The horn blew and I let everyone sprint into the water and I walked in behind. I swam a few strokes with my head above water and then took a deep breath and put my face in. Instantly my ear buds to my music came out, I rolled to my back to try and fix them but with the waves I was unsuccessful. I gave up and rolled back to my belly to keep swimming and saw a scuba diver below me – checking on me. It was nice knowing there were safety kayakers and divers, literally surrounding me from top to bottom

The first 2 miles crossing the channel from Buck Island to St. Croix were the most physically challenging; the swell was bigger than I had anticipated. The next 3 miles were along the coast of St. Croix – it was breathtakingly beautiful. I saw several sea turtles, 2 stingrays and really pretty fish. I missed the drink station boat but luckily had a kayaker offer me a bottle of water. He kindly opened it and handed it to me at which point his kayak capsized with his young son in it. I dropped my water and tried to help. Once they were safe I pressed on. I was parched. The hardest stretch for me was 3.5 to 4.5 miles. My shoulder was hurting, my tongue was like sand paper, I was starting to get seasick and I wanted to quit. I thought of all the generous donors and kept kicking. The final turn buoy felt as if someone was slowly pulling it further and further as I swam towards it. It reminded me of teaching a child to swim and backing up as they come towards you.

I finally could put my feet down and heard a ton of cheering; I had an overwhelming feeling of relief and accomplishment. I finished 4 minutes over time but was so proud I completed it. There were some serious competitors – even Gold Medalist Misty Hyman was there! 5 miles was definitely further than I had imagined (think of it as 88 lengths of a football field). And 4 hours in the water was longer than I had ever thought possible. Thank you to everyone who made this swim-raiser so successful!

~Michelle

It is hard to believe we are coming to the end of another year.  It was a great year for Knock Foundation as we continue to grow and expand our reach in the developing world.  As you reflect upon this year, we ask that you make a commitment to Knock Foundation so we can continue helping under-served populations in countries like Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia.  Below is a summary of all that was accomplished this year.

• Moved the 20 current children and welcomed 15 new children to the brand new Matumaini Child Care Center in Rau, Tanzania.

• Provided 18 deserving students with educational scholarships to varying primary and secondary schools.

• Sent a team of volunteers to the Maasai Mara in Kenya where they worked on construction of a new primary school.

• Donated a full shipping container of medical supplies to the Nyanza Provincial General Hospital in Kisumu, Kenya and also completed a second medical mission to the hospital.

• Arranged our 4^th annual HIV/AIDS – Healthy Living Seminar for 150 participants in a new location in Tanzania.

• Hosted 17 volunteers from Teen Insight in Tanzania, where they worked with the students of Mrupanga and Longuo Primary Schools and completed a beautification project.

• Purchased 30 desks, hundreds of books, and built a playground at Tulivu Kindergarten in Tanzania.

• Provided school lunch for 400 students at Mrupanga Primary School and in October, added another 430 students from Longuo Primary School to our lunch program.

• Four Knock Directors completed intense physical challenges as fundraisers for Knock, raising a total of $55,000.  Bruce hiked rim to rim in the Grand Canyon, Michelle swam a 5-mile ocean race in the Caribbean, Barry hiked to Little Meru and Kim hiked Mt. Meru to the summit.

As we transition into 2012, we at Knock Foundation are excited about new endeavors and possibilities in store for the organization.  In addition to expanding our current projectsWe will be sponsoring a medical mission and school building trip to Ethiopia, further expanding our reach in eastern Africa.

Please join in our movement to provide sustainable change that will allow people to lift themselves out of poverty.  Every donation makes a difference.  Make your year-end donation today.

Thank you for your continued support.  We wish you a happy and healthy new year.

Sincerely,

Michelle, Barry, Bruce, David and Kim

Co-Founders and Directors, Knock Foundation

Knock’s Medical Mission to Kenya

This April, Knock Foundation and Columbia University’s Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) sponsored a successful return trip of medical professionals to Kisumu, Kenya.

