Baby Ruth Hits A Home Run

Baby Ruth Hits a Home Run

July 26, 2020

I always think I will write just a short note letting you know the latest from Neema Village. Then I start thinking about all the cool things that God has done this month like what happened to Baby Ruth and the astonishing transformation of Margareth, the girl from the dump, and the words just won’t stop!

On August 26, 2013 a newborn baby was found in the grass in a stranger’s front yard. He was naked, still had his umbilical cord attached, and had a rash on his cheek from laying in the grass all night. It still makes me cringe to think of what might have come up in the night to sniff at him. Poor little guy.

Social Welfare brought the baby to Neema and we named him Daniel. Daniel grew and grew, he became like a little tank, healthy and strong but with a gentle spirit.  A family from Dar es Salaam came to adopt a baby and they chose Daniel. They connected immediately, probably because the mom always brought cookies and Daniel loved food of any kind.

(I don’t know how the following picture got in here, except that I am a chocoholic and love Baby Ruth candy bars!)

But on with the story. A few years ago, another baby was abandoned when a mother asked a stranger to hold her baby while she went to do something. The mother left and never returned.  We named this little abandoned baby Ruth and called her Baby Ruth. She was quiet and shy, didn’t smile much and never stood out when people came looking to adopt. Ruthie got older, had not been chosen to be adopted and was finally moved up to the big girl’s UCare house.

The big kid’s houses, Montana and UCare are usually for the kids who have some family problems or medical issues that make them un-adoptable or unable to return home.   By the time the kids get to the big kids houses they are usually not adoptable and we foster them and put them in school in town. (Montana and UCare houses on the Neema Village campus pictured below)

But 400 miles away in Dar es Salaam, Daniel had decided he wanted a little sister and began to pester his mom about getting one. They didn’t want a little baby and when they came to Neema Village Ruthie was just the right age for them. So, Daniel got a little sister and Baby Ruth got a forever family. I like to think she hit a “Home Run” with this sweet family. (You probably have to be over 50 to understand that)

Last year we told you the story of a young mom picking up used plastic bottles from the dump. She would rummage through trash until she had a huge bag of dirty bottles and then take them to the plastic grinding plant where she was paid 1,000 shillings per bag, or about .50 cents.

We went with Anna and Kim to find this young girl and could not believe anyone could stay in such an inferno; the grinding machine was so loud it would “adle the brain.” Which is what we thought happened to Margareth. When we went to interview her, we knew there was something terribly wrong with her, her eyes were vacant, she never smiled or spoke a word, only sucked on a candy that we gave her baby.

Much to our surprise Margareth has flourished in Neema’s MAP program. She began taking sewing classes at Neema last year. When we returned to Africa after Covid 19 this year, we found she was taking computer classes at Neema!  I just have to laugh at how God surprises us all the time.

The schools are opening again in Tanzania and our Neema Village Day Care for Handicap babies will reopen in August. We can’t wait. These little ones, like Bryson, need all the help they can get to reach their full potential in life.

As you continue to buy things through Amazon, please remember to buy through Amazon Smile.  It is Amazon’s way to give back. Set up Neema Village as your “Charity of Choice” and they will give Neema Village 5% of your purchase.  We are registered with Amazon as a nonprofit so you just have to scroll down the list of nonprofits until you get to Neema Village, click there and everything you buy will make money for Neema. But be sure you choose Amazon Smile when you go to Amazon to purchase something. Asante Sana!

May you always be surprised at God’s Mighty Hand in your life!

Michael and Dorris