Luke 18:22-23, NLT

This man's wealth made his life comfortable and gave him power and prestige. When Jesus told him to sell everything he owned, Jesus was touching the very basis of his security and identity. The man did not understand that he would be even more secure if he followed Jesus than he was with all his wealth.

Jesus does not ask all believers to sell everything they have, although this may be his will for some. He does ask us all, however, to get rid of anything that has become more important than God. If your basis for security has shifted from God to what you own, consider how much better it would be for you to lighten the load of the possessions that weigh down your life.

Feeding a family for a week around the world...

2009-07-10T16:00:00.010-05:00

The disparity in the amount of food available to families around the world is striking. Compare the amount of food eaten by each of these families per week...

Germany - Average food expenditure for one week:
375.39 Euros or $500.07

United States - Average food expenditure for one week
$341.98

Italy - Average food expenditure for one week
214.36 Euros or $260.10

Mexico - Average food expenditure for one week
1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Poland - Average food expenditure for one week
582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

Egypt - Average food expenditure for one week
387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Ecuador (South America) - Average food expenditure for one week
$31.55

Bhutan (near India) - Average food expenditure for one week
224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad (Africa; refugee camp) - Average food expenditure for one week
685 CFA Francs or $1.23

The children of Tanzania, Africa come from families that struggle to survive on less than $1 a day to meet ALL of the needs of a family often with 6 or more children -- for their food, clothing, shelter, education.

To learn more about how you can help to feed, clothe and educate the precious children of Tanzania, please visit our website at: www.heartsinunity.org

The Generosity Continues...

2009-07-06T20:00:00.005-05:00

As hearts are opened to the needs of the precious children of Tanzania, we see more and more of the amazing work that can be done when we join together in this mission of hope.

A big thank you to the children and teachers of Amy Belle School for your donation of over 200 pounds of school supplies and for 120 jackets, hats, and other clothing items for us to distribute to the orphans and at-risk children in the villages of Seela and Mwika!

The kindness of your heart is a blessing to so many, and we look forward to helping you to nurture your sister school relationships with Seela Primary School and Maring'a Juu Primary School.

The students and teachers of Tanzanian are currently on a one-month holiday from school until mid-July. When they return again for classes, they will be so grateful to hear about this generous donation.

Thank you again for your continued generosity. We'll see you again in the fall. Enjoy your summer holiday!

Be our Facebook Friend!

2009-06-22T22:00:00.004-05:00

We love to share the story of our mission to help feed, clothe and educate the orphan and at-risk children of Tanzania.

How can you help?

- Add us as one of your Facebook friends and tell others we'd like to be their Facebook friend too.

- Help us to promote our cause on Facebook. Join our "Cause" on Facebook and help us recruit others to join the cause in a visible stand in support of these precious children.

When we join together, with hearts in unity, we can truly make a difference.

Karibu! We warmly welcome you!

A Gift for You

2009-06-20T22:00:00.005-05:00

On behalf of the orphan and at-risk children of Tanzania, we extend to you their warm greetings. They send wishes for blessings in your lives just as they have been blessed by so many kind-hearted people around the world.

We have accomplished so much by joining together with our hearts in unity to give these children a better life. We celebrate our successes, and we welcome your continued support in our mission to make a difference in the lives of these precious children of Tanzania.

As you give a gift from your heart to help feed, clothe and educate these children, we want also to give a gift back to you... a gift direct from Tanzania.

Visit our website at www.heartsinunity.org and click on the "Gift for You" link at the top of the page to learn more and to select your "thank you gift".

A Lesson from First Grade

2009-06-16T22:00:00.008-05:00

If anyone would ever doubt the impact that a child can make in the world, they'd have to look no farther than the kids in Mrs. Otzelberger-Held’s first grade class at Amy Belle Elementary School.

In partnership with Hearts in Unity, the students at Amy Belle School recently learned about life in Tanzania.

They were captivated by the vivid photos and first-hand stories of the daily struggles faced by children living in third world countries. They saw how the daily lives of the children in Tanzania were different than their own, and yet similar in so many ways.

And in recognizing the great need of the children in Tanzania for even the most basic of items -- food, clothing and education -- a group of 19 amazing first-graders dedicated themselves to a goal of raising enough money to purchase a dairy cow as a way to help feed the orphan and at-risk children in Tanzania.

