Kind Hearts... Warm Kids!

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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...

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...

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!