Recapping an Unforgettable Journey to Tanzania
In September, 10 years after DFK was incorporated, Cari took an operational visit to Arusha, Tanzania. Thanks to everyone who helped to make this trip possible. It was amazing to see firsthand the impact you have had on these students. It is important for us to emphasize that this operational visit was supported only by donations explicitly pledged towards it.
Our first stop was at Good Hope Orphanage and Primary School, where in 2013, DFK funded the building of two classrooms and a kitchen. This kitchen now feeds over 1,000 students a day, and the classrooms have helped hundreds of students graduate from primary school over the past decade. At Good Hope, we were reunited with Swaif, Amri, Wilfred, Janeth, Mohamed, some of whom hadn’t seen each other for five years. Amri, Mohamed and Wilfred are now in tourism college in Arusha; Janeth studies at a pharmaceutical college in Mbeya, which is a 12-hour bus ride away; and Swaif is planning to study commerce at college in Dar Es Salaam, where he currently lives, which is also a 12-hour bus ride away.
Left to Right: Amri, Mohamed, Janeth, Wilfred (Freddy), Swaif
The following day was spent at Winning Spirit Secondary School. Janeth, Prisca and Rachel were reunited after 4 years. It was so lovely to watch these girls learn from and inspire each other.
Left to Right: Janeth, Gifty, Lucy, Prisca, Rachel
Prisca graduated Form 4 in 2019 and has now decided that she wants to attend tourism college.
Rachel teaching tourism
Rachel, in Form 3, Gifty, in Form 2, were proud to show us around Winning Spirit. Rachel even taught a lesson in Tourism to the younger students.
The day at Winning Spirit Secondary School was filled with laughter and excitement for the future. It was great to finally meet our new cohort of students, as well as the staff. Emmy, the headmaster, is building a beautiful new campus for Winning Spirit. It is still under construction, but they hope to move in January. We will be sure to provide updates as we receive them.
Our Winning Spirit students: Ahmed, Salha, Johnson, Rachel, Abdallah, Luciana, Shadya, Gifty, Namia, Careen, Godbless
We also met with Nusra’s mom, Fatima, who shared her appreciation for Dreaming For Kids. Nusra is in form 6 studying in Mwanza, which is 14 hours away. Stay tuned for an upcoming video with Fatima sharing her hopes for Nusra’s future. It was a special treat for the students at Winning Spirit to see Auntie Fatima, as she works at Good Hope Orphanage and helped raise many of them.
Aunt Fatima & Janeth
After visiting Good Hope and Winning Spirit, we went to three national parks, with Amri and Wilfred as our tour guides, mentored by Augustin. The boys worked hard to showcase what they have learned. It was their first time in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, where they helped us spot leopards, rhinos and cheetahs.
Wilfred, Amri & Augustin
At the end of our visit, we all went out for pizza at the students’ request. Cari felt so honoured to be with 17 of the 20 students we have supported. Next time, Cari hopes to see Nusra, Living and Aloisi too. We will share in the coming months what they all have in store for 2024.
Cari, Rachel, Uncle Bakari, Janeth, Wilfred, Gifty, Amri, Mohamed, Swaif, Godbless, Namia, Shadya, Carmen, Salha, Luciana, Abdullah, Ahmed, Johnson
To ensure that these students can continue to pursue their ambitions, we need to raise $17,000 in the coming year. Please consider donating today, for Giving Tuesday (November 28th), or giving the gift of education this holiday season. We could not do this amazing work without your generous support.