During the visit, our urological team screened hundreds of patients and performed numerous surgical procedures. A sample of the cases included:

• A teenage boy impaled through his rectum and prostate. Through reconstruction surgery, our team of surgeons corrected his painful condition to allow him to lead a normal life.

• A middle aged woman with a renal tumor so painful she couldn’t walk and was wheelchair-bound. She underwent removal of that kidney and had a remarkable recovery with minimal residual pain.

• An elderly gentleman had been living with an artificial drainage tube in his bladder for 2 years because his prostate was so large he could not urinate.

In addition, Knock  donated a shipping container full of a wide selection of heath care products and supplies. This will enable Knock to expand its ability to provide care to the various communities it serves in Kenya.

Building A School In Kenya
Also in April, a team of volunteers traveled to the Masai Mara in Western Kenya to build a primary school. Working (and laughing) side-by-side with community members, the school will open in time for this summer’s school session.

Climbing Mt. Meru, Tanzania
In February I climbed Mt. Meru as a fundraiser for Knock, along with Edward Lyimo.  Together with over 70 donors supporting the climb, we raised over $27,000!  The first two days of hiking were steep, but only about 4 hours each and with beautiful surroundings.  The hike up to the summit was incredibly difficult.  We woke up at 2 am after a serious amount of rain had fallen earlier that night.  We started off with normal switchbacks and the weather was nice.  Once we reached 3800 m, the top of a hill called Rhino Point, it became extremely foggy, cold, windy and rainy.  The rain was coming at us horizontally from the right for several hours.  The climb at some points was traditional hiking along narrow ridges with very steep drop offs, and at other points was extremely difficult rock climbing, either literally scaling slippery rock walls or using hands and feet to climb up.  Because it had rained, there was snow/ice for much of the way, which made the rocks slippery.  The summit climb took us about 6.5 hours which is longer than usual, but the weather played a big part in that.

There were several peaks along the way that when we reached each one, I asked our guide, Mussa, “that’s the top right?” and his answer was always the same, “not yet, Kim, not yet.”  I definitely lost hope a few times and Edward’s boots were soaked through early on and his feet were freezing, but we had no choice but to keep going.  When we finally started approaching the summit, I completely lost hope when I saw a steep rocky ridge that I knew would take a lot of time and strength I felt like I no longer had.  But we just took one rock at a time and climbed slowly, and when we saw the Tanzanian flag up at the top, we were filled again with hope and excitement.  Arriving at the top was a rush that is hard to explain.  It was thrilling to know we had done it!  And then came the realization of having to then get ourselves down!  But hours later we had reached camp, exhausted and sore, but having accomplished our mission.

Thank you so much to everyone who supported us! - Kim

The Children Move Into Their New Home

On January 15, the Matumaini children moved into the brand new Knock Foundation donated center near Moshi, Tanzania!  Seeing the kids in the new space has been incredible. They are so happy and getting used to all the new amenities. Watching them eat their lunch at tables inside a nice dining hall has been the greatest thing to see. They used to sit on the porch of the old place, all cramped together, eating off their plates on the ground. Now they are sitting upright at tables and it is a wonderful sight to see.

For the first week, the water wasn’t working well which meant the kids were still showering with buckets. One evening, all the girls were in the bathroom and the water started flooding out of the showerhead.  Monika, dressed in a blouse and skirt, ran to stand underneath it.  She had a huge smile on her face and was giggling incessantly. It took not but 10 seconds for all the other girls to jump into the shower, fully clothed, with Monika. It was a happy day.

One Sunday evening, the kids had organized a boys versus girls acrobatic competition in the dining hall. The boys were all standing on one side while the girls were standing on the other. There was a ton of happy noise emanating from the hall while Stefani would do some sort of flip and thus challenge one of the girls to do something better. At one point, Stefani folded his legs up onto his thighs and started walking around the dining hall on his knees. All the kids started hysterically laughing. It was so heartwarming to see them so joyous and really making use of their new home.