With the wonderful support and guidance of their teacher Mrs. Otzelberger-Held, they organized both a bake sale and used book sale. Rallying together their fellow students in this mission, not only did they raise $500 to purchase a dairy cow in Tanzania, they also raised an additional $200 which they dedicated to additional Hearts in Unity projects to help feed, clothe and educate the children in the villages of Seela and Mwika.

As we look at these first graders, we see a glimpse into our future. Even at this young age, they are already changing the world. It's amazing!

We could learn a lot from them, if we just take their lead and open our hearts, as they have, to others in need.

They've already shown us that it really is quite simple.

To learn more about helping to feed the children of Tanzania through a donation of a cow, goats or chickens, please visit our website at www.heartsinunity.org

Sharing the World

2009-06-14T14:00:00.012-05:00

“To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and it’s people...”

With a common mission in mind, Hearts in Unity is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Madison Hostel in Wisconsin.

The Madison Hostel hosted a cultural sharing event this past weekend featuring a Hearts in Unity photo slide show and presentation about “Life in Tanzania.” We are thankful for their welcome and for the opportunity to share the story of our mission to help the children of Tanzania.

We are also appreciative that they have offered their Hostel facility to knitting groups in the Madison area who are interested in knitting hats for the children of Tanzania. In addition, they have graciously agreed to be our Madison area drop-off point for donations of the knitted hats and of hand sewn school bags for the children in our Tanzanian villages. And we look forward to working with them on future endeavors to help give children a greater understanding of the world.

As the doors of our mission at Hearts in Unity are open to all, so also are the doors to the Madison Hostel open to you.

Please visit their website at www.madisonhostel.org for a map to their facility for an overnight stay, or for dropping off your donations of knitted hats or school bags for the children of Tanzania.

To learn more about these and other Hearts in Unity projects, please visit us at www.heartsinunity.org

Stitches of Love

2009-06-08T20:00:00.002-05:00

A yard of fabric and a spool of thread... a measure of hope and stitches of love.

Reaching out to the children of Seela Primary School and Maring'a Juu Primary School in Tanzania, the youth of St. Gabriel's School in Hubertus are changing lives.

Earlier this year, the 7th and 8th graders of St. Gabriel's School embarked on a project to make school bags for children in Tanzania. Just 4 short months later, they presented to Hearts in Unity an amazing gift that was truly a labor of their love and a testament to the compassion within these students -- 224 hand-made school bags to send to their Tanzanian friends!

For the children of Tanzania who have so little to support them in their education, these school bags are a precious gift. Our sincere thanks to the youth of St. Gabriel's. Just as you have shared a blessing with others, so will you also receive blessings in return.

To learn more how you can participate in this ongoing school bag project, please visit our website at www.heartsinunity.org and click on the "How Can I Help" tab.

When we join together, with hearts in unity, we can truly make a difference and change lives... one precious child at a time.
We welcome you to join us in this mission.

A Problem Shared...

2009-06-01T17:00:00.014-05:00

The children of Tanzania are hungry. But together, we can feed them.

The children of Tanzania have few clothes and their shoes, if they have any, are old and worn. But together, we can clothe them.

There are not enough schools, teachers, textbooks or basic school supplies. With such limits to their educational opportunities, the children of Tanzania have little chance to rise out the poverty of generations before them. But together, we can educate them.

We can do all of this when we join with our hearts in unity to help these precious children.

The first step? It’s simple.

A problem shared is a problem half solved.

A year ago, the students in Mrs. Monday’s four 6th grade classes at Kennedy Middle School (KMS) learned about life in Tanzania. Through photos and stories, they came to understand the struggles of daily life in Tanzania, and the problems faced by the children of Tanzania.

In the weeks following the presentation, the KMS students gave heartfelt consideration to what they had learned. And in an admirable show of selfless generosity, they then opened their hearts to the children of Tanzania. Encouraging each other to make donations during a “Penny War” they subsequently raised enough money to purchase 130 textbooks that have since been presented to the students of Seela Primary School in Tanzania.

Together, they made a huge difference in the lives of children they had only just learned about, but to whom they felt a real connection.

