Directors’ Trip – Ngorongoro District Meeting

Written by Richard Johnston, Lucy Karl, and Bob Treitman

We three FoTZC directors, along with Judi Wineland, just returned from an action-packed Directors’ trip to Tanzania. On this trip, we visited our partner communities to evaluate our completed projects and to discuss future ones. One of the most interesting and productive meetings was at the Ngorongoro District Office in Loliondo. We were very pleased to find more than ten district officials there to meet with us on a Sunday afternoon, including the top ranking District Commissioner. Their presence indicated to us a strong interest in our organization and work.

This meeting had three purposes. First, we wanted to get to know the District government officials and give them a chance to ask questions about FoTZC. We believe that having an open dialogue with the government in areas in which we work is crucial to our success. Second, we wanted to discuss the nature of FoTZC’s relationship with Thomson Safaris, which has a significant business presence in the area. Third, we wanted to discuss the dispensary (medical clinic) we plan to build in the area with the District Commissioner, the District Medical Officer and other medical officials.

We told the government officials about our history in Tanzania and elaborated on our extensive work in Ngorongoro District. The District Commissioner enthusiastically offered his full support for FoTZC projects in the area. He and other officials said they were not only grateful for the projects we had completed, but that they want to help and partner with us on whatever projects they can. The District Commissioner and District Legal Officer told us that Thomson is an honest and well-regarded company, and that we should feel confident in the Thomson Safaris-FoTZC partnership in Tanzania.

We also had a long discussion with the District Commissioner, District Medical Officer and the District Nursing Officer about the dispensary project we plan to build in Sukenya Village. They expressed excitement about the project as well as the proposed location and said they want to help us move forward. The District Commissioner and the District Medical Officer re-committed to assigning staff to the dispensary, paying their salaries, supplying furniture, and providing medications once we construct the building.

We were impressed by the level of detail these government officials were able to discuss, their commitment to their district, and their willingness to assist us with our upcoming projects. We are particularly excited to break ground on the dispensary soon!

Welcomes in Loliondo

We started the 2014 Directors’ trip by flying from Arusha to Wasso, in Loliondo, where we were met by a large group of Maasai who wanted to welcome us to the area. The group who met us included local elected officials, traditional elders, teachers from local schools, and a large group of women. They accompanied us to our first stop on the trip – Orkuyene Village. Orkuyene is a newly-formed village in this area; the community wanted to show us the primary school that they have started to build but have not yet been able to open. After a brief visit to the nicely-built school buildings, we attended a meeting with over 100 members of the community who wanted to meet the FoTZC board, tell us about their community’s needs and priorities, and learn about FoTZC’s priorities in the area.

We had a delicious lunch at Orkuyene (served out of the back of a station wagon!), and then went to visit Oloipiri Primary School. One of the many remarkable things about Oloipiri Primary is the sense of ownership and pride that the students take in their school. Small groups of students each plant a tree in the schoolyard and are expected to water and nurture it. Not only does it teach the students about preserving a valuable resource – wood – it encourages them to participate in the actual upkeep of the school. Our next project is a 2-in-1 teachers’ house at Oloipiri Primary; we plan to break ground soon, so it was a pleasure to be able to visit the school and deliver the news that we are ready to move forward on the teachers’ housing in person. We are excited to share photos of the construction as it gets started!

Stay tuned for more posts about the Directors’ Trip!

2014 FoTZC Directors’ Trip – Preparation

This is the first of a series of posts on the 2014 Directors’ Trip to Tanzania

Late last year, we asked four members of the FoTZC Board of Directors what they were most excited to see on the Directors’ trip in March, 2014. We wanted to share what they were looking forward to before the trip!

Rich Johnston: Having been involved with FoTZC from its beginnings in 1996, I am very excited to be going back again to see the progress we have made in collaboration with our partner schools and communities, and to talk to the many Tanzanians who are making those schools and development projects succeed on a day to day basis. I hope to renew old friendships and start new ones, and in particular to meet Tanzanians who started young in FoTZC partner schools and now are on their way to becoming community leaders.

Judi Wineland: I am fortunate to wear many hats when I travel to Tanzania – safari director, lodge owner, nature refuge entrepreneur, and mountain climbing operator – but my role with FoTZC is where my passion lies. Because I have had the opportunity for the past 32 years to watch Tanzanian communities strive to improve the lives of their children and all of their citizens, I can say that FoTZC and its donors have continually responded to the needs of the Tanzanian people. FoTZC listens, evaluates, re-evaluates, measures, and produces. I am proud to head back to Tanzania with my fellow directors to hear directly from the Tanzanian people what is important for their future.