Matumaini Welcomes New Children

In our effort to begin filling up the new Matumaini Center, we welcomed three new children in February: Anna, Suzy and Anita. Suzy and Anita are 6 and 8 years old respectively and are sisters who have been living with their grandmother.

Anna is 7 years old and comes from a village south of Moshi town. Her father passed away several years ago and her mother just passed away 2 weeks ago, leaving Anna to stay with her 19 year-old sister, who has a new baby. When we met Anna, she had yet to start school and there were no plans for her to do so. She was eating scarcely and living in a dark, rented room. She starting fitting in at Matumaini right away and has been attending kindergarten classes everyday. We hope this is the beginning of a new life for her.

Knock’s Upcoming Medical Mission to Kenya

This coming April, Knock Foundation and Columbia University’s Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) will be sponsoring a return trip of medical professionals to Kisumu, Kenya. Our team of volunteer doctors will be putting their incredible skills to work in a part of the world where basic medical care is often lacking. During our stay, the team will screen patients, perform surgeries and train local medical staff. In addition, Knock is donating a shipping container full of a wide selection of heath care products and supplies. This will enable Knock to expand its ability to provide care to the various communities it serves in Kenya.

Building A School in Kenya

Also in April, a team of volunteers will be heading out to rural western Kenya to build a primary school. In keeping with our core belief that everyone has the right to an education, the new Knock Foundation donated primary school will provide a safe, friendly environment for local children to pursue their dreams for generations to come.

Mrupanga Update

The Kilimanjaro Education Foundation has approved the Mrupanga Primary School’s budget for the construction of brand new latrines, a septic tank system, and reserve water tank! We are very excited to be collaborating with this great organization and continuing to improve the environment and sanitation at Mrupanga. Construction will begin soon!

We can’t believe 2010 is coming to a close.  It was a very busy year for Knock Foundation, during which much progress was made.  In spite of the tough economic times, we managed to raise funds in an amount commensurate with 2009.  As we close out this year, we ask that you make a commitment to Knock Foundation so we can continuing expanding our reach and providing opportunities for more people in the coming year.

In 2010, Knock Foundation…

• Constructed the brand new Matumaini Children’s and Community Center in Rau, Tanzania from start to finish.

• Provided 15 bright and deserving individuals with the opportunity of education through educational scholarships.

• Completed a medical mission to Kisumu, Kenya where participating physicians performed numerous surgeries and helped train local doctors in urology.

• Fed 400 students school lunch every day for the year.

• Planned and hosted two Life Skills – HIV/AIDS Seminars for over 350 participants.

• Gave 15 volunteers the opportunity to participate in our work in Tanzania and Kenya.

As we move into 2011, we are hopeful that Knock will continue to grow and help even more people in underserved communities in Tanzania, Kenya, and possibly other countries.  We ask that you join in our movement to provide sustainable change and life-changing opportunities that will allow people to lift themselves out of poverty.

There is no shortage of need and we look to you for continued support.  Every single donation makes a world of difference.

We thank you so much for your support and wish you and yours a happy and healthy new year.

Sincerely,

Michelle, Barry, Kim, Bruce, and David

Co-Founders and Directors, Knock Foundation

Knocking Out Myths

We held our 3^rd annual Life Skills-HIV/AIDS seminar this past month for the Rau community.  There was an amazing turn out of about 250 attendees, roughly 100 more than last year.  We divided the participants into groups by age and gender, including an adult women group and for the first time, adult men.  Two local women’s groups participated as well: a business group and a support group for HIV positive women.

And this year for the first time, we held a second seminar at the Kilimahewa Educational Center, located in a village outside of Moshi town.  To our amazement, 100 people attended!  Kim and I were so thrilled to be reaching new people and gaining yet another perspective.  We planned this seminar differently, in that we divided the participants into two groups: young adults and adults, with the genders mixed.  There was incredible discussion in both groups and it proved to be another successful seminar.

In both locations we discussed a myriad of topics ranging from self-esteem, goal planning, and gender roles to family planning, STDs, HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention, and basic reproductive health.  Some new topics added this year for the adults were abusive relationships and responsible parenting.  The seminars were taught by peer educators (aged 22-25) from a new local NGO called YOCOSO.  As is the case every year, they impressed us with their professionalism, knowledge, and ability to engage the participants.

