Kelly's mission trip to Neema Village, Tanzania

I am thrilled to share with you my upcoming mission trip to Neema Village in Arusha, Tanzania, where I will be volunteering at a baby and mother home. This center plays a vital role in providing essential services such as day care, support for special needs babies, birthing training, and more. Drawing inspiration from my past experiences in Nairobi, Kenya, I am eager to extend my support to this new community and make a positive impact.

Motivation:

My journey in volunteer work began at a young age, driven by a deep sense of duty to help others. I also believe that our purpose in life is to find happiness and it makes me happy to make a difference somewhere. I had the desire to travel somewhere that has a completely different culture from my own and where I do not look like people who are there. In 2020, I traveled to Nairobi, Kenya with the help of a US-based volunteer organization that partnered with an organization in Nairobi. I worked at the Global One Kindergarten in the Kibera slum. I served meals, sang songs in English, helped grade papers, cleaned the classroom, etc. I was careful not to bond with the children because I was only there for 10 days and this is not healthy for the kids to bond with someone who leaves so suddenly. I was there to help with teachers.

You can view the video of my first trip on Youtube

The video from my second trip is also available on YouTube.

My New Mission Overview:

Now I am feeling the “pull” to make another trip. I knew I wanted to work with children again but also feel the need to connect to women. I carefully searched for a reputable organization, researched to ensure the center was not forcibly removing babies from their homes which is common in some countries and some orphanages. I found Neema Village and I know this is where I am meant to go. In Swahili, Neema means Grace, and this is my mother’s middle name as well as my great-grandmother’s name. I would like to support their efforts of women empowerment while also helping to care for babies. My plan is to arrive in Arusha, take direction from the staff and help with what is needed, assist a few women in setting up their own businesses, respectfully learn about their culture while also sharing about my own culture. There is no plan for personal adventures or safaris during this trip.

Location: Neema Village, Arusha, Tanzania. https://neemavillage.org/. A baby home, mothering center, a free day care for Mothers At Poverty (MAP) moms who have special needs babies, safe birthing training for traditional Masai birthers.

When: October 11th until October 22nd

Neema Village Mission Focus: “Families not orphanages.” I love that their aim is to uplift women, keep babies with their mothers, and when that is not possible, reunite them with extended family members.

• Rescuing abandoned, orphaned, and at-risk babies

• Reuniting children with extended families and promoting in-country adoptions

• Restoring hope to women through education, business opportunities, parenting skills, day care assistance, and spiritual guidance

• Relearning basic health / delivery procedures for traditional birthers.

My Personal Objectives:

1. Hands-On Support: Active involvement in the day-to-day operations of the center, ensuring the well-being of both babies and mothers. Minimum 30 hours per week that I am there.

2. Item Donations: Procuring and purchasing essential items to the center – diapers, hand sanitizer, pacifiers, batteries, baby wash, educational toys, etc. The volunteer coordinator has sent me a long list of items that are required.

3. Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship: Launch a fundraising campaign to financially support at least three women at the center in starting their own businesses.

Fundraising Goals Total Target: approximately 3,500 EUROS ($3,700 USD).

• Individual costs: my flight will cost approximately $800-1000, accommodation is USD $40/night for my 2-week trip.

• Individual Business Sponsorship for Mothers: USD $1,800. This would help approximately 3 women to start their business and become self-sufficient. Examples include a chicken business ($495), vegetable business ($463), beauty school ($500), cow/milk business ($700-900), etc. There is an impressive list of possibilities online. The average cost of starting up a business is $600.

• Excess Funds: Any money raised that is above and beyond what is mentioned in the two bullet points above will be utilized to purchase items for Neema Village, such as baby food, baby formula, diapers, etc.

How You Can Help:

I am seeking your support in this fundraising effort, and contributions would make a significant impact. By sponsoring a portion or the full amount, we can directly empower these women to become self-sufficient, fostering sustainable change in their lives. You can make your donations in whatever currency you wish that is supported by GoFundMe.

• Neema Village Tanzania, Inc. is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit in the USA and a registered NGO in Tanzania.