News from Mufindi

Bob Ellis.  We were  very sad to announce, in January, the passing of Robert C Ellis. Bob was born in 1937, founder of Mufindi Orphans in the US who had lived an active and fascinating life in many parts of the world.  Bob and Mary were great friends of the Fox family in Mufindi, Tanzania and knew them years before he founded Mufindi Orphans in 2006 to support Foxes & Community Conservation for their projects in Mufindi. He retired from MOI in 2012.  He is certainly missed by us here and our sincere condolences to Mary, their daughters, India and Laura, with their son, BZ and families. https://www.tributearchive/obituaries/23431265/robert-charles-ellis

Blankets:  With your generous donations from our blanket appeal in December,  were able to buy some extra warm blankets for the children.  Great excitement as they collected their  blankets during the early evening as they arrived at the ICV! Thank you!

Visiting the leavers:  Uzia, the ICV Social Officer, and Dr Leena, our visiting volunteer doctor, checked all the children who had left the ICV. The majority over 18, as with Tanzanian Government ruling, orphanages are not allowed to keep any children of 18 years and over. Some of the younger ones also returned to families who were in a position to look after them again.

Here left to right are a few of the youngsters that have left: Kastory, his brother Kaisa, Blastus, Jesca with her grandmother and Edwin with Elia. It was found that some of the children needed items such as blankets etc., which was remedied.  They will remain supported with their education and all be regularly monitored.

Parcels: In February, more parcels from Finland arrived containing a lot of clothes, socks, shoes, lego blocks, reading spectacles and sunglasses, for which we are really grateful.  Many thanks to all the donors involved in Finland.

*YAM Project: These four youngsters have already benefitted from The YAM Project. So far, they have received psychosocial and entrepreneurship training.

Foxes Community & Wildlife Conservation’s (FCWC) *Youth Agency in Mufindi, funded by the Helsinki Deaconess Foundation Institute (HDI) in Finland, is designed to help vulnerable and disabled children solve life issues enabling them to lead dignified lives and to help take control of their lives through improved motivation, skills and opportunities.

FCWC has implemented this pilot project in our neighbouring 16 villages, conducting outreach, needs assessments, rehabilitation, carer training, psychosocial support, agricultural and forestry training, entrepreneurship training, and wherever possible also help address gender equalities. Our hope is that once the project is shown to be successful in addressing these needs it is likely to be replicated in other parts of the district, region and country and we will be working closely with local government wherever possible advocating equal development and opportunity for vulnerable children and young people.

16 disabled children so far (10 planned) have received need-based rehabilitation, checkup, treatment, and supportive devices for those who needed them. It is a proven success and there are many disabled children who attended the rehabilitation who are showing improvements. For example, we have a case study of Alvis Chumi who did not attend school because he was unable to walk, but after rehabilitation has now started to do so and he now attends butterfly class at our Igoda Children’s Village.

To achieve this, we have already established a Youth Project Team and are continuing in the process of establishing and strengthening Village Child Protection Committees, VCPCs, helping us to identify and deliver this project support and training and help solve the problems faced by disabled children and vulnerable young people

We are working with the UoI – (University of Iringa) and TAPCAP (Tanzanian Association for Professional Counsellors and Psychotherapists) to help FCWC by providing expertise in assessing needs, psychosocial support, and the training of trainers while at the same time INUKA (Southern Highlands Rehab Centre) will be assisting us with addressing the rehabilitation needs of the disabled

Thank you for your continued support, it really means a lots to us and to all in Mufindi 

This is our giving page If you would like to be part of the children’s’ lives:

https://www.goldengiving.com/charity/orphansinthewild

For more regular posts please see:

https://www.facebook.com/OrphansInTheWild/

Happy Christmas and News From Mufindi

Oct 10th: Several of our older children have now left the Igoda Children’s Village because they are 18 and over; Tz Government stipulates no children over 18 can remain in an orphanage. Some younger children have also left, returning to their families who are now in a position to be able to look after them. Those over 18 have gone on to vocational education or our Youth Program, living in the villages with families. The ICV held a leaving party for them, including the younger children, with lots of pop, cake and having a bit of a singsong. Castory, who has been with us for many years, delivered a speech which went down well. Thank you to the staff and our volunteers, who were there helping to make this such a success. We wish the leavers all the best of luck with their new lives and will always be happy to see them visit the ICV again. The children will have regular monitoring to ensure their health and happiness.