Some of most interesting questions and statements we heard during the seminars were: “If sperm don’t carry HIV how can it be transmitted to a baby?”; “Do only certain blood types get HIV?”; “If I can get malaria from a mosquito – can mosquitoes also transmit HIV?”; “If my spouse is too drunk to remember we had sex – is it rape?”; “If a husband has HIV and the wife doesn’t – how is that possible?”; In response to asking why so many men refuse to wear condoms – “do you eat candy with the wrapper on?”  We spent a significant amount of time on basic biology, of which the knowledge was extremely lacking.  It just reconfirmed how critical education really is.

The cost of holding a seminar like this is approximately $300 per 150 people.  This cost includes lunch for all attendees, photocopies of learning materials, all seminar supplies, and transport costs for the teachers along with a small payment.  We hope to get more funding for these seminars and continue to expand to new locations next year.  These seminars are Knock’s way of breaking down myths and empowering people with knowledge to lead a healthy life.

We are looking for donors to sponsor seminars and if you are interested please go to our website (www.knockfoundation.org) and donate now!

Knock on Wood Continued

The construction is progressing well – all of the roofs are up, the windows and doorframes in, and the plastering well underway.  Due to some delays in purchasing materials the completion date has been pushed back to October 16^th.  We are starting to choose paint colors, tiles, flooring, and place orders for the furniture!  There were some days we wished we had an Ikea or Costco but between the giant steel factory and the tiny 10 square-foot wood working shop, we have placed our orders and paid our deposits.

The energy saving stove was installed last weekend; it will use a fraction of the amount of firewood and funnel the fumes through a chimney instead of into our mamas’ lungs.  We will also be utilizing solar panels for the primary source of electricity.  There will be running water, flushing toilets, sinks and last but certainly not least according to the kids – showers! The kids have been able to watch this process unfold in real time and we are so excited for the day that it becomes a reality – their home.  Equally excited is Mama Lucy, the matron, who upon seeing her new space said she would be “fat, happy and living in luxury!”

We laughed the other day with our architect after asking him to look into some colorful paints and inquired if he had ever built a building with two white women; he smiled and said no, but that he was enjoying it.  We have been looked at like we have three heads when we inquired about using brown concrete for the floors instead of what was suggested – blue or green?!  We are definitely pushing people outside their box – and we are certain we will have good results.

Teen Insight Grad Returns to Tanzania

Sara Hilecher, a participant in last year’s Insight trip to Tanzania, along with a new Knock volunteer, Cooper Haskins, returned to Tanzania in August to work with Knock and Mrupanga Primary School.  They held similar workshops with the students as last year, focusing primarily on the good qualities about themselves.  They also spent a day with the teachers, during which each teacher was given the opportunity to speak her dreams for the school and its students.  They again watered their dream tree to reaffirm the intention for all their dreams coming true in the year to come.  In addition, Sara and Cooper collected and brought 300 pieces of clothing to donate to the students, teachers, and children at Matumaini.  They also assisted us with the Life Skills Seminar and were happy just experiencing what life is like here in Tanzania.  It was a great privilege to have two such hard-working young ladies and we are looking forward to hosting another Teen Insight group next summer.

Knock on Wood

Last time we landed in your inbox we were over the moon about the construction just beginning with the fencing and gate.  Now, only a few months later, the buildings have completely taken shape, all of the walls are built up and the roofing work is just getting started!  It’s pretty amazing how quickly a space can be transformed, from a weedy, empty plot to the beginnings of an actual center and home for the kids.  The substructure took about 5 weeks to complete – longer than planned – because of the heavy rains that poured down this year.  However since then, the building up of the superstructure has really happened right before our eyes.  The practical completion date for the entire project is set at September 18^th and we are hoping to move the kids in sometime during October.

