Giving Hope

We cannot guarantee that all the children at Muvuma will do well, or even that they will stay at the orphanage; but we do know that they are receiving the chance of a hope for a better future. 

 Team members Susan, Kayla and Rylee 

hanging out with the kids. 

Many of the children have been living on the streets, or have lived with relatives who are already facing the struggle of having to survive in extreme poverty. And, as is the way with many children and teenagers, the orphans often do not realize that they have been given an extraordinary opportunity, and may rebel against suddenly having to work hard at school or follow rules at Muvuma. Some children may run away, back to the familiarity and freedom of the streets, or they might not settle well into their new life, but while they are under our roof they will be safe and fed and clothed. 

While some of the children may not apply themselves at school, others are just not academically inclined and have other strengths so we provide the opportunity for the youth to receive vocational training when they leave school. Thanks to everyone who makes a donation, attends our fundraisers or sponsors a child we know that we are making impactful changes to young lives. 

Julie is already trying to work out 

when she can come back to Muvuma!

Each visit Brenda and the team deliver 

school supplies and small gifts from the sponsors.

The boys especially appreciate Kelly

being around as the orphans rarely get to interact 

with male role-models

 Visit our facebook page for more photos and stories. Thank you for your support. Contact us to find out how to sponsor the orphanage, volunteer or to make a donation. You can also donate online. 

Asante Sana - Thank You! 

Our 11th Volunteer Trip to Kahama, Tanzania

The 2017/2018 Team 

The volunteers somehow procured a cake to celebrate Brenda

 and thank her for being a 'great leader.' The team at home agrees!

In 2013 we took over the funding of the Muvuma Orphanage. A wonderful group of women in Kahama had raised funds to build the orphanage on land donated by the township of Kahama. In the space of two years they had raised enough money to build the first few feet of the structure. One of our trip volunteers, Nancy Comeau donated $1,000 to continue building and we took it from there! Thanks to our supporters and sponsor-families we have built an orphanage and transformed the lives of children.

Brenda leads a group of volunteers each year to ensure that our physical and financial donations are being used for what was intended, to assess future needs and most importantly, to spend time with the orphans and Brenda's ever-growing band of friends and official contacts. 

We have said it before but it is worth repeating - everyone who takes these trips pays their own way. 100% of donations made go to the orphanage or our other long-term projects in Kahama. 

This years' fabulous volunteers are (left-to-right) Julie Ferris-Paul, Rylee McMillen, Brenda Lowe, Kayla Homulos, Susan Brown, Tallula Ash, Kelly Toots and Harry Ogloff. 

Thank you for helping us to transform lives! Visit our facebook page for more photos and stories.

Contact us to find out how to sponsor the orphanage, volunteer or to make a donation. You can also donate online. 

Asante Sana - Thank You! 

Outside Kitchen for Muvuma

Happy children!

Thanks to our sponsors we are able to provide an outside kitchen and eating space for the children. 

The existing kitchen.

The building was designed before we took over the building; the current kitchen is too small for the orphanage's needs. 

Thank you for helping us to transform lives! Visit our facebook page for more photos and stories, and check back in to see the finished kitchen and eating area!

Contact us to find out how to sponsor the orphanage, volunteer or to make a donation. You can also donate online. 

Asante Sana - Thank You! 

Giving Girls Dignity Part 2

www.theonepersonproject.org

These amazing ladies have been meeting weekly to make over 200 feminine hygiene kits, which will be taken to Kahama in the January 2018 Volunteer Trip. 

In a previous blog  I outlined the problems faced by thousands upon thousands of women around the world who are missing out on education and days at work because of the lack of feminine hygiene products. The girls and women are often isolated, sitting on cardboard until their period passes. This means that girls can miss up to three months of school a year. 

In 2016 we started to make sustainable, cloth feminine hygiene kits. We use bright colours to camouflage staining, and have a removable absorbent liner, which looks like a wash cloth so can be laid out on the grass to dry without causing embarrassment. (Following the Days for Girls pattern and guidelines.)   

Each drawstring bag contains sustainable sanitary napkins, underwear, wash cloths and soap. Many girls and women cannot afford to buy underwear.

Thank you to the Summerland Secondary School for providing the space and sewing machines for another group of volunteers.

Mama Nakri with some of the kits that were delivered to the Muvuma Orphanage on our 2017 volunteer trip.

Three of our 2016 volunteers, Margaret, Gloria and Jeannie, nurses from Redwater, Alberta, recently dropped-off 50 kits that they had put together!