Nov. 10th: A smiley hello from Elieth, Petro’s little sister, as bright as a button now! She joined the Igoda Children’s Village on the 5th October, as her mother is mentally ill and her grandparents, being very poor, are unable to help in this very remote, rural area of Mufindi.

Nov. 22nd:

Great Excitement at the ICV Offices. Johnson Controls, from their Cork branch in Ireland, had awarded us a grant for the supply and fitting of solar panels, inverter and battery to enable the staff to work uninterrupted avoiding the numerous electric power cuts. It will also allow regular calls to our amazing sponsors in Finland with regard to the YAM project. (Youth Agency Mufindi – The project aims at building sustainable solutions for the improvement of lives of disabled children and vulnerable youth). This is going to make a huge difference and we would like to thank Johnson Controls and send our appreciation. The installation done by Hans, Joah, Jukka and Franco, on the roof, was hot and dangerous, also with Hans’ expertise went well, so a big thank you to them,   for their help.

Nov 24th: Our volunteers, Alex, Jukka and Joah had arranged a football tournament between NGO villages, with the ICV having their own team. There were four matches and great fun was had by all, with Iyayin village winning and the two best teams won cash prizes, donated.

Nov 30th: Learning to Read – Reading to Learn!: Because the books in the Kindergarten are completely worn out due to lots of little ones enjoying them, plus the need for reading and reference books for the Social Room, we held a fundraising campaign on the media and raised £400 which will buy over 400/500 books from Books2Africa in Dar es Salaam. In addition, the ICV has been donated 4 boxes full, including colouring and work books. Many thanks to our kind donors.

Dec 7th: The Kindergarten graduation was held at the ICV. The Kindergarten is open to the Igoda Village and staff members. An exciting, if perhaps a slightly bewildering day, for the little ones showing off all they have learned to their parents. Well done to the children and all teachers in bringing them this far. When they go to their primary school they will be well and truly ready to show what they can do, and probably be in advance.

Dec 10th: Gloria, 5 years old, and her brother Simon, 2, were brought back to the Igoda Children’s Village today. Gloria went to live with her grandmother on 9th September in 2020. However, after home visits by our Social Officer, Uzia, it was decided for her health and safety, with Simon, to return to the ICV where they will receive the love and care given by the dedicated house mamas and staff. Their grandmother and father are not well.

Dec 12th: We said Kwaheri, safari salama na karibuni tena (Goodbye, safe journey and welcome again) to Dr Alex, Jukka, Ronja and Aleksi. We thank them for all their love, care and help at the Igoda Children’s Village and medical help with outreach home visits making a big difference. They also bought and gave food to extremely poor families. Dr. Alex will be really missed by us all. Looking forward to her next visit. Dr Leena and two friends arrived on the 29^th November for three months. Welcome again Dr. Leena!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We wouldn’t be here without your support, Thank you!

If you would like any further information, please contact us +44(0)7759 219 708. email: marion@wildorphans.org

https://orphansinthewild.org/gift-vouchers/ https://www.facebook.com/OrphansInTheWild/

https:/www.goldengiving.com/charity/orphansinthewild         https://www.instagram.com/orphansinthewild/

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Safe New Year!

LEARNING TO READ – READING TO LEARN

As the books in the Igoda Children’s Village Kindergarten are completely worn out due to lots of little ones enjoying them, also with the need for reading and reference books for our Social Room, we are asking for your help to restock please. If you would like to be part of these children’s future, please click on the link, every donation counts, a little goes a long way. Asante Sana (Thank you!)”

OITW’s 2021 CHRISTMAS CARDS

Our Christmas cards are now on sale: 1 x Pack (10 cards per pack) + postage

Click on DONATE above and indicate the quantity you would like in the comments section please. Alternatively, contact me for bank transfer details:  marion@wildorphans.org

Thank you for your orders!

NEWS FROM IGODA CHILDREN’S VILLAGE, MUFINDI

NEWS FROM IGODA CHILDREN’S VILLAGE, MUFINDI

Zulea is currently completing her Tourism and Hotel Management studies and is at Lazy Lagoon right now doing her ‘field’ experience for 3 months before seeking employment.

IGODA CLINIC WARD EXTENSION: The foundations are complete and the brickwork has been started, there was a delay due to a very wet season! This will provide the Igoda Clinic with more beds, and accommodation for a doctor and nurse to expand the facility to cover a wider area as the nearest hospital is quite  distance away. This is being sponsored by a very generous donor! Thank you so much.

