February 14th is not only a day to celebrate your one special love, it is a day to UNITE and celebrate your LOVE for all. In fact, today is also the day of One Billion Rising, a movement to end the oppression, subjection and violence against girls and women on Planet Earth.
Here at Unite, we stand against injustice by fighting FOR the rights of the orphaned, underprivileged, impoverished and marginalized. Currently, our primary mission is to ensure that hundreds of children (girls AND boys) in Tanzania (orphaned and/or at-risk) receive high-quality educations to help ensure their vibrant, successful futures in which they are empowered with CHOICE, DIGNITY & OPPORTUNITY.
To this end, we address zillions of details and challenges each and every day. Yet through the grace of God; the generous support of you -- our donors, friends, partners and supporters; and the trusted partnerships we are blessed to have with Sister Crispin Mnate, the founder and director of the St. Joseph's Orphanage and the Heaven Pre and Primary School; Deb Marshall, Unite's program manager in Tanzania; and Astridah Katalyeba, an expert education consultant who has joined our team to help build Heaven School into a model academic institution for the country... We are seeing real change happen in extraordinary and miraculous ways.
Here, some recent photos from the field:
Thanks to the hard work of Unite's next travel team (Nicole Gerber, Lisa Lawrence, Kenlynne Mulroy, Tanya Murphy, and Nicole Watson), new books have been purchased for the 180+ students of Heaven as well as for the 49 orphans of St. Joseph's.
Wiring for POWER has begun! This miracle has been made possible by generous grants from The Greer Foundation and The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation. We are wildly grateful!
We are now working on creating a playing field for the children and installing a basketball/multipurpose court for sports and fitness. We are in conversation with a team of USA coaches who may come over this summer to help us establish a formal program.
We released a grant to purchase teachers' desks, classroom supplies and lock closets (like the one pictured above) for each of the classrooms to protect all materials from theft.
Both the girls dorm (above) and the boys dorm are in desperate need of new roofs and renovations to stop the leakage and rot.
The new entrance to St. Joseph's Orphanage with Mt Meru in the distance.
Education Consultant Astridah Katalyeba and Sister Crispina Mnate, founder & director of St. Joseph's and Heaven -- photographed together in October 2016.
Above is the new toilet block for the boys' dorm (a mirror one is being built for the girls). Construction is almost complete, and we now need to raise funds to install water tanks and washing stations.
Ceilings were recently installed in the Heaven classrooms to help cut down on sound disruptions.
We recently purchased and filled a bean silo to provide a regular source of protein for the children.
Laying sand on the new playground, which includes top-quality climbing systems made by IBES in Usa River and donated by the Unite For Africa Student Club in Darien, CT.
The current "wall" protecting St. Joseph's and Heaven School is this weak wire fence that has recently been breached many times. Mostly just our water has been stolen, but it leaves the children vulnerable in many ways. We must build a proper wall and security system to protect these precious kids -- and we are currently seeking support for this critical project.
Firewood has been purchased and all of the water tanks have been filled, which will get us through the next few months.
Unite's program manager Deb Marshall and Sister Crispina Mnate, founder & director of St. Joseph's and Heaven stroll in front of the admin block while is was still under construction.
Thanks to a generous grant from The Greer Charities, Yukunda Florence (above center) and four other of the oldest St. Joseph's orphans are now attending university. Yukunda is studying at Mweka College of Africa Wildlife Management in Moshi and she is at the top of her class.
The administration block is complete. This building will house the staff offices and the school library and computer lab.
The chicken coop is complete, and we expect to start getting eggs for the children in the next few weeks. This was made possible by Elizabeth Pocsik, her son Will and their family and friends.
The new school bus is already overflowing.... Thanks to an extraordinary student enrollment, we now need a second bus!
Thanks to Greens Farms Academy and Zeta Interactive, we now have 15 laptops to serve the orphans who are enrolled in university and the SJO/Heaven school staff and computer lab. We are always seeking more laptops. If you have a used one that is still in good working order, please let me know at anne@uniteafricafoundation.org
Godfrey Daniel Saitoti, 25, one of the original boys to come live at St. Joseph's in 2000, is now in his 3rd year of medical school at Kampala International University. This extraordinary accomplishment is being made possible through the sponsorship of the White Family, the Greer Foundation, and The Mitchell D. Phaiah Foundation.
Unite recently purchased and installed proper beds (with mattresses, sheets, pillows, blankets) and mosquito nets for all the 49 orphans of St. Joseph's.
Thanks to our Student Sponsorship program, Unite is able to send nearly all of the older orphans to private secondary schools and our dream is that we will be able to support them all through University when their times come.