Contact us if you are able to sew kits or you can donate on line www.theonepersonproject.org or at the Summerland Credit Union or mail to The One Person Project 10108 Julia Street, Summerland, V0H 1Z5 

Contact us if you wish to sponsor the orphanage and see your dollars at work! 

Asante Sana!

Thank you!

Like us on facebook to see all the latest pictures 

Penticton-made brick machines create jobs in Kahama, Tanzania

Luke now runs a thriving brick-machine business in Kahama.

This wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of these three skilled and compassionate men who have taken similar brick machines to Zambia and Gambia. 

In 2015 Bill Lauritzen, Lawrence Slind and Ron Ryde built and donated this high compression brick machine for use in Kahama. The machine is perfect for undeveloped areas as it operates without electricity.  Ron then took part in a One Person volunteer trip to provide training to set up a brick machine business.

The last 40' shipping container, which arrived in Kahama earlier this year, carried more brick-machines, in memory of Lawrence who sadly passed away in March 2016. Ron took a second trip and helped to install a water tower and washing area at the orphanage. 

 Luke  is able to run a self-sustaining business, and employs six men, who can now support their families! 

Our Agent, Emmanuel, sent these pictures of Luke at three of the many buildings that the new business has been able to construct. These bricks are more durable than the traditional mud-bricks as a small amount of cement is added (6%) and they are created under high-pressure. The bricks are also easier to work with as they are all of equal size. 

Thank you to everyone who helped us to raise funds to ship five sea-containers to East Africa, and send life-changing resources! The first went to Rwanda, and the remaining four were sent to our sponsor-community in Kahama. We are no longer shipping resources but still need to raise funds to run the Muvuma Orphanage, and create sustainable businesses such as this. 

Visit our facebook page for more photos and stories.

Contact us to find out how to sponsor the orphanage, volunteer or to make a donation. You can also donate online. 

Asante Sana - Thank You! 

Sponsor the Orphanage:Change Lives Today!

www.theonepersonproject.org
info@theonepersonproject.org 
Facebook
Brenda 250-809-9639
Denise 250-460-0565

Muvuma Carers

Until recently Muvuma house-mothers volunteered their time to look after the 30 children, but as you can imagine it is a major undertaking, so we started paying a small stipend to Mama Nikri. We were advised that a male presence was needed for the boys, so Boniface joined the Muvuma family. 

Using our sponsorship money we provide the funds for beans and charcoal each month, and each month the delivery is cause for celebration and photographs! 

Thank you to everyone who sponsors a child or sponsors the orphanage as a whole. Do contact us if you too wish to sponsor and help transform lives. 

Like us on facebook to see all the latest pictures. 

www.theonepersonproject.org

Muvuma" The Wall (Part Two)

Mama Nakri and the children are grateful for the gated walls around the orphanage. It's amazing to think that with the support of our community here in Canada, we have built an orphanage and safe haven for children and youth in Kahama! 

Contact us to donate towards the orphanage or to sponsor it on a monthly basis.

Like us on facebook to see all the latest pictures 

www.theonepersonproject.org

Muvuma 2017: The Water Tower

Ron Ryde from Penticton took part in his second volunteer trip to Kahama. He had planned to set up the new brick machines that are in the shipping container - but of course there are delays at the port in Tanzania and the container hasn't arrived yet! 

So Ron set in motion the plans for a water tower and provided the initial funding! The water tower will provide a place for the children to shower, a separate are for washing dishes, and the run off will water the garden that Brenda and the team planted on the previous trip! 


     The pipe frame being constructed in the township of Kahama

The frame is carried over a mile to the orphanage

Ron thanks the workers

Set into place with the brick working added for showers

Thank you Ron for starting this project that will transform daily living in the orphanage! 

Contact us to donate towards the orphanage or to sponsor it on a monthly basis.

www.theonepersonproject.org

The 2016 Volunteers

This is Peter's second trip to Kahama. He also volunteers tirelessly throughout the year. This is Brenda's tenth visit to Kahama! Just a reminder here that everyone pays their own way on these trips.   

The Muvuma ladies presented Brenda with gifts as a thank you for all she has done for the orphanage and the community of Kahama. 
(Brenda came up with the idea of helping in rural Tanzania and co-founded The One Person Project. As President of the organization she dedicates a huge percentage of her time and energies to One Person.) 

