Hi everyone!
MAJENGO ORPHANGE: www.majengo.org
Again, so many wonderful people donating to help our 114 children being supported at our MAJENGO ORPHANAGE in Tanzania..thank you so much. Without your ongoing help, our children would not be flourishing as they are….our 4th great year!!
HOW YOU CAN HELP!
• please spread the word to your family and friends of the wonderful work our staff are doing at Majengo with your contribution. Hopefully they will join our Majengo team to change the lives of these very wonderful 114 children.
• Help raise money for a new Majengo facility.
We are on the verge of creating a NEW FACILITY for MAJENGO. Currently we are on rescue mode: housing 77 children cramped into 3 small rental cottages, a situation unacceptable in even African terms. We are adamant to better their lives by building them a new Majengo home, with smaller houses for the children, 10 per house with a mama in each one caring. for emotional and living needs; an on site pre-school with a library and computer room, solar and wind electricity, soccer and playground, vegetable gardens, orchards, indoor and outdoor kitchens and dining areas, and more.
The local government gifted us over 10 acres of land, officially sanctioned by the district Government of Tanzania. Majengo is the only officially recognized orphanage in the district.
Our estimated goal is $300,000 for the new Majengo. Warren Majengo has raised $85,000 so far…enough to begin building summer 2012.
In Canada,
Majengo Canada invites you to two fundraising parties:
Toronto: Wednesday, May 23 – 5:30-8:30 – rooftop garden, 401 Richmond St W. at Spadina
Creemore/Dunedin, Sunday, June 17, noon till 3. at the Creativity Art Retreat.
Live music, food, silent auction…
Please contact lynnconnell@sympatico.ca for more information.
Warren Majengo Foundation plans to hold a fundraiser in the fall 2012.
April Update:
January 2012: a very successful meeting in Buffalo with Warren Majengo Foundation and Majengo Canada, to set goals for the next three months. Founder Lynn Connell took five volunteers over to Majengo, including MARGIE ZEIDLER a Canadian architect, donated her designing skills toward our new Majengo facility, just down the road from our current rented facilities. We met with village leaders and local staff and organizers of Majengo to determine main design ideas and elements, materials, interviewed the children and staff.
February 2012: Margie presented her conceptual design to Warren Majengo Foundation Matt McKissock, Matt Moore and Ian Ashbaugh with her father, reknown Canadian architect Eb Zeidler.
Ms Zeidler went back in April 2012 to finalize the designs and to work with Charles Luoga and local contractors to determine materials, scheduling and local contractors.
Legalities: Huge thanks Philadelphia lawyer STEVE SALVO of Salvo Rogers and Elinski for donating legal expertise working alongside our Tanzanian lawyers, to obtain a land survey and secure control of the legal title of the donated land and buildings of Majengo.
Warren Majengo Foundation director, Matt McKissock will travel over in June 2012 with volunteers to finalize all legalities regarding the ownership and control of the govt gifted land, and buildings soon to be built, along with our agents there, ICA Tanzania and the local village leaders.
Thanks to Connell and Canadian volunteers, Susan Lee and her daughter Simone with Seanna and Sierra Connell, who taught art, English and creativity workshops daily with the children, researched the established Rift Valley Children’s Home in Kiratu and set up a sponsorship program for 17 children, at the nearby Mama Anna’s English Medium School where children are taught all day in English, as opposed to Swahili govt schooling.
Tuition there is $420 US dollars per year per child.
Our 17 children were chosen by head teacher Grayson, based on their ability and marks, and desire to work well at school. Many children who came to us in December 2010 as a result of the government shutting down corrupt orphanages along the safari route, were held back from school, forbidden to attend by directors who used these children as pawns to bring in money from well-healed tourists. Consequently, a lot are behind in school, not of their own fault. The children chosen to attend Mama Anna’s have catapulted with their English skills since January, most speaking fluently in just 3 months, now teaching the younger children at Majengo.
Margie Zeidler visited Mama Anna’s in April and in her own words, a note to the sponsors of kids going to Mama Anna’s English school:
“…you should be thrilled with what your contributions to send some of the Majengo kids to Mama Anna’s has done. I was astonished when I arrived with some of the children coming up to me and speaking fluent English! Tatu and another girl, in particular. The progress is quite incredible (I hate how young people can learn languages so fast!) Beyond that they are just so happy and excited to be there – it’s like they won the lottery! One little girl ran up to me the first day and started a conversation in English! She asked how all of you were and told me about how much she was learning at Mama Anna’s school. I didn’t even ask her and could barely get a word in edgewise! Amazing. And very heartening to see what a difference it has made in their lives already!”
Upcoming:
Jamie Bees is coordinating a group of 10 missionaries to Majengo in October to help build our new facility and school.
Thanks to everyone helping with this ongoing exciting project..and changing the lives of 114 children at Majengo. We wish you could see first hand the change in our kids who in one short year are blossoming from living at Majengo, in a secure, safe, environment, with three nutritional meals…and medical and education security. They are like one huge happy family…with soccer teams…acrobatics, dancing and singing shows…a daily occurance now at Majengo.
Huge thanks as always to our great staff on the ground, especially to ICA Charles Luoga who oversees the whole enterprise…
Welcome aboard!!
To help, please contact us through Warren Majengo Foundation in the US or Majengo Canada, by checking our website: www.majengo.org.
Sponsoring a child is $1420….for basic needs and English school.
$700 per child for basic needs.
$420 for English medium school.
Change the life of a child today…
And thank you…