Korongoni Exercise Books & Paper Fundraising

Two boxes of exercise books and 3 reams of paper have been purchased thanks to all of your kind donations:
*  300 Maths exercise books
*  300 English exercise books
They're only thin paper and the kids go through them fast - so the more the better!!
The paper has been shared with the special needs class, nursery class and orphanage - paper is in high demand at the schools as it is extremely expensive and they can't afford to purchase much.

Special needs thrive on colouring in rather than creating pictures so I've purchased them some colouring books where the teachers rip the pages out for the kids to colour in the individual pages, then they put them up on the walls to brighten the class room.

Sad Fact...

Nursery school was interesting today. The kids get so excited with me in the class!! They all want me to check their work and give them a tick - the smiley face stickers work a treat and they totally love the sparkly ones - even the boys!!! I've also found out that 1/4 of the class are orphans and 1/4 have HIV - higher than I expected....and a very sad feeling when I look at these beautiful children who appear fit and healthy yet will probably have a shorter life.
I do find myself using an excess amount of anti-bacterial every day - enough to keep those company's going for awhile.

Masai Village

An eventful past few days....I've had a bad stomach which kept me at home...but not for long as I had the weekend off for a safari - woowho!! My hut early morning when we're leaving for our safari.

I stayed in a Masai Hut with the chief's son's wife and her children....what an incredible experience. Baby wouldn't go to sleep so we all got a lullaby sung to us.

One negative is that I itched all night from the animal lice crawling everywhere...but I survived with no bites!! My bed below -



Continued into N'Gorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara the next day - incredible seeing our zoo animals in their natural habitat and right next to our vehicle....


OMG with the windows down and the pop topped to open air this is slightly scary...

Swiwsco Orphanage Pantry Fundraising

The orphanage's pantry beforehand and we've managed to fill it with:.....


50kg maize; 20kg beans; 20kg rice; 10kg flour; 5kg sugar; 2kg salt and yeast; 10 litres cooking oil; soap for clothes and body washing; green beans, carrots, cabbage, tomatoe's, onions and eggplants.


Plus 3kg beef and 2 weeks worth of firewood so they can cook the food - everything is cooked in an outside area so firewood is crucial.

An exhausting mission at the markets... the kids loved it when I turned up with all the food in the boot of a taxi!!! Some carried sacks twice as heavy as what themselves - quite amazing!!

Korongoni Nursery Class

I have survived my first weeks.....I am known as "Mzungu" (white foreigner) and the little kids call this out to us as we pass....many children know English as they're taught it in school.
I've also been teaching in the nursery school (3yrs-5yrs) and they want to touch all the time - especially my hair - it causes mayhem and many tears as they fight with each other to get closer.

I love helping them with their numbers and alphabet - they all want me to check their work and give them praise!! It's an amazing feeling how much pride they can have in 'approval'.