TEACH IT Team - SAFINA

The Teach It Team came bearing suitcases of books. When combined with many other books already donated to the Safina Street Network program, they undertook the job of cataloging over 400 books, building and installing bookshelves, and opening a new library for the street kids.


The new bookshelves were funded by the Teach It team and built by Ed.
They filled every possible corner and space with shelf space, anticipating a room one day filled with books.

Susan, Sara, and Heidi did a great job on the library, but their passion lay working with kids at the center.

Susan loved spending time reading and working with the Safina nursery kids. Heidi spent a great deal of time working with the older boys on their English skills.

Sara was a great playmate for the kids.

GRIFFEY GUYS

During the summer of 2009, Jim Griffey brought his entire family to Tanzania to see what Omega was all about. Jim left, knowing he would be returning.
Over the ensuing year, he stayed in touch with his new friend, Stephano and was able to come back to Tanzania to focus on some of his favorite stops.
Brad, Jim's son, was able to join him on this return journey.
Deepening the friendship with Stephano, Brad and Jim were able to meet Stephano's extended family.

They spent several days at Sambasha, visiting village homes and encouraging people to come to church.  There was painting to be done at the church, so the Griffey guys put their hands to putting some of the finishing touches on the new sanctuary.

The children at Sambasha flocked to Jim and Brad to receive crayolas to use at school.

 

After making a stop to visit friends in the village of Mswakini, we made the 9 hour drive to Dodoma.

 Jim and Brad were able to to share their basketball skills with the Safina Street kids.

Now that the refurbishment of the Safina building is progressing, there was a great need for shelving in several of the rooms.  Jim and Brad spent a day working alongside the boys there, building shelves and just having a good time.

Jim says he'll back next year.  We certainly hope he does return.  The Griffey Family has blessed Omega and Tanzania......sana, sana, sana.

Pulling At My Heart Strings

This is my grandson, Zachary Clint. He smiles most of the time, but also has a very serious manner about himself, especially when he is focused on a task. Just like all our kids and grandchildren, I miss him terribly.

I first saw the little boy in the picture below last year. He was presenting a gift to an Omega team who had been working at the Safina Street Network Center. He didn't say a word, but was determined to do the task which he had been assigned. So many things about him reminded me of our little Zachary Clint. His age (6), size, intensity, and smile. My heart was immediately drawn to him.

Until recently, he had not spoken at all. He is one of 4 children of a blind woman who begs on the streets of Dodoma. They all live in a one-room, mud-brick, structure of which the back wall collapsed during this year's rainy season. Thankfully, through Safina support, Ed and 2 of the older street kids are re-building that wall.
February brought the opening of the Safina pre-school class and guess who is a student? What a difference it has made in this precious one's life. He got a uniform, underwear, new flip-flops, an exercise book, and a good "scrubbing down" a couple of times a week.

He's talking now and even participates in the older boys choir when they practice their choreographed steps and songs. He openly greets Ed and me when we show up at the center and calls us "Babu" and "Bibi" (grandfather & grandmother).

He's no longer "pulling at my heart strings", but is playing a full-blown tune.

And his name is.....

ZACHARIA

Proclaimer--Faith Comes by Hearing

Before we left the states in January, Barry Cowart, from Muleshoe, contacted us and said he wanted us to take a look at something and see if it is something we wanted to bring back to Tanzania. It was a Proclaimer, developed by Faith Comes By Hearing(http://www.faithcomesbyhearing.com/) , an MP3 player loaded only with the New Testament...........in Kiswahili. It is a dramatized version and not just reading and can be charged by electricity, a solar panel, or by winding it up. Well, of course, we thought it would be a great tool, but the hardest part was deciding where to place the 3 units.

The first unit, we gave to the Safina Street Network, which ministers to street children. They place it in their eating area and play it while the kids are eating their daily meal.


Earlier last year, we had the privilege of replacing a pump at the Buigiri Blind Rehabilitation Center for Adults. The pastor gathered everyone together, with Unit #2 in hand, and they listened, spellbound, to the Proclaimer, amazed at "the talking Book".

Unit #3 is multi-purpose. We have placed it in the work area and turned it on while working on pump repairs. Our houselady, Emmi, excitedly turns it on each day (and I might say loudly) for the listening pleasure of herself and the watchman, thrilled that our home is being filled with the Word of God. She takes it to her home on the weekends and said the radios blaring in the surrounding homes are silenced as everyone near can hear the Word PROCLAIMED.

Thank you Barry Cowart for connecting us with "Faith Comes by Hearing"

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17 NKJV)

Disclaimer

I want everyone to be sure and know that Ed and I DO NOT oversee the Safina Program (see the following post). We are, however, privileged to be around to partner with and support Safina Street Ministry personally and through our work with Omega Mission. There are other families in Dodoma who give of themselves also. The staff of Safina are "in the trenches" each and every day and continue to do an amazing job, working tirelessly for these children.

Prayers for Mathayo

The director's of the Safina Street Network work around the clock, challenged by countless tasks on a daily basis. When one child hasn't been around, Andrea and Patrick immediately go to work to find that child.

Mathayo's absence was no exception. Andrea eventually found him in the hospital. He had been beaten by a gang of boys and left to die at the rail road tracks. Injuries to his head and his back, left him unconscious and unable to move.

Hospitals here do not provide food. It is up to family members to bring food. No family...no food. The day Andrea found Mathayo, the hospital had just then hooked up an IV. He had not been turned and his muscles were atrophied. He was slowly becoming conscious. Andrea and Patrick returned daily and fed him by hand since he was still unable to feed himself.