Conservation news: Chris Fox and his team are located in some of Tanzania’s absolutely best untouched locations, and they have made it their mission to protect these lands. So far, they’ve managed to: remove 11,000 snares/traps used in illegal poaching activities; planted 30,000 locally with indigenous forest trees (as at end of 2019); facilitate ongoing ecological monitoring; help deploy anti-poaching units into the scarp forests of Mufindi. The Fox family has planted 3 million trees in the Southern Highlands and lowering the carbon emissions in this area

Huge congratulations to our Trustee, Simon Shercliff CMG OBE for being appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran!
Welcomed Visitors:  Johannes, our Volunteer Accountant from Germany, also Jenny Peck from America, paid a short visit at the ICV much to the excitement of the staff and children!

23rdSeptember: We welcome Dr Alex and her family to the ICV. Her medical skills are very much valued not only at our ICV but in the surrounding villages where she will be visiting many outreach patients in need of this extra help. The family has already started activities in the social room with the children and catching up with them all. The family last December converted the old craft-room into a Social room where the children can go and relax, do activities, homework, read etc.

ICV: We believe our foster facility for babies who lose their mothers at childbirth is slowing down. Perhaps this is an indicator of the success of our new Igoda Clinic where many babies are being delivered in the maternity unit.  Also, we are taking steps to repatriate some of these young children to their villages where fathers left them with us as babies not being able to look after them. They are normally returned around 3 years of age. Francisco, now aged 2 yrs has been fostered with a family living at Chogo Village who have other children and settled in well. Tunaye, Fanuel, Monica and Evalina, all over 18 have now left the ICV as with Government policy which does not allow children over the age of 18 to remain. They are all enrolled in further education, or the Youth Project.

SAILING ALONE: Richard Kerswell, who lived in Tanganyika as a child, continuing his sail, alone, around the UK raising funds for the Igoda Children’s Village and Give the World a Shot. So far he has done 2,232.7 Nautical miles. To catch up with his latest progress please click on: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Pegasuses.places

The OITW 2021 Christmas Cards will be available soon. Each pack of 10 cards is £4.75 per pack + Postage.

Thank you for your continued support and donations also those who regularly donate by direct debit, they are very much appreciated, without your amazing help the ICV wouldn’t be there!  Asante Sana! 

Do get in touch if you need more information.

NEWS FROM MUFINDI TO JUNE 2021

April 4^th The children were given an Easter Hunt to search the playground for their treats. When they found them, they dropped the goodies into a basket and each of the children received an equal share with great excitement

April 22^nd What a lovely surprise! Foxes Community & Wildlife Conservation Trust has been announced as the 2021 cause winner with ourafrica.travel. Thank you so much! To see the full post on Instagram please click on this link: 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNt9wB2niFm/?fbclid=IwAR3IGk3G8bOalQ2FjFiprMMA6FiFwl_IPUUyuS_LtiMwcGu–5OMla-i6M8

April 29^th The new beans and maize planted earlier this season are looking really healthy, giving the children fresh vegetables with plenty to dry and put into stores for the following weeks after harvest! All this land is dug over by hand, there are very few tractors in this remote, rural area of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania! The Avocado season is in full swing in Mufindi. Kasory Kilwa and Kaini Kabonge shown here, are busy counting the first pick ready to bag them up for stores.

May 9^th The ICV received gifts from the Iyayi Church of maize, soap, religious books, plates, soap and money to the tune of Tsh.69,000/- (£21.28). This was given by the congregation, giving what they could, which is very much appreciated. They held prayers and their choir sang at the Vocational Training Centre together with lunch including all the ICV children and workers. Zilipa, the ICV Manager, said it was a day enjoyed by everyone.

May 21^st Zilipa has visited Gloria again at her grandmother’s home in Ikaning’ombe to see her progress now she has left the Igoda Children Village. Gloria has settled very well, is happy and healthy. Such good news seeing her difficult start in life. #babygloriamufindi

May 30^th Ella, one of our Finnish Volunteers, arrived in Mufindi bringing with her lots of knitted items from Finland, she also collected the packages from the Mafinga post office sent from the UK. The smaller children wearing some of the cardies and jumpers from friends in the UK and the others showing the lovely Finnish knitted garments. Thank you to all the great knitters!

June 2^nd We are delighted to have received a grant from Johnson Controls of Cork for Solar equipment, this will make a significant difference to the ICV. The Solar system will make FCWC self reliant in its operation, able to protect itself from regular power cuts and surges, and at the same time minimize the administrative burden of electricity bills while also meeting it’s environmental objectives for using renewable energy.