Fast forward to 2009, and a return visit to Mrs. Monday’s 6th grade classes at Kennedy Middle School. The 6th graders of last year are in 7th grade now. And today the current 6th graders had the opportunity to learn about life in Tanzania and the continuing struggles of daily life in this third world country. A problem once again shared…

Tomorrow in class they will share their thoughts and discuss what they learned. Is there any doubt that these students also have the hearts to make a difference in the lives of children on the other side of the world?

Together, with hearts in unity, we can ALL make a difference and change lives… one precious child at a time.

We welcome you to visit our website to learn more about how you, too, can help the children of Tanzania at www.heartsinunity.org

Do You Sew?

2009-05-25T22:00:00.004-05:00

Education is the key to overcoming the crippling poverty which is part of the daily lives of children in Tanzania. Yet, the educational environment in this third world country makes learning a daily challenge.

Schools, classrooms, teachers and textbooks are in short supply. Classrooms with up to 75 students taught by one teacher are common. As many as five students share a single 4-foot long desk. A single textbook is often shared by as many as 20 students. Several students often share a pencil, or use a pencil that has been cut in half by a parent for two children to use.

Few children in Tanzania are fortunate enough to have a backpack in which to carry their pencil and small notebook for school. Having even a simple fabric school bag is a luxury when a Tanzanian family, often with 6 or more children, is struggling to survive on an average income of just $1 a day.

How can you help?

Hearts in Unity is seeking volunteers who would like to participate in a project to sew simple fabric school bags for the children at Seela Primary School and Maring’a Juu Primary School in northern Tanzania, Africa.

This is a wonderful project for both individuals and for sewing/quilting clubs, church groups, scout troops and anyone else who loves to sew.

If you are interested in learning more about helping with this project, please visit our website at www.heartsinunity.org and click on the “How Can I Help” tab at the top of the web page. Additional information and the instructions/pattern for the school bag are on the website, along with Hearts in Unity contact information if you have additional questions.

Karibu! We welcome you to join us in showing these Tanzanian children that people all around the world care about them.

The Tapestry of Our Lives

2009-05-20T22:00:00.013-05:00

Have you ever taken a close look at a piece of tapestry?
It is uniquely representative of the “fabric” of our lives.

On one side is an intricate design of stitches. The different colors of threads are our family, our friends, our teachers and mentors, our faith, our hopes and our dreams – interwoven together in comforting unity. The beautiful design is a pattern for the path and plan for our lives.

Turn it over, and the underside is a mass of loose ends, frayed threads, knots, and seemingly random stitches… designs and images that are not clear because of the bold presence of the many surrounding “imperfections.”

So often, we narrow the view of our own life to the underside of our tapestry. We focus on our circumstances, problems, inconveniences, struggles, and life’s roadblocks and we label these as the imperfections which impede our progress towards a meaningful and rewarding life. And in doing so, we lose sight of the other side... of the beautiful top-side of the tapestry.

For the children of Tanzania, heartbreaking poverty and a perpetual lack of access to adequate food, clothing and education are the imperfections of life that make up the underside of their tapestry.

Yet, for all of the struggles of their daily lives, they have the faith to believe, and the courage to trust that all of the knots and loose ends that are so visible on the underside of the tapestry are actually part of something spectacular -- even if it is not readily apparent to them at any point in time. The people of Tanzania have a strength of faith that continually reminds them of the beauty that is theirs to behold on the other side of their tapestry.

What are the struggles of your life? Do you let them overpower the joy in discovering the amazing path of the plan for your life?

Which side of the tapestry do you live on?

Nyumba Yangu... My Home

2009-05-15T07:00:00.027-05:00

Where we live is not who we are.

The precious children of Tanzania may live in a house made of mud and sticks with a dirt floor and a thatch roof. Their house may be made of rough hewn lumber with slats between the boards wide enough to peer through. Their house may be constructed from handmade bricks and a tin roof.

These are the houses of Tanzania – the houses of these children, the houses of their relatives, the houses of their teachers, and the houses of their friends. However, it doesn't matter what their HOUSE is actually made of.

What really matters is the picture of their HOME as they see it in their minds and feel it in their hearts. They may not have much of a HOUSE, but their HOMES are built of love and faith and hope.

Isn't that the way it should be?

Below is a sneak preview of part of a new collection of artwork by the children of Seela Primary School and Maring’a Juu Primary School in Tanzania. We hope that you enjoy this show of selected pieces of artwork from their “Nyumba Yangu” (My Home) collection.

