This is a story about What a Difference a Loving Education can make for our Children.
The very first children's home that I opened on arrival in Tanzania in 2000 was 6,000 feet high on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Whilst painting this derelict orphanage, the local people were arriving at the gate begging for me to give them food.
I was new to the area, and asked the watchman whom I had just employed: “are there really people starving on this lush mountain?” His reply was that, “it's not only orphans who die of hunger, but also unsupported old people, I can take you right now to where an old man is dying of hunger". That comment was the catalyst which started the Out-reach Food Programs and the out-reach medical dispensaries.
Eight years later, our medical team will treat over 12,000 patients with 'free' treatment and 'free' drugs this year alone. It was whilst operating one of these out-reach dispensaries, that a man arrived as we were packing our things away, to tell me that there was a family of 5 children who were starving, and that I should go at once to see them.
I quickly agreed to go, but the porters who I had employed to carry my things did not: “No” they all agreed, “it's getting late and we can't be on this mountain in the dark”. I eventually agreed to pay them 3 times there wage to accompany me to where these children were located.
We reached a brow of a hill and looked down into a valley where there was a small mud hut with three small children sat outside.
I sent the porters down first as I was always concerned that some children had perhaps never seen a white person. I watched as a man got out his handkerchief and wiped his eyes. He came slowly towards me and told me to prepare myself for what I would see. I walked towards the children and then bobbed down and held my hand for them to take some sweets. They came towards me walking on their hands and knees.
As they came closer I could see that their hands and feet where full of the flesh eating parasite called chiggers. The youngest child inside the hut, had already had his grave dug for him as he was not expected to live.
We brought all 5 children back to the centre where they quickly recovered. The oldest child was about 8 years of age, and I asked Douglas if he would like to attend the local primary school and if he had had any previous education. He said he had not attended school on a regular basis as the family had no money to pay the school fees.
I visited the school to enrol Douglas and explained to the teacher the circumstances of the child coming into our care. For two weeks, the other children attending the same school would come to tell me that Douglas had been beaten at school, a further letter to the school from me followed.
Two weeks later, the children ran to me to tell me that Douglas had dug a hole in the school playground and buried his books. An hour after the other children had arrived, Douglas walked slowly in. I quietly asked him why he had buried his books in the school playground and he replied: "I would rather be beaten for not having my school books, than be beaten and laughed at because I don't know what is on the blackboard". That was it for me. I had just rescued these children, and now they were afraid of education.
My daughter Laura had just arrived with my three grandchildren and she was home schooling them. From then on, Douglas was the first Tanzanian child to study on this curriculum.......
When our school was closed down in September 2007, there was no way that I could re-enter Douglas back into the local education system, so he with two other boys were sent to a private school in Dar-es-Salaam. I would now like to copy you a recent email that I have received from the Head Teacher of their school.
The very first children's home that I opened on arrival in Tanzania in 2000 was 6,000 feet high on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Whilst painting this derelict orphanage, the local people were arriving at the gate begging for me to give them food.
I was new to the area, and asked the watchman whom I had just employed: “are there really people starving on this lush mountain?” His reply was that, “it's not only orphans who die of hunger, but also unsupported old people, I can take you right now to where an old man is dying of hunger". That comment was the catalyst which started the Out-reach Food Programs and the out-reach medical dispensaries.
Eight years later, our medical team will treat over 12,000 patients with 'free' treatment and 'free' drugs this year alone. It was whilst operating one of these out-reach dispensaries, that a man arrived as we were packing our things away, to tell me that there was a family of 5 children who were starving, and that I should go at once to see them.
I quickly agreed to go, but the porters who I had employed to carry my things did not: “No” they all agreed, “it's getting late and we can't be on this mountain in the dark”. I eventually agreed to pay them 3 times there wage to accompany me to where these children were located.
We reached a brow of a hill and looked down into a valley where there was a small mud hut with three small children sat outside.