The harder the work the better 
as far as Peter is concerned! 

As long-time volunteers you will see the Barkley family from Peachland B.C. mentioned a number of times throughout this blog!

Over the years the family has also raised funds, collected soccer uniforms and equipment, and sponsored children in Kahama. Finally they have achieved their goal of visiting our sponsor-community and making a difference at the Muvuma Orphanage.

Matthew, Bryan and Nathan at Muvuma, taking a break from painting, building steps, helping build a chicken coop 
and much more! 

Becca and Maureen sorting donated resources in the old shipping container. The new shipment should arrive soon! Meanwhile there are a lot of tasks to help with around the orphanage. 
And one of the most important aspects of our volunteer trips  -  spending time with the children! 

Learning through play

Soccer - the universal language!

Monica Miller keeping the children enthralled! 

Preparing Christmas dinner

The second wave of volunteers on the 2016/2017 trip

This is Ron's second trip to Kahama. Ron and his friends Bill and Lawrence have donated a number of brick machines for us to provide employment locally; we buy the bricks back to use at Muvuma. Ron is organizing and partially funding the construction of a water tower for the orphanage

Margaret, Gloria and Jeannie are nurses from Redwater, Alberta. They volunteered at the orphanage and Kahama Hospital, and hosted the Amani Christmas party. Amani is the name of the children's clubhouse that we set up at the hospital for the children receiving long-term weekly care. 

Each volunteer took donated resources in their suitcases!

The ladies taking donated items to the tailoring store that we have set up for Mwanaidi (second left) and Deo (second right).

Visit our facebook page for more photos.

Contact us to find out how to volunteer or to make a donation. 

You can also donate now online. 

Asante Sana - Thank You! 

www.theonepersonproject.org 

Muvuma 2017: Building the wall (Part One)

Peter helps to prep the ground

We still have lots of work to do to finish the inside of the orphanage but security is paramount so we have started work on a wall to surround the building.

Everyone pitches in! 

Our Agent Emmanuel

We will be using bricks made locally with our brick machine! 

Contact us if you wish to sponsor the orphanage and see your dollars at work! 

You can donate on line www.theonepersonproject.org or at the Summerland Credit Union or mail to The One Person Project 10108 Julia Street, Summerland, V0H 1Z5 

Asante Sana!

Thank you!

Like us on facebook to see all the latest pictures 

2016/17 Volunteer Trip: Muvuma Orphanage

As you can imagine, the children are always delighted to welcome Brenda back to Muvuma! She always brings such fun volunteers with her too!

Read here for details of how we came to build and help run the orphanage. We couldn't have achieved what have without the aid of our Agent Emmanuel and the Canadian sponsors who help us support the orphans. 

Brenda presented Emmanuel with a clock; the plaque reads -

Asante Sana

Emmanuel Mlau

From The One Person Project

Asante Sana means thank you of course! Emmanuel has been with us for three years now, and it really helps to have a committed, passionate agent on the ground!

This is the invaluable Mama Nakri, who looks after the 30 children and youth. As you can tell, she is overjoyed to see Brenda again! 

Brenda, Monica, Maureen and Bryan are pictured here with Dr Flora. When we first met this wonderful woman at the Amani Clinic at the Kahama Hospital, she was Nurse Flora - and now she has graduated!  Dr Flora is on the Muvuma Committee and still runs the clinic. 

Contact us if you wish to sponsor the orphanage and see your dollars at work! 

You can donate on line www.theonepersonproject.org or at the Summerland Credit Union or mail to The One Person Project 10108 Julia Street, Summerland, V0H 1Z5 

Asante Sana!

Thank you!

Like us on facebook to see all the latest pictures 

Muvuma Orphanage: Medical Support

Frank

The advantage of having an agent on the ground, and internet contact with the Muvuma ladies is that we know what is happening as it happens and take action. 

Frank was ill and Emmanuel was able to take him to the Kahama hospital where he received treatment and ongoing medication. 

When we visit we take vitamins, polysporin, bandages, band aids and non prescription painkillers to stock the Muvuma 1st Aid drawers that we set up. We leave clear written instructions as these items are not familiar to those who live in poverty. 

Contact us if you wish to sponsor a child or the orphanage as a whole.

You can donate on line www.theonepersonproject.org or at the Summerland Credit Union or mail to The One Person Project 10108 Julia Street, Summerland, V0H 1Z5 

Asante Sana!

Thank you!

Like us on facebook to see all the latest pictures