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Amani Children's
Home
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Rescuing Children.
Restoring Hope. Transforming Lives.
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Amani, located
at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, provides care and education for
248 street children and orphans in Amani's home and in the local
community. www.amanikids.org
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Rescuing Children:
Amani's Street Educators
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Aristedes visits homeless
children on the streets of Arusha |
Aristedes, a social
worker of Amani, hits the streets of Moshi town and the nearby
city of Arusha four nights a week, meeting with the hundreds
of children who sleep in gutters, bath in polluted streams
and beg and work for food. The purpose of Amani's Street Education
Program is to connect with homeless children and let them
know that there is a place where they can go to find safety,
good food, medical care and an education.
One way that Aristedes
meets homeless children is through his connections with shop
keepers, taxi drivers and older homeless people: "informants"
who update him when a child has just arrived on the streets.
The sooner Aristedes can identify and talk to child who's
recently come to the streets, the greater the chance that
child can be rescued from the physical and emotional suffering
of life on the streets and returned to a normal childhood. |
A major part of Aristedes' job is
to build trust and an atmosphere of understanding with the children,
many who have come from places where the adults in their lives
abused their trust and hurt them. He does this by playing games,
telling stories and taking the children places where they can
wash their clothes and themselves. Also, because Aristedes has
been helping children on the streets for years, he has a lot of
credibility there, and the children hear from others that he is
a friend.
Aristedes says that the best part about his work at Amani is giving
homeless children a reason to hope about their futures. "What
makes me most proud is when a child recognizes the assistance I'm
giving him or her and says thanks."
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Helping Hands:
Transforming Lives
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Helping Hand sponsors
make it possible for Amani to reach out to homeless children
in a sustainable way and give them a future filled with hope.
In this issue we highlight Trevor Mahy, a Helping Hand sponsor
since May 2007.
Trevor Mahy is the director of the Island Lock and Safe Company
at his home on the Channel Islands in the UK. Trevor spent time
at Amani after coming to Tanzania for a safari.
After witnessing first-hand the impact that Amani makes in the
lives of children, Trevor and his wife Rose chose to become
Helping Hand sponsors. "We realized that these kids need
all the help they can get," says Trevor.
Reflecting on their monthly support of the Amani children, Trevor
and Rose said, "The most rewarding part of being a Helping
Hand is knowing that every penny goes to supporting the children
to live a poverty free life.
"Thank you,
Trevor - and all of Amani's Helping Hand sponsors - for your
important role in caring for Tanzania's most vulnerable children!
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Trevor shares a laugh with
a few Amani children |
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Focus on a
Child: Anthony Alfred
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Anthony is dressed for
success on
his first day of secondary school |
Anthony Alfred is
16 years old. Anthony fled an abusive family situation and began
living on the streets when he was just nine. He spent five years
there before being rescued by Amani social workers.
Last September, eight students
in Amani's Non-Formal Education Program - including Anthony
- sat for their secondary school entrance exams. Anthony and
five of his classmates passed the exam, earning the opportunity
to study at secondary school! Only 40% of the students who
took the exam passed this year, making us even prouder of
Anthony's achievement.
"Anthony is very disciplined
and he's become a role model for the other students,"
says his teacher, Josephine. He excels in mathematics and
social studies, and he was selected "Student of the Month"
twice last year. Anthony's dream is to finish secondary school
and go to college. We're all rooting for his continued success!
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A Climb
for Hope
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The snow-dusted peak of Africa's most famous
mountain
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Have
you always dreamed of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro? Or would you
need a really good reason to do it? No matter which category
you fit in, March 2009 is the perfect time to climb the world's
tallest freestanding mountain.
Intrepid/Guerba Travel, a long-time supporter of the Amani kids,
is offering a free trek up to the Roof of Africa for anyone
who meets their fundraising goal for the Amani children. Every
cent you raise will go towards providing the children with nutritious
food, medical care and an education. |
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If you have an adventurous
(and altruistic) spirit and you love a challenge, then this is the
trip for you! Intrepid's offer also includes meals and accommodation
for the climbers.
For more information visit: www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/YGM
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