Soon, hundreds of pieces of artwork like these will be published in an online Art Gallery for you and the world to see. Drawn with delight by the children of these two schools, their labors of love are a gift for all of the people of the world, who have joined together, with “hearts in unity” to help care for the orphan and at-risk children of Tanzania.

We are excited about the pending international release of this art collection. We welcome you to visit our blog regularly to watch for updates as this and other amazing projects unfold.

Karibu! Welcome to the preview of this special art show...
(Be sure to turn on your speakers so you can listen to the children in the village of Seela singing for you while you watch the show)

Visit our blog again soon for more information. To receive an email alert when the Art Gallery is LIVE online, please visit our website at www.heartsinunity.org and send us an email request from there.

Connecting through Divine Caroline

2009-05-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hearts in Unity is a member of the DivineCaroline community and publishes on www.divinecaroline.com. We think you may like to read their work.

View >>

Girl Scouts Rock!

2009-05-06T22:00:00.001-05:00

Girl Scout Troop #944 (from Amy Belle School) recently learned about cooking Tanzania-style. They rolled up their sleeves and made chapati (flat bread), ugali (porridge) mchuzi wa mboga (vegetable stew) while learning about foods and meal preparation in Tanzania.

They also opened their hearts to the children of Tanzania, and through their generous donation, we will be able to feed a meal of ugali to another 750 hungry children in the remote villages of Tanzania!

It’s amazing what we can do to help others in need when we join together with our hearts in unity! Girl Scouts rock!

Check out the girls as they make their chapati!

Feeding 1,000 Children

2009-05-01T07:00:00.048-05:00

Lunch at school seems simple enough. Feed a child's stomach and feed their mind. While there are some schools in Tanzania able to serve students a simple lunch of uji (a thin corn flour porridge) or ugali (a thicker porridge), there are many schools that can not afford this luxury.

The availability of a meal at school ultimately depends on the financial means of the children's parents. But with an average household income of less than $1 a day, paying for a school lunch -- especially when there are often 6 or more children in a family -- is often an expense that families can not bear.

This is the case at Seela Primary School on Mt. Meru in Tanzania.

The teachers tried to start a lunch program for the 1,000 students at this elementary school. But they were met with only the soulful eyes and empty pockets of parents who also wanted nothing more than to feed their children. The parents, however, didn't even have a tin of corn flour with which to to feed their own families, much less an extra amount to send to the school.

So the children are hungry. They arrive at school at 7:00 am to clean the classrooms and school grounds. There is no money to pay a custodian. Then they attend classes from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm.

There is time set aside for a "lunch break" at the school. Children who are lucky enough to live close to the school may wander home to see if there is any food available. Often there is not, and they will get their all-too-common one meal of the day in the evening after gathering firewood and fetching water from the river for the family to use in preparing a meal. Then they will do their homework before sleeping.

For those who live far from the school and walk many miles to and from school each day, there is no time to walk home with a hope that their will be food to eat.

But imagine a Tanzanian child's smile at the sight of a lunch served at school.

This is just what the students at Kennedy Middle School have done.

The students in Mr. Demers six "Foods" classes imagined the hungry children in Tanzania. And they opened their hearts to these children and reached in their own pockets to make a donation to feed the 1,000 children at Seela Primary School a meal for one day.

The 7th grade students in the 5th hour/gold class recently presented the donation to Hearts in Unity. We extend our grateful thanks to the generous students at KMS who have looked at the blessings of their own lives, and who have reached out to help those who are less fortunate.

To learn more about how you, or your school, church or community group can help feed the children of Tanzania, please visit our website at: http://www.heartsinunity.org/Feed.html

KMS students pictured above include: Emily A, Sara B, Rebecca B, Allison B, Edward B, Reed G, Ben G, Brian H, Jacob H, Britney H, Ben K. Matthew K, Taylor K, Sydney M, Abdulwasae M, Zachary N, Ashley S, Sara S, Tyler T, Joseph T, Dimitrios T, Jacob T, Brianna U, Hunter V, Alexia W, Robert W, Rebekah W.
Thanks to all and to Mr. Demers too!