Safina only has approval to house children who are sick, so Mathayo, still unable to walk, was taken to the facility where he has been attended to by 3 older boys who live on site. Each day, they get him up, make sure he is fed and clean and then attempt to help him walk. Cha-cha, the oldest boy, has a heart for caring for the sick. Mathayo has made some progress walking supported on each side by another boy.

I had heard a new physiotherapist, from Australia, was now serving Dodoma, through the Anglican church, so I called Jane and found she was most willing to come do an evaluation on Mathayo. Yesterday, I picked her and her translator up and we headed to Safina. Mathayo was anxiously anticipating her visit.

All the boys gathered around and watched as Jane did an assessment and confirmed his back and possible hip injury, but feels recovery looks very promising. Cha-cha took in everything as Jane demonstrated massaging Mathayo's back, stretching, and other exercises. Jane will come to the center to monitor his progress a couple of times a week. I had pulled out my camera to start documenting his progress from the beginning and found I had not replaced the memory card.

The word has been sent out to the Dodoma "ex-pat" community to locate a walker for Mathayo. Prayers for healing are being prayed and we are convinced he will make a full recovery. Will you join us in praying for Mathayo? Also, in praying for the Safina program as they minister to the street children of Dodoma.

 

Lubbock Team---Don't Forget Safari

I thought I was just about finished documenting the visit from our girls from Lubbock and totally forgot about the safari. This safari was a first for all of us as we paid our first visit to Mikumi National Park.
The open safari vehicle was lots of fun.

We had spied a pair of lionnesses early in the morning, sunning under a tree. On a late afternoon drive, the two stood and walked right over to where we were parked by a pond.....in our "open-sided vehicle", I might add!!!!
This particular lady, stopped right next us, laid down and proceeded to stretch and roll. She was not interested in us in the least.

We reached Dar es Salaam and were able to spend a few hours on the beach of the Indian Ocean before catching their return flight.

Lubbock Team--The Work Continues

Lubbock Team, the Safina team sends their greetings and wants you to see that the work is continuing on the roof. All the wood in the rafters has to be treated with "used motor oil" to combat termite and Pastor Patrick and Andrea and undertaking the job themselves.

Do you recognize that smile?

Andrea in pants......you know she must be hard at work.

The completed trusses........ready for "mabati" (metal sheets).

Lubbock Team-Raising the Roof

Everyone wanted in the picture as the team said their good-byes on the last day of work.

The Lubbock team raised funds to build and erect trusses for a roof on the center's 2 story building. There is extensive renovation to be done before the building is usable.

Ladies, you did a great job "raising the roof" in Tanzania.

Lubbock Team-Bus Stand Boys

Many of the homeless children in Dodoma hang out at the bus stand. There are opportunities to earn a coin or 2 and then the boys will rent a room for the night for around $1 usd. Often there are handouts. Sometimes they get drugs.

Once a week, the team leaders of Safina go to the bus stand to check on the boys there and spend time with them. They love the attention and the fact that someone cares enough to check on them. Because these boys had been around the team from Lubbock through the week, they were thrilled when they showed up for a visit...............

And to share a cup of "chai" and "maandazi" with them.

Lubbock Team-Walk in My Shoes

There was no "fluff" as the team from Lubbock went through their days working with the kids from Safina Street Network.

The team went to them where they lived

Where they hang out

Where they played

And where they were given a hot meal each day

Taking home with them the knowledge they made a difference in these children's lives in Tanzania.

Lubbock Team-Bling with a Message

Everyone likes "bling". Especially the homeless boys of Safina Street Ministry. Each afternoon before lunch, the boys gather for a devotional time. They really enjoy this time singing, praying, and just having fun. The Lubbock came prepared to share in this time and brought supplies to make Salvation Bracelets with the boys. Each boy had a strip of leather and 5 colored beads:

Black for the sin of the world
Red for the blood shed by Jesus on the Cross
White for the his resurrection and making us free from sin
Green for growing in our relationship with God
Yellow symbolizing we are heirs to the kingdom with Jesus

Lubbock Team- Reality

Today the team from Lubbock joined the team members of Safina Street Network as they made a weekly visit to the local dump. Many of the street children either sleep or stay at the dump during the day looking for food or for something to sell. During these visits, a devotion is led by a team member for both the children and any adults who wish to participate. Today, during the devotion time, they explained how the team came from America and was working to build a roof on the center. They welcomed us as warmly as all Tanzanians and were thrilled to find the girls had brought candy.

The reality of life as a child of the streets was seen first-hand.

Lubbock Team-Matthew 25:35

In Matthew 25:35, Jesus says "for I was hungry and you fed me....." During our visits into a village 30 kilometers out of Dodoma, this is exactly what this OMEGA team did. Pastor Frank escorted us as we made the trip to Mpunguzi and visited several homes in there. The team came bearing gifts for each home and then determined that "trinkets" were secondary to the need for food. We had already stopped at each home and after a trip to the "village center", returned to each home with a "debe" of corn and a kilo of sugar. Our hosts were overwhelmed when we returned with food.

This man is disabled and his wife had left for the morning to find firewood. Being "disabled" for a man in Tanzania holds a negative stigma because he is unable to provide for his family. Imagine when his wife returned and he was able to tell her they had food for the next several days.

Milika was a widowed woman who was overjoyed with her visit with the team. She connected with Stephanie and called her "my daughter". During our visit, she shared that she travels 2 kilometers and fetches water herself. On this day she was also caring for a grandchild (tied to her back). Having the corn and sugar delivered to her gives new meaning to a term common to us Americans............."do you deliver?"

Helping to serve meals to the homeless boys has been fun. They love having their picture made while they are eating. We are still trying to figure that one out.