Have you ever dreamed of doing something big for so long
that it seems impossible for it to really happen? Well I say, keep dreaming because sometimes those wishes
become reality. Here’s the story
of my dream coming true…
Recently, to celebrate our upcoming 20th anniversary, hubby and I took a
dream trip to Africa! Danny
planned the trip to fulfill my wish to go on safari, but just prior to our
wildlife adventure, we got to do something that was even better than seeing the
Big Five. We volunteered in an
school/orphanage in the Tanzanian town of Moshi. As part of a group called
K2 Adventures, which
funds and supports the Mwereni Primary School, we
were invited to go with a dental team to work in the school’s onsite dental clinic.
It was an unforgettable opportunity that opened my eyes and heart to the beauty
of the world and the goodness of mankind.
Here’s a little background info about the school/orphanage where we
worked. The Mwereni Integrated School for the Blind and Non-Blind specializes in the care and education of children who are affected with
blindness, albinism, or a skin condition called Xeroderma Pigmentosum
(XP). (Sidenote: Albinos and those
with XP are hypersensitive to sun exposure. Their eyes may also be hypersensitive which can result in
blindness or visual impairment.)
There are about 75 students who board at the school who are either
orphans or they are affected with said conditions. There are also over 600 regular day students, age 5-14yrs,
who live in community and come to attend primary school. Mwereni school sits on about 8 acres of
lush fertile land which includes dormitories, classrooms, a medical/dental
clinic, a Braille computer lab, a
special UV protective recreactional room, and a large farm. Enclosing the campus is a large wall,
which was recently built to provide security. Protection for the students is very important because of
long standing African superstition, in which some believe that albinos have
magical powers. Many albinos have
been killed to collect their body parts for witchcraft. There is also an armed guard to protect
the students 24 hours/day.
The school’s inspiring headmaster, Damas, works hard to live up to its motto which
is “Ultimate efficiency is our solemn duty”. He is proud to run a school which is striving to be completely
sustainable and will eventually no longer require government funding. He has improved the health of the
students by feeding them from the school’s abundant gardens. The farm harvests a variety of beautiful
fruits and vegetables as well as milk from its two fat cows. The lunches we ate at the school were
all prepared with food from the farm and they were delicious! Mwereni students
help work on the farm and sell the produce to members of the community to help
raise funds for the school. Both
school staff and students generously share their gratitude for all who help support
and volunteer at Mwereni. They were
very gracious hosts who made us all feel so welcome and appreciated!
The dental needs of the Mwereni students were treated by a group of six
dental students from
ASDOH.
Danny was asked to help supervise them for a few days until their
faculty dentist, Dr. Fazel, would be arriving in Tanzania to take his
place. Let me just say, these
dental students are SHARP! Danny
and I were both totally taken in by their sincerity, charm and drive. Danny would oversee all the dental
treatment as well as screen the patients to determine their needs. I mostly just helped out by charting
and most importantly, handing out the prizes to the kids. So you probably already guessed it, but
I quickly became the most popular member of the team. We couldn’t have done any of the work with out the help of
the superhero school nurse, Rose! She helped us communicate with the
children by translating (they speak Swahili) and reassuring them when they were
nervous. That lady has a ginormous
heart and the patience of Job.
When we were caught up with our dental responsibilities we did my
favorite thing…play with the kids!
They were so endearing! My
heart swelled for them all from the moment they welcomed us. I took lots of photos, which they loved
to see. After snapping a few shots
or a video, the kids would all clamor around to see their own beautiful faces
smiling back at them from the camera.
They couldn’t get enough of it.
Some of the other K2 volunteers worked on art projects with the kids, which
they really seemed to enjoy. Other
activities included dancing, fingernail painting and soccer. I was so impressed with how thoughtful
and caring the kids were with each other, especially those with
disabilities. It was so
heartwarming to see the blind children being led around and watched out for by
the other students. I also loved
all their dark shiny eyes and their brilliant white smiles. (They really do have remarkably
beautiful teeth.) Some of the bolder
children liked to show off their English and I loved it when they would try to
teach me Swahili. It took me a
ridiculously long time to learn to count to ten in Swahili. They laughed at me a lot.
After working at Mwereni school for four days, saying goodbye was super hard! I really wished we could have stayed
working at the school for longer.
I was touched by the genuine smiles of the children who came from such
humble circumstances. I appreciate
the example of gratitude they showed me. They really know about what is most important in
life…love, friends and family.
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