Lee Harding from the USA, who adopted one of LIA children, his mum Debbie and friend Lisa purchased a large amount of drugs from their project money to help the poor in some of the remotest area's imaginable. Deep trenches of choking dust, not one blade of grass, skeletal cows, greeted them as they trundled along in a landrover to reach these villages. With our trusted local doctor and nurse, they have treated over 600 patients - 310 in one day! plus a seminar for the local maasai on HIV/AIDS. This resulted in them receiving lovely beeded work crosses as a gift of appreciation.
What a wonderful expression of love to the poor and needy.
Mama Lynn
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You are all such wonderful people wishing the very best for our children. And already we get regular questions about the option to send gifts for the holiday season. Only when this remains limited to
a good size envelop and clearly marked gift, it should pass through customs without any serious issues..
However, anything bigger gets held up and we will be asked to pay for customs duies and taxes. Nothing unusual, but we cannot afford to spend out donor money on such charges. Such packages are to be avoided.
We count on your understanding and like to thank you for your continued fine support.
Asante sana!
Paul
webmaster
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This time we like to refer you to a good overview story of the Light in Africa Medical Outreach program in the Kilimanjaro region.
Jake Lyell, photographer, has written a well illustrated story on his blog.
Click here and scroll down to the article titled Limited Access: healh care in rural Tanzania
While most of our readers prepare for autumn & winter, Tanzania is embracing for the potential effects of El Niño which is said to be potentially hazardous for the East African communities th2 next few months. As we prepare for it, we'll keep you informed through this weblog.
Asante Sana
Paul
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Dearest Friends of LIA
For the last three weeks I have been incommunicado with the website being totaly blocked by all the wonderful pictures that our returning volunteers had taken of there stay in Tanzania. And all there photo memories of our children and the places they had visited when on the out-reach dispensaries, and of the people they had met, and the pictures of beautiful Mount Kilimanjaro, and the wonderful pictures of the elephants, the zebra's and the giraffes, they were all great to see and to know they had enjoyed such a positive time with us, but it caused us a little problem. It was fine my end but as our webmaster and his wife had taken a much deserved three week holiday, it was only when he returned that he found that the whole site was also blocked his end too..... so sincere aqpologies for all the peole who tried to send me emails and all that was revealed was 'email blocked'.
(before sharing any pictures, pls email the webmaster first)
I sometimes just stand and look in amazement at the work that is being achieved, through God's provision, and I have so much to tell you what has happened since my three weeks absence.First and formost, more children have come into the care of LIA. We are now recognised that in a large area from Moshi to Arusha that Light in Africa appears to be the only childrens' home who willingly are accepting chilren with the HIV/AIDS virus. They are coming into care via hospitals, social workers in other districts and through our own network. We look to God, not to the cost of how much it is all costing, to keep all these children healthy. We only have to look at our young adults who came to live with me 9 years ago and just seeing them so healthy - tall, enjoying education, and making plans for their futures, and the boys now able to 'pat me on the head' as I shrink and they grow to 6' tall, but most of all - laughing and being happy. They are not the orphans who were stigmatised because their parents had already died of Aids, they are not the street children who were living under the coffee trees because their fathers had beaten them and thrown them out, they are not the children who were sleeping in doorways and being abused by the drunks passing by at night - they are not the children who could not read or write at 10 years of age. They are NOW the future of Tanzania....
TUDOR VILLAGE
It is a very exciting time for us this week, as we are on the move again.
Two moves are anticipated. The first being the disabled children are moving into house no 3 with mama Queenie in charge of their care. And the many babu's (grandfathers) that we care for are all going to move to our maasai facility in Lerai, where this year our volunteers have enjoyed the unique experience of living in a maasai encampment and walking with maasai elders on the 'tree walk' to see the trees that these nomadic tribe use as traditional medicine.
The volunteers this year have worked just so hard to 'kick start' the bungalows into being available for the children to move into. From making cement bricks to planting trees: they have all committed to our vision of making Tudor Village a very special place for the children. The management and staff of LIA honour you for the work of your hands and hearts. Thank you and bless you.
LIGHTHOUSE CHILDREN'S HOME - THE OPENING OF A NEW HOME IN MIRERANI.
In April of this year, we felt the need to rent another property in the Manyara Region to enable LIA to be in a position of accepting more vulnerable children into care. The property had stood empty for 3 years and had been vandalised.This year's army of volunteers has transformed this derelect property into something really special. They have built high walls, knocked down toilet blocks, painted and tiled poky little bedrooms and made them look fantastic, built a new kitchen area and left their murals on the lounge walls.
