We are currently in the last week of our Summer 2 Volunteer Program here in Tanzania and over the past 8 weeks so much as been accomplished!
The volunteers, along with our Tanzanian teaching partners, concluded their in-school HIV/AIDS education teachings at the end of their fifth week, having taught 683 students a complete curriculum. Awesome! The dedication, enthusiasm, and teaching skill of our volunteers has helped increase awareness of our organization in the area, which will allow One Heart Source to continue to expand in upcoming programs.
In addition to teaching in schools, the volunteers initiated community outreach programs, which have been quite a success! We are currently running a "Learning English through Art" program at the local primary school (Mateves Primary), as well as hosting soccer games with "sideline teachings" from our HIV/AIDS curriculum. Volunteers also established HIV/AIDS and English education programs for the adults of the village which are hosted at local hangouts, and an increasingly popular Women's Health teaching is held three times a week at a local shop. On Wednesdays we have begun doing "wandering tutoring" as well as village trash clean-ups.
Coupled with our community-oriented approach to these last three weeks, volunteers also began working with our Nafasi Nyingine ("Another Chance") program which aims to empower children who live on the streets of Arusha. Our long-term goal is to be able to provide sustainable alternatives to a life on the street, and volunteers began the first stage of that process by gaining the childrens' trust through genuine human connection. We currently offer the children (who range in age from 10 to 15) a warm meal, medical attention, mentorship, and basic English and HIV/AIDS education three times per week. There are currently 19 children enrolled in our program, some of whom have lived on the streets for multiple years. We are moving forward together as one and the volunteers in our Fall Program will continue connecting with these amazing individuals!
On our site, much tangible change has also occurred. OHS completed the purchase of the 3.7 acre plot of land adjacent to our current 2.5 acre site. This is the land that will be home to the Mateves Community Health Center next year, and the volunteers have already begun cultivating the land. Nearly half of the land was cleared in a few work days and we just completed planting banana, avocado, papaya, and pine trees outlining the future footprints of the medical center! Progress continues in all arenas on site: we completed building a 150 square-foot sandbox which is the toddlers' new favorite place to play, the 150000-litre rainwater collection hole is nearly complete, and volleyball and basketball courts are nearing completion!
Work on and off the site is incredibly important, but how can we forget about the family that lives on our site?! There are currently 17 amazing children who call the OHS house a home, ranging from ages one to fourteen. The kids are all uniquely smart, playful, and witty. (Be sure to learn more about them in the family tree section!) The volunteers spend many of their afternoons playing with and tutoring the kids, and eat dinner with them in house at least two days a week.
In addition to all their tremendous hard work, many of the volunteers have taken the opportunity to climb Mount Meru, (the fifth highest mountain in Africa at 15,000 feet), attend local church ceremonies, go on safaris to witness Tanzania’s famous wildlife, take a waterfall hike, visit hot springs, and all of the volunteers travelled together to visit the beautiful island of Zanzibar for a long weekend of relaxation!
Whew! What an update…but hopefully it gives you a little taste of all that goes on for the dedicated and hard-working group of volunteers in Tanzania! Some volunteers recently completed a multiple-wall sized mural in the walls of the children’s house that consists of a map of Africa, a river floating into music notes, and a tree that’s roots read the words “Rooted in Love” We all continue to appreciate the support and love you give to OHS, because it constantly reminds us to stay rooted in love.
The volunteers, along with our Tanzanian teaching partners, concluded their in-school HIV/AIDS education teachings at the end of their fifth week, having taught 683 students a complete curriculum. Awesome! The dedication, enthusiasm, and teaching skill of our volunteers has helped increase awareness of our organization in the area, which will allow One Heart Source to continue to expand in upcoming programs.
In addition to teaching in schools, the volunteers initiated community outreach programs, which have been quite a success! We are currently running a "Learning English through Art" program at the local primary school (Mateves Primary), as well as hosting soccer games with "sideline teachings" from our HIV/AIDS curriculum. Volunteers also established HIV/AIDS and English education programs for the adults of the village which are hosted at local hangouts, and an increasingly popular Women's Health teaching is held three times a week at a local shop. On Wednesdays we have begun doing "wandering tutoring" as well as village trash clean-ups.
Coupled with our community-oriented approach to these last three weeks, volunteers also began working with our Nafasi Nyingine ("Another Chance") program which aims to empower children who live on the streets of Arusha. Our long-term goal is to be able to provide sustainable alternatives to a life on the street, and volunteers began the first stage of that process by gaining the childrens' trust through genuine human connection. We currently offer the children (who range in age from 10 to 15) a warm meal, medical attention, mentorship, and basic English and HIV/AIDS education three times per week. There are currently 19 children enrolled in our program, some of whom have lived on the streets for multiple years. We are moving forward together as one and the volunteers in our Fall Program will continue connecting with these amazing individuals!
On our site, much tangible change has also occurred. OHS completed the purchase of the 3.7 acre plot of land adjacent to our current 2.5 acre site. This is the land that will be home to the Mateves Community Health Center next year, and the volunteers have already begun cultivating the land. Nearly half of the land was cleared in a few work days and we just completed planting banana, avocado, papaya, and pine trees outlining the future footprints of the medical center! Progress continues in all arenas on site: we completed building a 150 square-foot sandbox which is the toddlers' new favorite place to play, the 150000-litre rainwater collection hole is nearly complete, and volleyball and basketball courts are nearing completion!
Work on and off the site is incredibly important, but how can we forget about the family that lives on our site?! There are currently 17 amazing children who call the OHS house a home, ranging from ages one to fourteen. The kids are all uniquely smart, playful, and witty. (Be sure to learn more about them in the family tree section!) The volunteers spend many of their afternoons playing with and tutoring the kids, and eat dinner with them in house at least two days a week.
In addition to all their tremendous hard work, many of the volunteers have taken the opportunity to climb Mount Meru, (the fifth highest mountain in Africa at 15,000 feet), attend local church ceremonies, go on safaris to witness Tanzania’s famous wildlife, take a waterfall hike, visit hot springs, and all of the volunteers travelled together to visit the beautiful island of Zanzibar for a long weekend of relaxation!
Whew! What an update…but hopefully it gives you a little taste of all that goes on for the dedicated and hard-working group of volunteers in Tanzania! Some volunteers recently completed a multiple-wall sized mural in the walls of the children’s house that consists of a map of Africa, a river floating into music notes, and a tree that’s roots read the words “Rooted in Love” We all continue to appreciate the support and love you give to OHS, because it constantly reminds us to stay rooted in love.