Just before the rainy season, we heard of an organization that plants trees at schools and children’s centers at no cost.  We called to ask if they would be willing to come to the new center and plant trees that would start to grow with all the rain.  They agreed quickly and wholeheartedly and came within a few days.  They were a big group of over 20 volunteers, arriving with 42 fruit and shade trees that they planted over the course of a few hours.  It was a great day, a symbolic one, as the construction had not yet begun.  There we were, planting trees for the future of the children and the future of the center.

In the same vein, the generous employees of Barclays Bank Moshi Branch donated a portion of their salaries this month to purchase the bougainvillea seeds we need to plant throughout the perimeter of the fencing, making the center private from the outside.  About 12 bank employees, including the manager, came to the site on Saturday; alongside the kids, Mr. Mambo, Damas Kimoso (Matumaini Trustee), our mamas and us, they planted 600 seedlings.  It was a great event, complete with a DJ and MC from Moshi FM Radio and a reporter from The Citizen, a local newspaper.  We had a dance party, soda, great speeches, and hopefully planted a seed – no pun intended – for more community involvement.

Last week, we were sitting with the kids while they were eating lunch.  We asked them what they thought would be improvements in the new center over the current one.  They were shy at first, but slowly started offering their answers: “space to play”; “our own bedrooms”; “a fence and gate”; “the classrooms”; “a dining hall, where we can eat inside on tables!”  These were the answers we heard, shouted out with excitement and anticipation. And then, it just couldn’t have been a conversation without Jackson asking how many TVs we’re installing, with a huge, vibrant smile pasted across his face.  Of course this made us laugh, as it always does.  Isn’t it wonderful to dream?!  These kids, our kids, are truly what this is all about.

We were recently reminiscing about the day a couple of years ago when we were walking down the Rau road, talking about how our friends were dreaming about the houses they wanted to have for their families, while we were dreaming about building a new Matumaini Center.  And now it’s happening.  It has been surreal to see the drawings we’ve been looking at for months come to life; to hear the kids talk about their excitement to move; to start dreaming about all of the programming and outreach we will be able to provide at the new place.  Surreal and real at the same time.

Get Knocked Up!

We have had some very successful fundraising efforts this year and are asking you to get creative and do some fundraising of your own.  We are shifting our fundraising efforts from construction back to our general fund, which goes to the operating budget of Matumaini as well as our other projects, which include our Third Annual Life Skills / HIV/AIDS Seminar in Rau as well as a new one in a village called Kilimahewa.

Some successful fundraising stories:  A volunteer ran a half marathon in Knock’s name and raised $2,000; a bowling event raised $2,000; another Knock supporter did her first triathlon and raised $2,500.  One person has raised over $8,000 by personally approaching people who identified with the cause.  There are more ideas floating around that are yet to be implemented including a night at the bar with the bartenders donating tips as well as a pub crawl to raise funds.  Every idea is worthwhile and very much appreciated!!  We need a group effort for all who support Knock to raise as much money as possible.  When we say every dollar helps – we genuinely mean it!

Matumaini Center Construction Gets Underway

Construction started this week!!  We signed the contract with the contractors on February 16.  It was a momentous occasion that was celebrated afterward in typical Tanzanian fashion – at a bar .  We are beginning with the fencing which is slated to take 4 weeks and then will move on to the construction of the main buildings, scheduled to take 16 weeks depending on the rain.  Although we are beginning the process, we are still short about $30,000 for this first phase.  We hope you will help us gather this money as quickly as possible so we can realize our dream in 2010!

Educational Scholarships
We are thrilled to announce that Knock is providing 15 educational scholarships this year.  This is made possible through partnering with several individuals and another organization.  Six of these students are studying at a private English-medium primary school, and all have risen to the top of their classes.  Roger, Erik, and Derick from Matumaini, as well as Caroline, Edwardi and Aloyce have been awarded four-year secondary school scholarships and began January 2010.  Ernesto just started Form 2 at a private secondary school where he will have a better chance of achieving great success than he did at his previous school.  Hilda John, a neighbor to Matumaini, is attending vocational training school where she is learning to become a seamstress.  And last but not least, Elizabeth has completed her ordinary levels of secondary school and will enter into advanced levels in April 2010.  We are so excited to be offering the opportunity of education to so many hard-working and deserving students.