One comment that was said this year which made me chuckle; was "mama Lynn, you're very brave." "Why is that?" I responded. "Because my parents would never ever allow me to have a paint brush in my hand, and you're allowing me to paint a wall" - The anticipated opening date for this new facility is the 25th September. It would not be happening if it wasn't for our volunteers! Great Job done.
(picture shows the new toilet blocks being built for Lighthouse)
MAASAI SCHOOL FOOD KITCHEN.
This is a drought year in Tanzania. The rains which started after a long delay, failed to be sufficient to grow the maize. Consequently, people are suffering with hunger as well as the livestock that people depend on to sustain them. The maasai have been particularly hit and as they are nomadic, have taken their wifes and cattle and travelled 250 kilometers to the grasslands.
Unfortunately, many of the small children, which could not walk the distance have been left behind with either neighbours or relatives.
Light in Africa had been asked to help a private school which has over 100 kindergarten children attending it and it has only one teacher. The building they are using isn't finished. It has walls and a roof and that is it. Some children sit 5 or 6 to a desk, other younger children at the front of the class sit on a piece of wood supported by
two bricks at each end.
For five days per week, we have been taking our food into the school to help these little ones, who some have been only receiving a cup of flour and water each day. We will continue to help these vulnerable children until the rains come and there parents return.
I think I had better stop now or else it will be me blocking the site with too much information, and I will write a further update later with more pictures of the village and Lighthouse......
Thank you for your patience, be blessed - mama Lynn
Light in Africa also cares for several unsupported babu's. They will all move from Mailisita to Leray and will be joined by this recently found babu who was without any decent home or care.
It looks an idylic picture, but this cart served as ambulance to transport a patient to the nearest dispensary[ add comment ] | related link
Let common sense prevail.
Tanzania earlier this month (June 9th) reported its first case of swine flu. A British student traveling in a group with teachers and fellow students did not feel well upon arrival in the capital Dar-es-Salaam. He was hopitalized for isolation and treatment and meanwhile has recovered and has been discharged.
For those who plan to leave for travel to Tanzania in the (near) future: exercise the same care as you in your home country regarding flu symptoms. Oviously, those with symptoms and due to travel, should, unfortunately, cancel/delay their trip until better again.
And we expect everyone to appreciate that those with symptoms already in Tanzania will have to be separated from the group, but will be cared for, of-course.
Thank you for your understanding
Paul
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My dear friends and supporters of Light in Africa.
From my previous blogg you will know that I am now based permanantly in the mining town of Mirerani, in the Manyara Region. This is not my personal choice of where I would like to live, but that I believe of God's.
In this desperately poor place, we have opened a children's home and also have a Food Kitchen, which is daily feeding many vulnerable children. Due to the many abandoned children and those being badly abused, Fleeze House is now full to capacity and we are now in the process of renovating another home to accomodate our older children.
This week whilst there I have temporarily accomodated a further nine more children. Their mothers' earn a living from sexual favours to the miners, leaving the children to fend for themselves. We know them from their attendance at the Food Kitchen, where this is where they obtained there only meal of the day, but this week it was all too much for them when they came to see me, crying and hungry. One eight year old child had the full responsibily of a little Down Syndrome baby and another sibling, the other 9 year old had the sole responsibility of a 9 month old child who couldn't even sit up by herself and was severly underweight. The third girl had another child to care for. Whilst I sent staff off to make an assesment from the local 10 cell leader, we fed them and had the regulatory medical check-up. The report came back that these two girls were living in one room with there siblings, and one night they screamed out as three men came in to there room. They were saved from abuse by the local leader, who requested that we help these vulnerable children. They are now safely in our care, as they try to relinquish the responsibily of there siblings and are now starting to integrate and play with our other older children. These young girls have not known what it is to have a childhood, as it has been their responsibilty to tie the babies on their backs with a piece of material and care for them as best they could.
A week last Friday, I rang Mama Coupa our Treasurer to ask how many boxes of food where left in the store. She replied. 'The last box has gone today' Are you going to stop the daily food kitchen now?'. 'I will wait until Monday and if the container has not arrived by then, we will have to close it down' I replied. I returned to Mailisita the following day, and at 1pm I took a photograph of the empty store room, at 3pm Mama Coupa rang me from her home to say she had had a telephone call from Dr. Mike, the container co-ordinator to say the food had been released from the docks and the lorry was on it's way, please have volunteers ready to unload the 1,300 boxes.
At 7pm, 40 volunteers were engaged in transferring the boxes in a chain from out of the lorry into our store house. Just unbelievable, that God waited until my store was empty, and then He filled it to feed the children.We send our sincere appreciation to our friends in America who
provided the food and our friends and supporters in Iowa and Malibu
who provided the funds to send the container overseas, and to Dr.
