September 2024
Michael and I are in Texas for the October 15th banquet at the Hilton in Temple. Have you got your ticket? We’ve got ours!
Sharing happy smiles in Jackie Swift’s quilting class this month at Neema Village in Arusha, Tanzania. There is so much joy and promise in quilt making isn’t there. These sweet MAP moms (Mothers Against Poverty) many of whom were living on the street now have their very own quilts to keep them warm.
Neema’s newest baby Amaiyra came to us September 2024. She was born May 19, 2024 at 24 weeks and weighed 600 grams. We are not sure why Amaiyra was born so early but the mother is only sixteen and clearly does not want the responsibility of her baby. Amaiyra was in the NICU for three months when the hospital notified Neema Village and asked if we could care for the baby. They said the mother is not cooperating and the doctor knew if they sent the baby home she would not survive. Little Amaiyra is now 4 months old and weighs 1.8 kg (3.9 lbs). She is on oxygen and medication but is doing well in Neema’s isolation room getting 24 hour care. Please pray for this little one, her family and future. We are happy to love and care for her until her family is able.
Above, this 4 or 5 month old baby was found abandoned in the bush but is such a chubby, happy baby, it is hard to understand what could have happened to her poor mom who obviously loved and took good care of her. Janiece Watts from Abilene, Texas named her Elise and unless we can find her family and help them somehow God is surely preparing her forever family, too.
It is so sad in any country what alcohol and drug abuse does to families, but especially in a country already as poor as Tanzania. Beautiful baby Carine’s mom kept leaving her with the neighbors and the last time she just never came back. We have found a drug rehab non profit here in Arusha and have four women there now. If we could just find this mom.
Checking in an abandoned baby is both sad and sweet at Neema Village. We named this new baby Jordan. Little Miss Jordan is two days old, her blue clamp is still on the cord. She was left at a small local hospital. Dr Teddy and Kim have declared her perfect and beautiful
He kept us laughing, this spunky little guy who had lost his mother at birth. He has a new mom now and at age two, Salepu is ready to return home to his Maasai village. May God go with you sweet boy. We have told dad when he is ready Neema will send him to school.
If photos could just talk! Such excitement in the new intensive training computer center at Neema Village. Ed and Tammy Burns from Bastrop have written a computer program translated into Swahili. One more step toward a successful business for these MAP moms!
With thirteen MAP moms currently in training at Neema, the eight apartments are always full so we are building two more apartments. We had ten apartments but Regina, the supervisor, lives in one and we use one for a day care for the babies while moms are in class.
Each apartment to build and furnish will cost approx $6,000.
Ever onward and Upward!
See you at the Hilton!
Dorris and Michael