THE ARUSHA CHILDREN'S TRUST
Newsletter #8 December 2007
P.0. Box 223, Arusha, Tanzania, East Africa.
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From the Editor
Welcome to our eighth annual newsletter.
The Arusha Children's Trust has had a productive 2007 and would like to thank friends, supporters and donors in Tanzania and all over the world.
What happened this year?
- There was a very successful fundraising event in Arusha in September 2007 at Masai Camp.
- The Adventure Company UK pledged continued support through their responsible tourism program.
- A new classroom was built for the kindergarten in a Maasai village outside Arusha.
- A new porridge recipe proved to be very popular with the kindergarten children.
Thanks to Tropical Trails/ Wilderness Trails safari companies for services and support in Arusha.
Thanks to Robert Gray in New Zealand for maintaining and keeping the website up to date.
ACT thanks everyone who has made 2007 a success and hopes that in 2008 with continued support existing projects can be expanded and new ones can be funded.
All donations, no matter their size, can make a difference to the lives of the children we help. ACT actively and directly supports children's education in the Arusha and Rift Valley regions of Tanzania.
Ishbel Brydon.
Project manager in Arusha.
Community Centre News
Parents, children and teachers were very happy when the new classroom was completed in May 2007 at the community centre in the village of Olmuringiringa, north of Arusha.
The kindergarten class grew to over one hundred, four to six year olds and a new classroom was desperately needed. Thanks to the Earthdance fundraiser of 2006 at Masai Camp, Arusha and to Brittany Stephen and friends in America the youngest children can enjoy a bright new space to learn in.
The furniture for the new classroom was provided by Dutch fundraisers Claudia van Westen and Jannemiek de Jong.
At the beginning of the year we experimented with two new nutritional types of flour to improve the daily porridge at the kindergarten. The children gave the new recipe the thumbs up so we will continue to use the maize and millet flours with added vitamins.
In November 2007 fifty six year olds graduated at a well-attended ceremony in the centre. They will continue their education in Standard One from January 2008 in seven different primary schools in the surrounding area.
Mr. Abel Matari, the Ward Education Officer, and guest speaker, praised ACT, the teachers and the parents highly for their commitment to the school. He was very impressed with the quality of the education the children had received. They performed songs, dances and sketches for the audience.
The community centre welcomes visitors, women's groups and other community-based programs for workshops and sharing knowledge. Sibusiso, the foundation for mentally handicapped children in Arusha, continues to support the parents and disadvantaged children in the area by holding monthly clinics at the centre. Sibusiso's outreach team have made an extremely welcome, positive impact on the lives of these families.
The kindergarten was visited by Anne Pearson of the African Children's Book Box Society in January 2007. She gifted 150USD worth of books for the children.
This year some primary children from The International School of Moshi, Arusha Campus, made small picture books for the kindergarten. The ISM students improved their Swahili in the process and were very excited to visit the kindergarten on two separate occasions to personally hand over their colourful books on counting, animals, ABC, etc. They also read their books to the children.
A teacher from Bell Baxter High School in Scotland, Angela Clark, has motivated her pupils to make books too, so we'll look forward to them!
ACT would also like to praise the teachers and the director of the community centre for their dedication to the kindergarten. Visitors always comment on the happy, smiling faces of the children.
Fund-raising in Arusha, Tanzania
On March 17th 2007 ACT and friends organized a St Patrick's night at Masai Camp. At the end of the evening a whip round for Malaika Orphanage in Arusha raised $US 90.
On September 15th 2007 Masai Camp, Arusha, hosted its 4th annual Earthdance. Earthdance is a global
dance for peace which takes place simultaneously all over the world. The event brought together the local community to enjoy a very special evening of live music and excellent performances from different local bands, solo musicians and dancers. All the profits from Earthdance will go to ACT projects.
ACT especially thanks Ian Robertson of ABB, Arusha, for their very generous donation of 2500 USD.
Other sponsors who gave their valuable time and expertise freely were:
- Arumeru Jazz Band,
- Black Mambas Blues Band,
- Masai Camp,
- K.K. Security,
- Tanzania Breweries,
- Naomba.Com,
- Tropical Trails,
- Via Via and The Arusha Times.
A very big thank you to everybody!
Sponsorship from UK -
The Adventure Company
The Adventure Company, UK, ensures its clients that a responsible travel philosophy is incorporated into all aspects of its tours. They recognize that they are accountable for any impact they have on the local communities in which they operate.
In 2007 ACT received a total of 4146 GBP from the Adventure Company. This money is from donations made by clients visiting Tanzania and from the Responsible Travel Project.
ACT has earmarked this money for projects to help several primary schools on the outskirts of Arusha.
Many schools are lacking in sports equipment, furniture, books, sufficient toilet facilities etc, etc, therefore this money will be well used in the coming year.
Many thanks to other Adventure Company clients for gifts of toys and books.
Twinning of Schools
In June ACT visited Carmondean Primary School in Livingstone, Scotland as the teachers of the primary seven classes were keen to find a twin school in Tanzania. The idea being that the children in both schools would communicate and learn about their different lives and cultures.
ACT chose the primary school nearest to Olmuringiringa community centre to be the twin school in Arusha. The Carmondean children did various fund-raising activities and raised £UK 65 for the Tanzanian school.
Although primary and secondary school education is free in government schools in Tanzania families need help with uniforms, shoes etc and other basic annual costs.
Other Sponsorship News
Robert Gunn, USA, a dedicated supporter and donor to ACT, continues to sponsor a Tanzanian student from Bulati in the Ngorongoro Highlands. Naitira Ngare is about to complete secondary Form 5 and will start Form 6 in 2008.
How can you help?
ACT relies on fundraising activities and donations. It is run by volunteers.
Donations can be made through Paypal by going to the website: www.arushachildrenstrust.org
Or by cheque made payable to The Arusha Children's Trust at the following bank address:
The Bank of Scotland,
43, Comely Bank Road,
Edinburgh.
EH4 1AF
United Kingdom.
Sterling Account no 06002520 or
Branch Sort Code: 80-11-05
Account Name: The Arusha Children's Trust.
For more information on ACT go to
www.arushachildrenstrust.org
or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.