Mike who must have an abundance of patience as he negotiates through
all the paperwork that is required for the release of the food. It
is our priveledge to work alongside of you in helping to feed these
precious children.
And finally, yesterday, whilst involved in an outreach seminar to the
maasai, Moses who most of our past volunteers know as my very first
abandoned baby and who has hands like meat plates as he enjoys his food so much, started to cry in pain, I decided to take him to see Dr. Minja with a little maasai baby who was sick. As soon as he was examined, Dr, Minja observed that it could be an obstuction in his intestine as his tummy was as hard as a drum..... this was another emergency. I quickly arranged for a landrover to collect our outreach volunteers and I sped down the bumpy road, with head lights on taking him the 2 hour drive to the nearest hospital. He was vomiting all the way, as we rushed into casualty.. praying that an operation would not be required.
Thankfully, no obstruction was found, and he was released home.
I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - DO YOU?
Warmest wishes, mama lynn
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HELP US TO MAINTAIN CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONS WITH TANZANIA IMMIGRATION
If you are leaving for Tanzania to volunteer with Light in Africa, this message is for you. If you know someone who will travel soon, please direct them to this page.
To engage in volunteer work in Tanzania you require a class C-volunteering permit that can only be obtained in the country (Tanzania).
When flying to Tanzania you need to complete a so-called entry/arrival declaration form that will be handed to you during your flight. A sample is shown below. It is important that you declare “volunteer” as the purpose of travel on this form and further complete all boxes as indicated.
Immigration at the Kilimanjaro (or Dar-es-Salaam) airport will issue an entry visa (pay US$ 50, only in US$ and only cash; US passport holders pay US$ 100).
In the days following your arrival at Light in Africa the application for your class C-permit will be completed (bring all documents and pass photos as indicated in the information pack). A fee of US$ 120 (again to be paid in cash in US$) is levied by immigration in Moshi.
Those who declare another purpose of visit than the one indicated (volunteer) will be denied the class C-permit unless they pay fine of US$ 400 for wrong declaration.
Those who obtained for a tourist visa in their home country will be denied the class C-permit and will be unable to perform any services and duties during their stay.
If you have any questions or doubts, please contact/email us prior to your departure.
;)
(cick picture for a larger version)
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Hello dear friends,
What a wonderful day we had celebrating Pastor Frank's marriage to Salome, She looked beautiful in her wedding gown, and I'm sure God will bless this very happy union.
And yes, it has now been 9 years since I arrived in Tanzania. When I look at the children who were the first children to come into Light in Africa's care, and now the boys are 6' tall and doing well in school, and our girls are beautiful young ladies it makes one's heart melt and fill with joy how they have developed into such caring Tanzanian citizens. All wanting careers which will help there communities, which I think is a very special thing for them to do. The boarders have broken up from school, and for the first time, they are going to be working alongside our many volunteers as interpretors.
I am now solely based in Mirerani and only come back to headquarters at the week-end to relief Mama Coupa (Treasurer) and Gudilla (Secretary). As there is no internet over there, I have a large backlog of emails to answer once again, and it doesn't help with so many of my sent emails being returned to me. I am really having to close my hotmail account down as nothing is being sent, so please can you just use this site to correspond with me. Many thanks.
Dear Friends: love abundantly, Tomorrow's Blessings are patiently waiting for you all....... mama Lynn
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Did you read about the celebrations of this month on our weblog? Wouldn't you think that a cup of coffee would go well with some of that mouth-watering cake? Well, then how about this very special offer from Tom Thorogood and the Blanchard's Coffee Company who sells some of the finest Tanzanian coffee grown on the slopes of mount Kilimanjaro, under the shade of banana trees. And every bag sold benefits Light in Africa's work with this special promotion .
Thank you Tom and all at Blanchard's!
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Nine years and counting .....
This month we celebrated the ninth anniversary of Light in Africa. Mama Lynn has come a long way in nine years. From founding a children's home with just two girls high up on the mountain, to now providing love and care to 160 children in three towns in the Kilimanjaro area. In addition to the children's homes, ministries have expanded to elder care, medical dispensaries and a food kitchen in Mirerani. The possibilities for expansion are seemingly endless, or, otherwise said, needs continue to be identified. But we are blessed having been able to provide already for so many.
But there was more cake-cutting: a Wedding !!!!!!!!
Salome and "our" pastor Frank made it official on this special day.
Join us in sending them our blessing to say: May Your Wedding Bring You Endless Joy And Everlasting Happiness!
Congratulations on behalf of all of LíA's friends.
(more pictures on the celebrations page)
webmaster
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