A Gift of Books

2009-04-25T22:00:00.007-05:00

A big JAMBO! (Hello!) to the students and teachers of Amy Belle Elementary School in Germantown. They recently hosted a day-long cultural exchange event -- "Tanzafest" -- in partnership with Hearts in Unity. Attending a presentation in the morning, they learned about life in the small villages of Tanzania, Africa. Captivated by the stories and photos, the students asked such thoughtful questions about their new friends at Seela Primary School in Tanzania. It was so heartwarming to see the connection of hearts that were made that day.

In the afternoon, the Amy Belle students reached out in friendship to the students in Seela, and made over 400 Swahili/English phrasebooks as a way to help their new Tanzanian friends learn English.

Special thanks to Diane M. for her dedication to the PTA and to the students, and for her help with organizing and coordinating this cultural sharing opportunity for all at Amy Belle School. To the PTA and the teachers for their encouragement and support, and to the many volunteers who helped the students assemble the books... we couldn't have done all of this without you. Thanks for opening your heart to students on both sides of the world.

Our sincere thanks also to Mr. Finger -- a principal who is clearly admired by both students and teachers for his vision for this school. The legacy you will leave when you retire next year will be the respect that you taught the students by example.

It was an amazing day!

Join us in watching this connection unfold... student to student and friend to friend.

A Child is Waiting for You

2009-04-23T19:00:00.010-05:00

There are over 2.5 million orphans in Tanzania. Most of them have lost their parents due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, but accidents and disease (cancer, malaria, etc.) also leave many orphaned children with relatives, often their grandparents to try to care for them and their siblings. Worse yet, they are abandoned and left to make their own way in the world as street children.

How can you help?

When you partner with a Tanzanian orphan through Hearts in Unity, you open up a new world of hope for these precious children. Through your ongoing communications as a pen pal and friend to your partner child, you can build a special bond of sharing, learning, caring and encouragement... a heart-to-heart relationship that will transform that child’s life... and yours.

There is a child waiting for you in the village of Mwika, on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Do you have room in your heart?

To learn more about connecting with an orphan pen pal in Tanzania, please visit our website at www.heartsinunity.org and click on the "How I can Help" tab.

A Shipment of Blessings

2009-04-15T22:00:00.033-05:00

Last September, we shipped nearly 1 ton (yes, 2,000 pounds!) of donated school supplies, teaching materials, books, clothing, sewing machines and more to the villages of Seela and Mwika in Tanzania.

It was a long journey! From Wisconsin to Iowa, boxes of donations then loaded into a shipping container. After 3 months of transport on the high seas, entry into the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, processing through customs, and another month of ground transportation within Tanzania, this shipment of blessings finally reached its destination.

And now, a gift back to us – a few wonderful photos and another email with so many thanks…this one from Mama Itikisaeli Sikawa – one of the 19 teachers at Seela Primary School.

“Its a great pleassure to get another chance of saying halloh (Habari yako wewe na familia na marafiki). Here at Seela Primary School, all teachers and pupils are extremly happy proceding with daily activities. Futhermore we received the rewards you sent to us. Teachers and pupils received the boxes with great joy seeing you (imaginary) though you were not there physically. How happy everry one felt. These shows how you love us. We do the same to you. Every one holded his or her reward in hand saying thanks Sue, GOD bless you. We also share the rewards with our neihbours school Sing'isi Primary School, and of course they thanked a lot saying may GOD bless you and all donars participated. We would like to say Good Easter to you and your family, pastor and all friends.”

Heartfelt thanks for the amazing generosity of all who made this shipment of love possible, including:

• The students of Ben Franklin School in Menomonee Falls for donating over 800 pounds of school supplies.

• The Girls Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast for making more than 400 Swahili/English textbooks for the students of Seela Primary School, and also for their generous school supply donations.

• The local dentists (We love Dr. Timothy Poser!), Girl Scout troops and youth groups who donated more than 1,200 toothbrushes – special thanks to the Freistadt 4H and the Germantown Youth Futures for their help with this project.

• Both adults and children, with a labor of love, who have sewn hundreds of fabric school bags for the students in Tanzania. Special thanks to those who donated their hand-sewn school bags through Bigsby's Sewing Center (Brookfield) and Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Menomonee Falls). Together, you have touched the hearts of both teachers and the children in Tanzania.