New Kids at Matumaini
Three weeks ago, Matumaini welcomed four new kids to the center: Salome, Angelo, Daniel, and Angela.  Salome is 14 and Romani’s older sister.  She just started secondary school.  Angelo is also 14 and starting secondary school.  He’s been an orphan almost since birth and has been shuffled through ‘the system’ for most of his life.  Daniel is 12 years old and in Class 5.  He was living with his grandmother, but they have never had a permanent place to stay.  And Angela is 5 ½ years old and the younger sister to Emma and Kelvin.  She is HIV+, inherited from her mother.  Last week was spent getting her set up at the HIV/AIDS treatment clinic at Mawenzi Hospital where she will have monthly doctor visits and medication monitoring.  She is a pistol – very talkative, smart, and funny.  It’s refreshing to see her in such high, positive spirits.

Update Corner
Mrupanga Primary School Success
The Class 7 students of Mrupanga took their end of primary school national exams in September and received their results in December.  30 of the 42 students passed the exam and Mrupanga’s pass rate was highest among all eight schools in their Ward.  They attribute much of this success to Knock’s lunch program, providing all students with one meal per day, as well as the textbooks that were provided by Sierra Canyon School.  We hope this success continues as we continue to provide them with our support.

Swimming Field Trip
“In early January I took the Matumaini kids and 15 of the neighborhood kids on a trip to Lake Challa, about an hour from Moshi along the Kenyan border.  Little did we realize Laka Challa is in a crater – it was a tremendous descent into the crater and an even bigger feat getting out!  The kids handled it like champs helping to carry even the food.  Now the mamas on the other hand said it could be their training for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro   As usual the kids took awhile to get their “bathing suits” on (aka their underwear) but once they did, it was an all day affair.  We were lucky enough to have a few floaties and tubes, which the kids used to swim independently a little.  The mamas just sat and closed their eyes.  I am so impressed with every time they come to water – they improve so much!  After our hike out of the crater we were greeted with rain and muddy roads.  Our coaster bus got stuck twice and it was a group effort to push it out of the ditch – I mean it just wouldn’t be a field trip in Tanzania without a bunch of teenagers pushing a gigantic bus out of the ditch right?!  All in all an amazing day.  See the attached folder for photos!”  ~Michelle

English Class
“I’ve been teaching English to four of the six ‘Six Mamas’ and Mama Lucy (the matron at Matumaini).  We have class three times per week and it is going well thus far.  We are focusing primarily on speaking and some days are more challenging than others.  But overall they are learning, understanding, and most importantly, happy.  Mama Godi came last week with a sentence she came up with all by herself, asking me if it was right…and it was!!  She put together some of the concepts we learned and was able to say “On Tuesdays I go to Memorial Market to buy shoes that I sell at Taveta Market.”  It is times like those when the experience is extremely rewarding.  And I love knowing that I am helping to keep their minds sharp and active.” ~Kim

The New Matumaini Child Care Center
Progress is consistently being made on our quest to build a new Matumaini children’s and community center.  My parents came to visit in mid-August and during that visit, my dad, Barry, who doubles as a Knock Director, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro as a fundraiser, a feat for which he had been preparing for many months prior. After four-and-a-half days of intense climbing, chilling cold, and stomach problems you’d rather not know about, he summitted the highest peak in Africa, standing at 19,345 feet, and thus raised $60,000 for our much-anticipated building project.  He said it was the most difficult physical activity he’s ever done and of course the most rewarding.  After the knowledge that we were $60,000 closer to our goal of building, we signed the contract with the architects.  We hired MK Arch Plans and Associates, a partnership between an architect and quantity surveyor with an impressive record and work ethic.  The architectural drawings are complete as well as the bill of quantities.  The land survey has also been conducted and we are waiting for the land lease.  The next step is to bring the bill of quantities to the Tanzania Revenue Authority to apply for a value added tax exemption for all the building materials, an exemption Matumaini qualifies for as an NGO.  We are at $110,000 raised at this point and need a total of about $230,000 to construct phase one (two dormitories, two classrooms, dining hall/kitchen/store).