June 25th  We received some books kindly donated by some visitors who were passing through, much to the delight of the staff and children. Many thanks! 

Your support, donations and those who regularly donate by Direct Debit is very much appreciated.

thank you

This support keeps The Igoda children’s village going

If you would like any further information, please

contact Marion Gough: +44(0)7759 219 708. email: marion@wildorphans.org

https://orphansinthewild.org/gift-vouchers/ https://www.facebook.com/OrphansInTheWild/ https:/www.goldengiving.com/charity/orphansinthewild https://www.instagram.com/orphansinthewild/

Foxes NGO Profile

NGO_Profile 2020

NEWS FROM MUFINDI TO MARCH 2021

MUFINDI NEWS 

8th March 2021 International Women’s Day: Over the week, we had the pleasure, on Media, to introduce and thank all the Office Staff, House Guardians, Cook, Nurse and Gardeners at the Igoda Children’s Village who work so hard looking after the Igoda Children’s  Village and caring for the children so well:  Here are Zilipa, ICV  Manager; Fausta, Accountant; Uzia, Social Welfare Officer and Nurse Sijali.  We were reluctant to leave the men out, so they were thanked and introduced at the end of the week. To see all the staff  please click on this link and scroll to see them all.  /https://www.facebook.com/OrphansInTheWild/photos/pcb.1843231852501515/1843228259168541/

In January two volunteers visited the ICV and gave all the little children an activity treat with rides on the horses from Fox Farm.

18th February 2021: The ICV had the privilege of  visit from David Concar, the UK’s High Commissioner to Tanzania. He was shown around the ICV by FCWC’s co-founder, Geoff Fox MBE, where he met some the children. He said he enjoyed his visit and  would come again.

3rd February 2021: We received a grant from The Royal Overseas League for all the ICV primary aged school children to be educated, including all costs, at the Madisi Primary School in Mufindi.  This has given us a great boost with the difficulties the Corona virus has created. Our sincere appreciation to ROSL.

January 2021: FCWC launched YAM supported in partnership by the Helsinki Deaconess Foundation Institute in Finland: The disabled often lead invisible lives in Tanzania (and are less likely to attend school or more likely to drop out at a younger age) while young people in Tanzania face an unreliable income once they leave school due to having to rely on informal income generation (with inadequate employment opportunities – 10% of 15-35 yr olds are unemployed and 75% of young people are dependent on seasonal agriculture.

FCWC led the way in tackling the HIV epidemic over the last 15 years but recognise that it has left behind many traumatised vulnerable young children who continue to need our help.

So we are delighted to announce a new partnership between the Helsinki Deaconess Foundation Institute (HDI) in Finland and FCWC in Tanzania enabling us to launch YAM (Youth Agency Mufindi Project) at the start of 2021 with MFA funding committed for 4 (possibly 5) years. The YAM project is designed to help disabled children solve life issues enabling them to lead dignified lives and also to help vulnerable young people to take control of their lives through improved motivation, skills and opportunities. FCWC will implement this pilot project in our neighbouring 16 villages, conducting outreach, needs assessments, rehabilitation, carer training, psychosocial support, Agricultural and Forestry training, entrepreneurship training, and wherever possible also help address gender equalities. Our hope is that once the project is shown to be successful in addressing these needs it is likely to be replicated in other parts of the district, region and country and we will be working closely with local government wherever possible advocating equal development and opportunity for vulnerable children and young people.

To achieve this, we have already established a Youth Project team and are in the process of establishing and strengthening Village Child Protection Committees, VCPCs, helping us to identify and deliver this project support and training and help solve the problems faced by disabled children and vulnerable young people.

We are working with the University of Iringa UoI and TAPCAP (Tanzanian Association for Professional Counsellors and Psychotherapists) to help FCWC by providing expertise in assessing needs, psychosocial support and the training of trainers while at the same time INUKA (Southern Highlands Rehab Centre) will be assisting us with addressing the rehabilitation needs of the Disabled.

The rains in January started with a vengeance making the roads in Mufindi and surrounding areas a quagmire.  Getting the children to their schools makes this exceedingly difficult, sometimes impossible! One of the main dirt roads is being tarmacked so this year the roads have not been graded as normal, hence the problem. Mufindi is in a very rural, remote area of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania!

ONCE AGAIN WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT