2017 Summer Volunteers Trip Report |
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Dear Friends and Supporters, The Summer 2017 REACH Shirati volunteer trip was short but sweet. Our seven volunteers (Nina Nguyen, Adeke Obbanya, Jean Retzinger, Donna Suzuki, Allyn Suzuki, Kori Suzuki, and Stacie Vance) accompanied Board President, Hattie Smith-Bynes, and Chief Financial Officer, Laura B. Mason, to Shirati in late June and early July. This year, we focused on two of our projects: Tina’s Pre and Primary School administration and curriculum, and the Shirati Hospital Food Project. |
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Introducing Class Seven We are VERY EXCITED to have our FIRST Class Seven (7th grade) at Tina's School this year! This is their last year before secondary school, and the children must score well on this year's September national exams in order to qualify for high school. Students who do especially well, will be admitted tuition free to the best government secondary schools. In the regional mock exams, all our 7th graders scored an A or a B! Twenty three of the 41 pupils in our seventh grade, have been students at Tina’s since they were in Pre-Primary Class. It was so inspiring to share some time with these hard working, motivated students and with their committed and proud teachers. PLEASE DONATE, so we can retain our quality teachers and staff, and help more children receive a quality education, for life-changing opportunities that are very hard to come by in this part of the world. | | |
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Opening Doors Of Opportunity, One At A time While we were in Nyamagongo, the 41 pupils in our class seven met with Hattie Smith-Bynes, and Laura Mason with a request. They wanted to board at our school for the next 8 weeks in order to prepare for the exam! Many of these children spend two - four hours a day walking to and from school. Most of them do not have electricity at home to allow studying after dark, and most do not go home to an evening meal. Their teachers support this approach since this type of intense study and "tutoring session" is common before national exams across Tanzania. It is sobering to learn that at such an early age, these children know their lives and the future of their families depend on the results of this one test! The National Exam is the key to their future. We were whole-heartedly in favor of this… but it costs money! We needed to provide eight weeks of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and water for these 41 kids plus two teachers, and to come up with a stipend for the two teachers. We were in a jam and our supporters came to the rescue! They pulled together enough donations so we can support this intense tutoring for our eager students!! We are very grateful for this support and plan to include this cost into our school fees in the future. Asante Sana! |
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A Volunteer's Experience Jean Retzinger is a first time volunteer who traveled with us this year and shared this perspective: "I was particularly interested in the Hospital Food Project, and spent some of my mornings with Mary, Tati, Susana, and Herina, the cooks. They prepare and serve food for dozens of patients each day, cooking over open flames in the outdoor kitchen area on the hospital grounds. I'm so grateful to REACH Shirati for the opportunity to travel with them; my days in Shirati were wonderful and meaningful." For more stories click below. | | |
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Cooking With Love It is hard to imagine being hospitalized, recovering from surgery, childbirth, malaria or a devastating accident and not having enough food to eat, but this is the reality for many patient's around the world. Our partner, Shirati Hospital, like many rural hospitals, cannot afford to feed its patients, so our volunteers were inspired to create the Hospital Food Project. In place since 2010, the project's goal is to provide at least one nutritious daily meal to all hospital patients. We are advancing towards that goal and are thankful to the many volunteers who have contributed to this project over the years. Today, we'd like to extend our thanks to the amazing cooks who prepare these nourishing daily meals on an open fire, at our outdoor kitchen on the Shirati hospital grounds! Pictured above are Mary, Tati, Susana, and Herina. |
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| | What's New In Shirati? Check out our News webpage for what's happening in Shirati and Nyamagongo, where, unlike here in the U.S., news does not always travel fast! However there are always activities at our school and in the U.S. that keep our volunteers busy. | | |
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| | Be Our Partner? Many friends and partners help make our work possible, Some organizations, we work with, others donate financially or provide grants, and others offer amazing volunteers. We invite YOUR company to join in. Contact us for info. | | |
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