Short Term Mission - Tanzania Africa
Emily Bent along with another girl from Squamish – Melissa Morris, will be travelling to Tanzania, Africa in May to do a Short Term Missions Trip at a residential school for children with disabilities - Matumaini School. They will be working with a team to do some much needed renovations on the compound as well as engage with the children with sports, crafts etc.
Please see attached for her letter and a link for a clip of the school Emily will be working at. The video is pretty cute, have a look.
We would appreciate any support you can provide this school to make this renovation happen. The girls would be happy to come by your house and pick up your bottles for recycling.
Many thanks.
Hello Friends,
I am writing to you because you know who I am and you are my friends, family and acquaintances
I have been asked and have accepted the challenge to be a member of a Short Term Mission Trip to The Salvation Army Matumaini School for Disabled children in the city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. My plans are to fly to Winnipeg and leave with the team on May 7 returning May 24, 2013.
A little about the school and what we hope to do.
The Matumaini School is a boarding school for approximately 200 disabled children ranging in age from 7-20 years old. The name Matumaini means “Place of Hope”. The school first opened in 1967 and has children attending from all over Tanzania.
The children at the school have various physical disabilities, mainly post-poliomyelitis, cerebral palsy, congenital deformities and amputees. Not only does the school provide them their only real chance for education, it also provides all the necessary medical treatments through local hospitals and the resident physiotherapist. An on-site workshop makes and fits children with the necessary calipers, crutches, orthopedic shoes, artificial legs and splints. This is incredible and I am anxious to see this workshop.
The school is located on a 12 acre compound which is run by The Salvation Army and also includes a church, local and national offices of The Salvation Army, a hostel, kitchen and various other programs. The upkeep and maintenance of a facility such as this is always difficult not only in a financial sense but also in the availability of people to do the work.
This is where our team comes in!
We will be working voluntarily at the school in an effort to complete the following tasks:
- The workshop referred to above is in need of a new roof and the ceiling needs to be raised to make it more suitable for all the work that is done in the shop. The team has agreed to do this. This will be our primary task, to raise the ceiling and put on a new roof.
- Each day we want to engage with the children in several ways. One is to take materials with us to provide various crafts and other similar activities. We know they love sports and we hope to participate with them in games like football or soccer as we call it here. I know from the team that went two years ago that this was a highlight of everyday for the team. I would be happy to collect stickers to take along with me if you would like to help me with this.
- We are going to live on the compound to enable us to share in fellowship not only with the children but with staff on the compound as well.
I am excited about this challenging opportunity and invite you to join me in the challenge.
I have been asked to raise $2800.00 in support of this mission trip. All of the money raised will go directly to the cost of the mission trip. To help me reach this goal, I am asking for your support in the form of a “Toonie a Day”. That’s only $2.00 for each of the 16 days we will be working on site for a total of $32.00
If you are part of the River Church Family, and you want to support me (Emily), please mark your offering envelope Emily Bent and the church will forward the cheque to where it needs to go.
The other thing you can do is make your cheques payable to The Salvation Army, and forward to me at the address below. All donations will be gladly accepted. Please ensure your correct address is shown on your cheque so that a tax receipt can be issued for donations above $10.00. Due to Revenue Canada Restrictions, please do not mark anything in the memo box on your cheque. If at all possible, we will require your kind contribution by March 31st, 2013.
On behalf of the students and staff of The Salvation Army Matumaini School for Disabled Children and myself, please accept our heartfelt THANKS for your time and anticipated support.
With the support of friends like you, I know we can make this happen.
Thank you,
Emily Bent
Box 5126
Squamish, BC
V8B 0C2
For those of you receiving this letter by email, attached is link to a YouTube video from the school. For those of you not receiving by email, please enter the address into your browser. Please take the time to watch it. Thanks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_gp1ZLyLBw