Lucy Karl: I am especially excited for the March 2014 Directors trip to see two of the projects we highlighted as priorities for FoTZC during our November 2011 Directors trip: the beading project with the Enuyata Womens’ Collaborative under Cecilia’s tutelage and the new girls’ dormitory at Soit Sambu Secondary School. When I first visited the Enashiva Nature Refuge, the elders I met asked “where are your children?” That question has stayed with me and I have long hoped to introduce my children to the people of Loliondo who have touched my soul. I am thrilled that several of my adult children are joining me on this trip. I look forward to sharing with them my commitment to FoTZC’s projects and my affection for the people our projects serve.

Bob Treitman: It’s been over five years (too long!) since my last Directors’ visit to Tanzania, so I am looking forward to seeing the projects that we’ve completed since then. I’m eager to see the new teacher housing in the Enashiva area that our donors have so generously paid for, and to meet the students, teachers, and administrators of the schools with whom we are working. I’m also excited to get to know the members of the Enyuata Women’s Collaborative, and to see how the projects we are funding are improving their lives.

Stay tuned for more posts about the Directors’ Trip!

Giving Back – Part 3

During the holiday season, we wanted to highlight some of our extraordinary donors for their efforts to give back to communities in Tanzania. Their dedication to FoTZC has been outstanding. Thank you to all of our donors and supporters for helping FoTZC to have an outstanding year.

If you would like to donate to FoTZC in honor of a loved one as a holiday gift, please click here and select “Honor Your Loved One”! 

Maureen and Bridget were part of the same group of family and friends who climbed Kilimanjaro with Don and Jim (see Giving Back – Part 1). While training and running half marathons (see photos below), Marueen and Bridget also dove into fundraising for the dispensary. They hosted a very successful fundraiser in their small town in upstate New York. The venue for the fundraiser donated some of the evening’s proceeds to FoTZC, and Maureen and Bridget arranged a spectacular raffle.

Their event raised over $5,000! They say: We have always known that this town takes care of its own. Now we know that it also cares for the world-wide family in which we all live. We believe that ordinary people from a small town like ours can make a huge difference in the lives of others. We are so proud of our town!

All ten of this group of climbers reached the summit of Kilimanjaro. We at FoTZC want to thank all of them for their dedication and passion for helping others.

Giving Back - Part 2

During the holiday season, we wanted to highlight some of our extraordinary donors for their efforts to give back to communities in Tanzania. Their dedication to FoTZC has been outstanding. Thank you to all of our donors and supporters for helping FoTZC to have an outstanding year.

If you would like to donate to FoTZC in honor of a loved one as a holiday gift, please click here and select “Honor Your Loved One”! 

Jane and Dale have been two of our most dedicated supporters over the last five years. They first visited Tanzania in 2005; something clearly resonated with them, because in 2008, Jane approached FoTZC about raising funds for classrooms at Ayalabe Primary School. Five years, two completed projects, one upcoming project, and over $90,000 later, Jane and Dale are still energetic and passionate about supporting education projects in Tanzania.

The latest fundraising event they had was a tea hosted in their home. Jane says: On December 7, ninety people gathered at a Christmas Tea for Tanzania, to raise money for classrooms at Orkiu Primary School. People hosted tea tables, participated in the silent auction and raffle, and purchased pencils, notepads, and photo notecards of Africa. A storyteller recounted three stories gathered from our 2012 trip to Tanzania. Guests enjoyed home-cooked food and entertainment by a Victorian quartet from a local collage and a harpist friend. This fundraiser was one of of many that we have hosted for our family-run project, “Pencils and Dreams,” to raise money to build classrooms and dormitories through FoTZC. Our passion for these projects was first kindled when we heard children begging for pencils on our first trip to Tanzania with Thomson. Our motto, “A pencil and a dream can take you anywhere,” (an adaptation of Joyce Meyer’s original quote) certainly has taken us on an amazing adventure in support of education in Tanzania. Building the classrooms at Orkiu will be our third project with FoTZC.

Jane and Dale continue to amaze and inspire us. Thank you to both of them, as well as all of their friends who have supported their three projects with FoTZC. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

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FOTZC is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization registered in Watertown, MA. FOTZC also accepts donation of securities. Please contact info@fotzc.org for guidance on making this type of donation.