Africa Update

Well, today is Monday (I think!) and it has been a very good day. We divided into small groups and my group went out into a very rural part of northern Tanzania to visit a girl who has applied to attend the PHF school. She took an exam in February and has heard nothing since then - due to the logisitical issues, we cannot contact the students who took the test - until today when we drove up to her village. The two Tanzanian teachers got out of the car with a photo of the girl and started asking if anyone knew her. There are no addresses so there is no other way to find her. We managed to find her uncle, with whom she lives, and he got in the car with us and we drove to their home - a collection of small mud-brick huts where she lives with her mother who has TB, her uncle and one of his wives, and 6 other children, one of whom is handicapped. The teachers interviewed her, her mother, her uncle, and some neighbors to determine if her situation had been presented accurately to us - we verify educational progress, financial situation, and family situation (her father died in 2002) At the end, the teachers conferred and determined that her application was truthful, and she was accepted into our school.

We really don't think she truly understands how this will change her life, but we who were priveledged to observe, were teary-eyed, because we know what a difference this educaitonal opportunity will make for her.

I have to go meet the group for dinner now, but will post more soon.