In our continuing quest for funding, my parents and I broached the idea of conducting a capital fundraising campaign here in Tanzania to raise money locally for the project.  My parents are currently extremely involved in a capital campaign at our synagogue in Los Angeles, so they have been coaching me on the process.  Over the last month and a half, Mr. Mambo (Director of Matumaini) and I have been working tirelessly on developing the written fundraising materials, drawing up a list of people and companies of both affluence and influence to approach, and opening a Knock bank account to act as our fundraising account.  We began distributing letters and fixing appointments two weeks ago, starting with the companies on our list, including some of the breweries, the Coca Cola bottling company, the National Social Security Fund, and others.  We then traveled to all the banks in Moshi as the banks have provisions in their budgets for community development projects.  We were told by all that the decisions need to come from the head offices in Dar es Salaam, so we forwarded all of our materials ahead to them.  At the end of the week, we began to approach individual businessmen and are awaiting responses.  This week, Mr. Mambo and I are in Dar es Salaam to follow up with the banks, a few of the companies, and approach some other potential donors and government officials.  There are in some cases lengthy processes with the companies and banks so we will be awaiting responses from them during the next several months.  I am really looking forward to getting back to Moshi to meet with individual businessmen as I hope that our receiving of money in those cases will be more immediate.

Dericky came to our house one day and started inquiring why this whole construction thing was taking so long when really it could be built in 3 weeks.  I looked at him, trying not to burst out laughing and said “Three weeks?  You think this can be completed in three weeks?”  He had a look of confusion on his face so I brought out the architectural drawings for he and Emma, who came with him, to see.  I had to pick their chins up off the floor – they were amazed at what this new center would look like.  They were picturing a small house like their current home and were definitely unprepared to see all that the new center would have to offer.  After we talked about it, they of course couldn’t leave without putting in their two cents, again – they want a swimming pool and swings .  Sure guys, no problem!

Teen Insight Seminars Visits Tanzania
When I returned to Tanzania in August, I was followed by a lively and committed group of 17 teenagers and 7 adults from Insight Seminars.  Insight is an international non-profit educational organization which offers seminars that “guide[s] participants into the awareness of how life can be better – for themselves and others – when they are living compassionately, making choices from the perspective of what [they] call their ‘heart’.”   They came to volunteer through Knock for two weeks at Mrupanga Primary School.  Before arrival, they fundraised enough money for the school to complete construction on its seventh and final classroom and construction on it was complete when they arrived.  All that was left was to paint and the group did just that.  They also decided to paint for the first time the outside of one entire wing of classrooms and clean and repaint the other wing.  The school is dazzling.  In addition, they painted a mural on one wall, the theme of which is the importance of having goals and dreams.  Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the group conducted Insight-esque educational seminars with all the students and teachers at the school.  With the teachers, they spent an entire day discussing their goals and dreams, the importance of education, new and innovative teaching methods, and more.  The teachers were so excited about the knowledge and truly soaked up every minute of their seminar day.  For the student workshops, the Insight teens divided the students by class and conducted three seminars on three different days.  With each student group, the Insight participants again stressed the importance of goals and dreams and conducted several inventive activities and games to encourage active thinking and participation by the students.  They played trust games to encourage teamwork and united the classes under their common ideas and aspirations.  It was truly inspiring to watch the Insight teens lead the seminars on their own, showing true leadership skills, and to see the Mrupanga students respond so eagerly, excitedly, and with such profound and thoughtful comments.  It was perhaps just the beginning of Knock’s relationship with Insight and the first of many students/teen trips to come both from Insight and from other schools and organizations.