• The kind individuals who are helping to support the women of our Sewing Co-ops in the villages of Mwika and Seela. Many thanks for the sewing machine donations (from Sophie Schaarschmidt and Janet Wendtland), and for the abundanance of thread (a donation from Lori V's mom!). Thanks also to so many who donated yarn for the women of the Mwika Sewing Coop to use in knitting sweaters for the children of that village. Through all of these gifts you give the women employment and income opportunities so that they, too, can care for their children.

• The many generous friends, especially kind-hearted co-workers at Northwestern Mutual (Milwaukee), who helped donate over 600 pounds of clothing and shoes for not only the children, but also for the men and women in the villages.

Special thanks also to NAI-MLG Commercial (Milwaukee) and to Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Menomonee Falls) for the generous and much appreciated donations towards shipping costs both here and in Tanzania, and to UPS Corporate for their generosity and assistance with the transportation of the donations from Wisconsin to the shipping center in Iowa.

It is a testament to the amazing things we can accomplish to help the precious children of Tanzania when we join together with our hearts in unity.

Asante sana! Thank you very much!

We Twitter! Do you?

2009-04-14T07:30:00.010-05:00

Hearts in Unity has joined the Twitter community! Do you Twitter? Follow us through the Twitter feeds on the right-side bar of this blog, or stop by for a visit at http://twitter.com/heartsinunity and join us there.

We'd love to follow you, too! Send us a message of hello and let us know you are there, too!

Step by Step

2009-04-09T17:00:00.045-05:00

The other day I went shopping for a new pair of shoes.

As I walked the aisles looking for my size, I was struck by the magnitude of it all. Floor to ceiling, wall after wall of shoe boxes filled with new shoes. Running shoes, walking shoes (is there special shoe for those of us interested in a periodic casual jog without the actual effort of a “run”?). And the prices! Seems like a pair of simple sneakers these days starts at about $75 a pair (I guess you could say I hadn’t been shopping for shoes in a while).

And in my musings of shoe selection and price my thoughts wandered – as often is the case – to Tanzania.

Walking with children along a rutted dirt road littered with stray sticks, stones and dry leaves. More than one child balancing on their head a bucket of water from the river, or a bundle of firewood as we carefully skirted deep crevices and potholes in the dirt road and each made our way home.

Glancing down at the children’s feet, I see shoes that are worn and full of holes; plastic sandals held together with string; sandals handmade from old tires; or more sadly, the child who doesn’t own a pair of shoes.

As I glance upward and see a pair of new $100 shoes on the shelf before me, I do a quick calculation. With the same $100, I could buy a dozen pair of sturdy shoes in Tanzania for the children – NEW shoes – not the USED shoes that so many Tanzanian parents buy for lack of money.

I think back again to the day last November when Roland and I went shopping for children’s shoes in Arusha, Tanzania. We were looking to purchase 100 pair of children’s shoes with the generation donations we received from so many “Hearts in Unity” supporters in the States. It took all day, but we finally accomplished what we had set out to do.

It was an amazing day when we distributed the shoes to the 100 orphan and at-risk children whom we had gathered together. The air was charged with anticipation as they waited so patiently. And on that day, 100 delighted children received brand new shoes!

What a blessing! Thanks to the kind hearts of so many people.

Yet, thousands of children in our Tanzanian villages are still without a single pair of proper shoes.

As I look down at the new pair of shoes I had selected for myself, I remind myself that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. And with our first gift of shoes to the children of Tanzania we had taken our first step.

Kudos to KMS Students!

2009-04-04T21:21:00.013-05:00

A meal for the 1,000 students and their teachers at Seela Primary School in Tanzania! A meal large enough that even the pre-school age children in the village living near the school will be invited. Wow!

This amazing donation is from the 7th and 8th grade students in Mr. Demer’s six “Foods” classes at Kennedy Middle School (KMS) in Germantown.

Special thanks to the 7th grade students in the 5th hour/gold class for making the largest donation towards the meal for the children in Seela. Soon this class of KMS kids will be rewarded for their generosity and kind hearts with a special treat of maandazi – a Tanzanian fried bread much like donuts here.

