Jan. 13th 2011 at Tumaini

A typical day at Tumaini......

Baba Steve put up the new basketball hoop....a big hit.

Thank you Baba Steve

Neema working on her homework...new school routine means

the homework is done right after school (after a small snack)

and before play time.

Christina is sick with a head cold and is asleep on the couch.



Latifa is also sick (with tonsilitis) and fell asleep with Katy on the couch in the volunteer room.

Sound asleep.

Kelvin on his way to the garden....

Baba Steve and Baba Kal inspecting the garden.

This one is left over from yesterday....Grace and Liadi could not resist playing in the puddles after the huge rainstorm yesterday afternoon.

a little off topic, but I have this facination with the banana trees

We eat a lot of bananas at Tumaini - Banana stew, banana soup and bananas for desert
and since we arrived I have seen and hundreds (maybe thousands) of
banana trees and they either have full bunches of bananas
or no bananas at all, so I walked around the compound to check out the 7 or 8 banana
trees we have here to see if I could figure it out....

These are my observations:

The bunch of bananas start as a huge purple flower on an equally huge stalk,

As the petals of the flower open they reveal row after
row of little tiny flat bananas,

the petals continue to spread and more rows of bananas are added

The bananas grow rounder and larger,

and when they turn yellow, they are ready for market.

(close up of the flower)

Now that I have the mystery of the bananas covered I will go back to blogging about Tumaini....
stay tuned

Family Dinner on Sundays

Sundays at Tumaini are now family dinner time. We all eat at the same time, in the same room and we have a few changes to the Tanzanian routine.

The kids no longer have to eat everything on thier plate.

Conversation at the table is encouraged, no longer discouraged.

At least one adult at every table to help with table manners - food all
over the table and floor is no longer acceptable!

New menu's with smaller carb portions and larger veg/fruit/protein portions.

mama Dee (Cherie) explains the new expectations.

Getting dinner prepared and served for 40 people is a task in itself, but

well worth it.

Volunteer Amanda teaching manners...

Volunteer Rachel laughing with Stefano.

a special tribute and thank you to volunteers Emily and Bret

We had to say goodbye to

Volunteers (and Honeymooners) Emily and Bret who went back

to Australia....we miss them already

Emily loved Latifa (we made sure Latifa was still here when they left)

All the kids loved both Bret and Emily.

Katy, Amanda, Mama Dee, Raymond, Bret and Emily

A kiss for Liadi,

and one for Latifa (hope you got a few too Bret, it was your honeymoon)

and a goodbye hug for Mama Dee

Bret had his share of goodbye hugs (and a tear or two)

and Emily cried....

we thank you, and will talk via internet....until we meet again.

School at Tumaini Children's Foundation

Tumaini Children's Foundation provides pre-school/kindergarden to our children and the children of our staff to prepare them for grade 1.

Daniel prides himself in good penmanship...always writing neatly and between the lines.

Our resisdent 'giggler' Anna tries to be serious when it involves her studies.

Priska gets bored very easily!

Rebba (son of our cook and our driver) stuggles with focus and sitting still.

Gerehad is wise beyond his years and has been advanced to Young Roses School.

Gracie fell asleep, was not feeling well.

Joseph is a very shy but smart little boy and has also advanced to Young Roses School.

Teacher Winner assists Aisha on her first week of school.

Pendo reminds us to be quiet while teacher Winner leaves the classroom

to assist with a toilet break.

We are providing Martha (the class elder) with extra study so that

she can join the kids her age at Young Roses School.

Back to School to Young Roses for some of the kids

Back row -left to right Kelvin, Esther, Jenny Francis

Front Row - Connie, Joseph, Gerehed and Neema

First day of school for Joseph, Connie, Gerehed, Glory and Harriri (front row)

For many of the small children not yet ready for grade one (they will attend preschool
at Tumaini) there were many tears- they wanted to go on the school bus too!
Back row - Jenny, Francis, Kelvin, Aisha, Atheman
middle row - Esther
Front row - Joseph, Connie, Gerehed, Glory and Harriri
(all sporting the required hair cuts)


New Backpacks for all!!!

Gerehad (left) was so excited...re ran around and around the house

waiting for the bus to come.

The Young Roses Group with big brother Raymond, me and volunteers Katy, Lacy and Amanada.

Gerehad hangs back, not too sure of the school bus.

but Harriri is all smiles, good to go!

Atheman, Harriri, Francis, Gerehad and Glory

and off they go!!!