Habari!!

We have been doing well since our arrival fifteen days ago; much has occurred!

The children of both Primary and Secondary ages are working hard in their respective classes. Since the last trip to Tanzania, several changes have occurred. Amina and Habiba are now living with their mother and grandmother, and we are currently organizing for these two girls to enter a boarding school in January. Four other boys from CCF have also received sponsers and we hope to place them in boarding school as well: Davis and Godbless in primary, Ema and Patrick in Secondary! Japhet, a student who has finished form 4 is hoping to travel to Uganda in December to complete form 5 and 6. This past week we have started working on getting all the necessary items he will need- this includes working on finding his Birth Certificate, and after that obtaining a passport. All works in progress!

Since arrival, there have been numerous power outages, as well as water shortages throughout the villages. The village next to Maji Ya Chai (where Children for Children’s Future is) has been paying for water by the bucket. We have discovered this is due to the drought affecting Somalia, Kenya, and Sudan. The reason it affects both water and electricity supply is that both Tanzania and Kenya receive water supply from two large lakes bordering their countries. Their electricity is powered by hydroelectric dams in these lakes, which, when they are running low, fail to produce enough power.

Several of the kids have been to the hospital for minor illnesses and are doing well; Davies has elephantiasis, a common tropical illness affecting the legs. We have taken him in for his check up and are monitoring him, he is improving as expected but unfortunately the majority of the swelling will never go down.

In the next few days, we hope to take a number of the boys in for HIV testing, we hope all goes well! For those who follow our blog, we thank you, your support means much for them and us!

While in Tanzania, we are still gratefully accepting donations; they can be forwarded to the mailing address found on the website: www.sunriseoflife.com, as well as made to the paypal account. Sunrise of Life is now a registered charity so tax receipts can be given. Thank you again!

Sorry for the late blog, we will do our best to post more often after this... rumor has it power is going to be more steady after this... but that has been the rumor for the past 3 weeks. :) 

-Rachel