Just a few weeks ago the KMS students participated in a “hands-on” cooking class featuring traditional Tanzanian food. Together in their classroom we made chapati – kneading it, rolling it into flat circles, and cooking the chapati on a griddle – while they listened to stories of life in Tanzania. We compared our meal preparation with that in Tanzania – electric griddles and easy access to water here vs. cooking over an open fire in Tanzanian with water fetched from the river.

The students then enjoyed a meal of chapati, ugali and a traditional Tanzanian vegetable stew. They loved the food!

The students asked amazingly insightful and thoughtful questions as they heard how the 1,000 children at Seela Primary (Elementary) School go without lunch each day. They learned how families in the village of Seela live in such poverty that they don’t even have a small bag of corn flour to send to the school so that ugali (a stiff porridge of corn flour and water) can be prepared as lunch for the students.

Moved by the stories they heard about the children of Tanzania, the 7th and 8th grade students donated from their hearts to help feed children in Tanzania….their generosity will touch the lives of well over 1,000 kids on the other side of the world!

Kudos to all of these amazing students!

"Piga Picha"

2009-04-04T07:43:00.031-05:00

It was a beautiful sunny day in Seela, Tanzania. I’m playing with the children outside. A little boy, probably about 7 years old motions to me to follow him. He has a shy smile on his face and he speaks quickly and with a measure of determination. I pick out the Swahili words “njoo” (“come”) and “nyumbani” (“at home”). “You want me to come to your house? Mimi na wewe? Nyumbani yangu?”

He nods. So we go hand in hand. We walk down the road a short way and then down a dirt path to his home.

He shows me where the calabash are growing. “Piga picha” he says….”Take a picture” (by now, all of the children are well acquainted with the magic of my camera). I take a photo, show him the photo on the camera, and he nods.

We walk closer to the house. He takes me over to his brother and we greet each other… ”Hujambo Mama” ”Sijambo” “Habari za leo” “Nzuri, asante, nawe” “Salaam sana” “Asante”.

The little boy stands by the coffee tree where his brother is picking red, ripe coffee berries. “Piga picha” he says again. And I take a picture, delighted as he is with these photo opportunities. “Piga picha” again as he kneels down by the bucket of red coffee berries, and then as he stands first by the goat, and then in the doorway of his home, built of rough timber and a tin roof, gaps between the boards big enough to peer through.

Each time, he checks the camera to make sure I took the photos. Each time looking with a nod of confirmation and a shy smile.

He then pulls me by the hand, around to the back of the house.

I am not prepared for that I will see. My hand goes to cover my mouth as I stifle my unexpected intake of breath. The realization rocks me.

This is the little boy who people in the village had been talking about quietly in the days since my arrival in the village. This is the little boy whose mother had died the week before.

He had brought me to her grave.

“Mama Sue,” he said solemnly, almost a whisper, “piga picha.” It was my turn to nod.

As he stood there next to the rough wooden cross on which his mother’s name was painted, I silently complied with his simple request. “Piga picha.”

A picture of a little boy at his mother’s grave. That must have been how I looked as a child, standing at my own mother’s grave – 40 years earlier – when I was 7 years old.

The cycle of life and death never changing.

Karibu Chakula!

2009-03-25T21:38:00.028-05:00

Chapati, ugali, ndizi, chai....flat bread, thick cornmeal porridge, bananas, tea.

Traditional Tanzanian foods....staples of the Tanzanian diet.

Meal preparation is quite a process in Tanzania. Market day is typically once or twice a week, and people often walk for miles to get to the central marketplace.

Firewood must be gathered, and water fetched from the river before the actual meal preparations even begin. A chore for the children, carrying wood or a bucket of water which is balanced precariously on their head as they walk down the dirt path back home.

With no access to electricity, cooking is done outside over open fires -- with jicho (stones) to balance the cooking pot. Women tend to the fire for hours in preparing the food for the day. Dishes are washed with more water, fetched from the river, and heated over the fire. Quite a process...a labor of love, really.

So welcome to the preparation of a Tanzania meal! Karibu chakula!

Enjoy the video...

Be sure to check out the Tanzanian recipes on the right-hand column of the blog. We'd love to hear from those who have tried the ugali, chapati and Tanzanian vegetable stew!

NOTE: If the video does not play correctly here, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ano9mFZAdfc

Second Sight

2009-03-24T07:31:00.008-05:00

Do you remember where you were when you realized you needed glasses? Or when your child needed glasses?