I sent the porters down first as I was always concerned that some children had perhaps never seen a white person. I watched as a man got out his handkerchief and wiped his eyes. He came slowly towards me and told me to prepare myself for what I would see. I walked towards the children and then bobbed down and held my hand for them to take some sweets. They came towards me walking on their hands and knees.
As they came closer I could see that their hands and feet where full of the flesh eating parasite called chiggers. The youngest child inside the hut, had already had his grave dug for him as he was not expected to live.
We brought all 5 children back to the centre where they quickly recovered. The oldest child was about 8 years of age, and I asked Douglas if he would like to attend the local primary school and if he had had any previous education. He said he had not attended school on a regular basis as the family had no money to pay the school fees.
I visited the school to enrol Douglas and explained to the teacher the circumstances of the child coming into our care. For two weeks, the other children attending the same school would come to tell me that Douglas had been beaten at school, a further letter to the school from me followed.
Two weeks later, the children ran to me to tell me that Douglas had dug a hole in the school playground and buried his books. An hour after the other children had arrived, Douglas walked slowly in. I quietly asked him why he had buried his books in the school playground and he replied: "I would rather be beaten for not having my school books, than be beaten and laughed at because I don't know what is on the blackboard". That was it for me. I had just rescued these children, and now they were afraid of education.
My daughter Laura had just arrived with my three grandchildren and she was home schooling them. From then on, Douglas was the first Tanzanian child to study on this curriculum.......
When our school was closed down in September 2007, there was no way that I could re-enter Douglas back into the local education system, so he with two other boys were sent to a private school in Dar-es-Salaam. I would now like to copy you a recent email that I have received from the Head Teacher of their school.
DEAR MAM LYNN,
I would like to share with you the miracles God is doing in the lives of your boys; INNOCENT,RUMISHAEL AND DAUGLOS.
Generally speaking there is much imoprovement in the character and accademic work!!
Dauglos is extremely hard working!! I fail to explan, he remains after school and works all break times sometimes he remains in class to work!!
VERY INTERESTING AND ASTONISHING HE MANAGES TO FINISHE MORE THAN 100 PAGES A
DAY!!! He started with 72 Paces some weeks ago but this last week he did more than 100 pages a day!! THAT IS THE NEW RECORD IN OUR SCHOOL.
HE DOES SCORE ALOT OF 100 MARKS IN HIS TESTS.TEACHERS ARE SPEECHLESS BECAUSE
HE HAS CHANGED A LOT.
INNOCENT AND RUMISHA ARE CHALLENGED.
THEY ARE NOW GOING TO CHURCH FOR SUNDAY SERVICES. WE REALLY THANK GOD FOR
WHAT HE IS DOING IN THEIR LIVES.
WILLBROAD PROSPER
I would like to share with you the miracles God is doing in the lives of your boys; INNOCENT,RUMISHAEL AND DAUGLOS.
Generally speaking there is much imoprovement in the character and accademic work!!
Dauglos is extremely hard working!! I fail to explan, he remains after school and works all break times sometimes he remains in class to work!!
VERY INTERESTING AND ASTONISHING HE MANAGES TO FINISHE MORE THAN 100 PAGES A
DAY!!! He started with 72 Paces some weeks ago but this last week he did more than 100 pages a day!! THAT IS THE NEW RECORD IN OUR SCHOOL.
HE DOES SCORE ALOT OF 100 MARKS IN HIS TESTS.TEACHERS ARE SPEECHLESS BECAUSE
HE HAS CHANGED A LOT.
INNOCENT AND RUMISHA ARE CHALLENGED.
THEY ARE NOW GOING TO CHURCH FOR SUNDAY SERVICES. WE REALLY THANK GOD FOR
WHAT HE IS DOING IN THEIR LIVES.
WILLBROAD PROSPER
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A LOVING EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT CAN MAKE. HE NOW HAS HOPE, AND A FUTURE.
Mama Lynn 07/08
Mama Lynn 07/08