Update Corner
Matumaini Kids
The kids at Matumaini are all doing well.  Ericki, Dericky, and Roger took their Class 7 national exams several weeks ago.  These are the exams that complete their primary school education and help determine where they will be placed for secondary school.  The results come out in December.  In the meantime, we enrolled them in Pre-Form 1 classes, which help to prepare them for secondary school.  The other kids have about a month and a half left of this school year which ends early in December.  The maize harvest this year was extremely successful.  The kids spent many, many, many days pulling the maize from the stocks, ripping off all the kernels, and loading it into big sacks.  Picture the kids literally sitting in piles of corn kernels that were multiplying by the second.  They seemed to have fun though and the good news is there is enough maize to feed them for about 6 months!  This helps offset that cost in the budget.  They were also fairly successful in their harvest of beans.

Elizabeth
Elizabeth, the student Ryan Dillon began to sponsor for Form 4 earlier this year, graduated a couple of weeks ago and just finished taking her Form 4 national exams.  Sadly, she had no family in attendance at her graduation but I was able to be there.  It was a really special feeling to know that not only are we paying her school fees, but we have also become a family to her, people who care about her and are here for her.  I really felt that day that I am so lucky to have such a loving a supportive family myself and now I am able to be that for someone who isn’t as lucky.  We will await her exam results in the next few months to know what her next steps are.  We hope she will continue on to Advanced Level (Forms 5 and 6) and then to university.  She’s extremely smart, works very hard and truly deserves these opportunities.

Six Mamas Project
The Six Mamas Project hit an obstacle in early September when the fear of Swine Flu was spreading throughout the world.  The number of potential customers looking to buy pigs reduced dramatically and the women were unable to sell any of their pigs, meaning the entire cycle of income generation came to a screeching halt.  At the time, it was estimated that the market wouldn’t return until December.  We discussed the idea of helping them through loans and they agreed it was a great idea.  We had each woman calculate the profit she would have realized between September and December had customers been buying and we loaned half that money with a very minimal interest rate.  Before even starting, some of the women were already realizing this loaning thing might be a really cool idea and asked if they could submit other proposals to us for microloaning.  I laughed at their enthusiasm and said we could discuss the idea if they were able to successfully return the Six Mamas Project loans within the outlined time frame.  They felt that was fair.  Mama Inno and Mama Chapu were each able to sell a few pigs already and have begun to pay off their loans.  We hope this is a successful venture!

-Kim

Brief overview of what has happened in the past few weeks: We had a Six Mamas Project meeting before Kim left and things are progressing really well.  We are about to buy our last 25% of the food so after this purchase, they will be 100% independent and the project self-sustainable which is a really great feat. Knock continues to pay for the cook and food at Mrupanga Primary School. They had a wonderful send off for Kim and it was obvious how very thankful they are for all of Knock’s help – so please be encouraged that donations are making a difference. We will be purchasing even more textbooks very soon which is great.

I got the chance to meet Elizabeth – the girl who Ryan is sponsoring to secondary school. She is stunning – so very sweet, and obviously very motivated. She travels very far for school which means she must wake up extremely early and gets home very late. She has near to nothing and yet has the brightest smile. Here is an excerpt from her thank you letter to Kim and Ryan:

“I want to say thank you again and again in all that you have done for me and prepare to do for me because you make/help me rise from where I never expected to come out, since both my parents passed away. I am so glad that I have a really aunt who is mama grace, a brother and a sister too (Ryan and Kim) I promise myself to work hard the way I can and in the name of Jesus I believe I will do/make it too. I know my father and my mother will be very happy to known, I am continue with my studies especially.”

I made a trip to Dar to finish the registration of Knock as a Tanzanian NGO. Kim had met with several people here and compiled all the necessary paperwork – and then some so I just had to be the messenger. Or one would think… it’s never that easy here in Africa I had to return to Moshi to gather some different paperwork and traveled back there last week to complete the process. We are officially registered as an International NGO in Tanzania! Very exciting. This has lots of benefits including less hassle with immigration on arrival. We will also be eligible for grant money available in Tanzania now so we just need to snag some!

Health and love,

Michelle