I was about 10 years old, in 4th grade. We were at a major league baseball game. After about the umpteenth time asking what the score was and how many outs there were, my stepfather looked at me with a measure of exasperation, and asked the obvious, “It’s right there on the scoreboard. Can’t you see it?!”

Of course I could see the scoreboard. It was right there bigger than life – huge, formidable, out there in left field, and…..out of focus…..blurry as the house across the street at home when looking through the rain streaked front window.

And in the years since, I wonder how many pair of glasses I have worn as my eyesight changed. Who knows where all those old glasses ended up – discarded for that new, fashionable pair with a more suitable prescription. There was always a new pair when I needed them. I took those glasses for granted. I perhaps still do.

Fast forward to Tanzania 2008. I’m walking around Seela, a village located on the slopes of Mt. Meru. I’m visiting people in their homes. And everywhere I go, along the way I somehow meet the same woman. She’s dressed in traditional Tanzanian clothes, and her smile lights up her face as we greet each other. Hujambo. Sijambo mama. Habari. Salama sana. Nashukuru sana. Asante Mungu. Asante sana.

There’s something about her, though, and I can’t place my finger on it. But she does it for me. Literally. She takes her finger and puts it through the hole in the frame of her eyeglasses where a lens should be. That’s it. That’s what struck me….she’s wearing glasses. It’s an unusual sight in Tanzania…except for those who are fortunate to have employment and an income with which to buy eyeglasses.

Only after I get past that ah-ha moment, do I realize that she is still talking, finger still pointing to the missing lens. In her limited English she is asking, “Mama, I need new glasses. You will get them for me?” And I am speechless. I don’t know what to do.

I can’t take her to buy glasses. It is so important for peace in the village that the Mzungu (white person) not show favoritism for one person or one family – that all is done for the benefit of all people in the village. So I murmur….najua Mama, najua….I know, Mama, I know. And I tell her to talk to Mchungaji – the Pastor – and make her needs known to him….and that somehow God will provide. Mungu anakupenda.

We meet again and again around the village in the weeks that follow. Her request repeated each time. My response the same each time, but each time with lingering contemplations. I don’t believe I saw any of the 1,000 children at Seela Primary school wearing glasses. Can they all see the chalkboard at the front of the classroom? What about the older students going to secondary school? And the elderly? How many people in Tanzania are living their days without the clarity of sight.

God planted a little seed in my heart when I first met that women. The seed stayed there, tucked away safe and sound, and with a little time, and a measure of faith and trust it grew slowly. The first thoughts were fleeting…memories of the missing lens. Then, just as the clarity that comes from sight, an idea and a clear plan.

So that’s where we are now. Collecting used eyeglasses for the people in Seela and the surrounding villages. These will be hand carried when I return to Tanzania in November 2009, and shipped to the village on an ongoing basis after that. This is a project that the villagers can sustain on their own, taking care of each other and passing along the gift of sight that comes from the generosity of those on the other side of the world.

The villagers are excited about this project, and are eager to learn how to do simple eye exams, and to help both children and adults to select a pair of “new” glasses from the many that have already been and will be donated. The prescriptions might not be perfect, but what in God’s world is perfect? What matters is that we do all we can to care for each other, and this is an easy thing we can do to connect with the people of Tanzania and show that we care.

Do you have used eyeglasses to donate? What about sponsoring a used eyeglass collection through your church, school, or community group?

We CAN make a difference with the help of people who join together – with hearts in unity – to donate used eyeglasses for the children and adults in Tanzania. Let us know if you can help.

Tutaonana baadaye... “See” you later.

Welcome to Tanzania!

2009-03-22T21:35:00.010-05:00

Join us on an amazing journey as we explore life in Tanzania, Africa.

We’ll share stories of the struggles of daily life in the small, remote villages located on the slopes of Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro – stories from people living in the 5th poorest country in the world.

Follow along as we reach out, with hearts in unity, to the people of Tanzania – especially to the orphans and other at-risk children who live their lives in heartbreaking poverty.

Celebrate with us as we partner with others in our efforts to help feed, clothe and educate the children of Tanzania.

Come back and visit us often, and share in the joy and delight as we move forward with determination in this mission, changing lives, one precious child at a time.

Mungu akubariki,
Sue and Roland