WARIANKIRA
Her name is hard to pronounce. But her laughter is even harder to forget. We first met Wariankira at a village meeting. She had a really dignified manner but when you looked closely, she also had a quiet sadness. Regardless of her elected position on the school board committee, Wariankira was also [...]
AMINAELI
Nothing steals Aminaeli’s laughter. Most Tanzanians are taught to cover their mouths when they laugh. Some have severe Fluorosis – a dental discoloration that occurs from drinking water with high levels of natural fluoride. It leaves brown striations on the teeth. Aminaeli made laughter a life raft. It eases her pain. It [...]
Growing a Defense Against Covid-19
Across the planet, we are all doing our daily examination of how to manage this new COVID-19 reality and its limitations. Though this Global pandemic treats us all the same, we aren’t all equipped to deal with it equally. Tanzania is a place with weak and sometimes non-existent social services. Abject poverty [...]
CLIFF AND ANN
The following story is written by Cliff, a Rotarian, investor, father, and volunteer who had the privilege of building a rainwater harvesting system for Anna and her 7 kids. They are worlds apart and a bonded family forever. My first trip with Save the Rain left an indelible mark. You get to this [...]
JEHOVENESS
There were two planks of wood bridging a stream to enter the property. There was a newly dug grave to the right. There was grief everywhere else. It was a tragic love story. Jehoveness was the one still living, but she was dying from a broken heart. Her husband passed away 5 months [...]
HILLARY TESHA
I remember the day I met Hilary Tesha. He came to work wearing a t-shirt that said Mount Shasta Cheerleading Squad. He didn’t know Mount Shasta was on the other side of the world or that I lived there. It felt synchronistic and magical. It made me feel like we both belonged to [...]