Pages

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

A warm letter from Mufindi...

We received this letter from Jenny at The Mufindi Highlands Orphans Project and wanted to share:

"...On the work front, loads has happened- seminars, basket day, adult
English class is in full swing, and we just got back from a 'field
trip' with our older kids to go look at some volcational schools.
They are all now inspired to be electricians and plumbers and
seamstresses and radio DJ's:)

I will work on a wish list to send to you- but things off the top of
my head already are cloth diapers with plastic covers, shoes (crocs
are best for the weather here), rain gear, and backpacks, and any kids 
clothes (all sizes), as we are always desperate for those things.

The educational complex you saw is going along well- we are just
making a blackboard and bookshelves, and have received tons of great
beginner reader books for the school and my adult English class, and
then, hopefully, by the end of August, we will open to the public!!!
We have decided that the middle level will be a playground only, so
the kids won't have to look out the windows at a roof of any kind, and
the bottom level will be dedicated to the nursery school only.  That
way, its all education.  The kindergarten room will have a small
divider, and half of the room will be for the kindergarden and the
other half will be our community library/computer room, open in the
evenings and on the weekends to the public, but will also host study
hall for our kids M-F evenings.....The health clinic will be moved up
the road a bit, so that way if a kid is needing a shot or anything,
the other kids won't hear the cries, and the patients will have a bit
more privacy.  We are just now working on building our fence
surrounding the area, and then we will paint it....everything is
falling into place..... 


With the opening of the social center/kindegarten/computer
room....access to internet will be better, and if we teach our kids
how to email, we could start of a letter in form of email exchange, or
do a collabrotive project with our two classes.....so many ideas!

As soon as I get some time, I will put some photos together and send
them your way!  I would LOVE for your kiddos to see my kiddos:)"



Response to CMLC donations:

"Oh my gosh!  That is amazing!!!!  These donations will help start up
the preschool block completely!!!!  We have just finished the
kindegarten/library building...plans have sort of changed (but
completely for the better..) The top level will be 1/2 kindergarten,
1/2 library/study hall/computer lab.  They built a nice little fence
blocking it from level two, but opening up into a HUGE open field,
where we will have a learning garden, sandbox, and outdoor craft
space.  The middle area will be left open- we are going to make that
into the area to have the playground equipment, litke swings and
teeter totters etc, and the bottome level will be the classrooms for
the babies-3/4 year olds.  How did your school divide up the
classrooms again?  Do you guys do 8 months-16 months? then 17-2.5,
then 2.5-4?  We are trying to think of the best way/most feasable way
to seperate the kiddos....advise?  Then, we are building Dr Leena's
health clinic BEHIND the top level, on the other side of the road,so
that her clients will have a bit more privacy...nobody at school wants
to hear their friends getting shots or crying, right?  and directly
behind the kindegarten, we will be building our admin. block, to use
as a reception for both the school and the workers/cases for the
orphanage.  I'll send you some pictures very soon!"

Thanks again to all of our families who helped contribute to this wonderful program for children! To learn more about Mufindi, please visit their website:  Mufindi Highlands Orphanage Project