Hi All!! As many of you know I am currently volunteering abroad in Arusha, Tanzania. I am working at the district hospital here in the Pharmacy department, as well as visiting and helping out at orphanages around the city. There is one in particular that my organization has had a long-standing relationship with, and its name is Paradiso (officially called the New Paradise Outlook Centre). I had send an email update to a few friends prior to visiting this particular orphanage and I must say, it is in a lot worse condition than I had anticipated.
Paradiso was officially commissioned by the Tanzanian government in 2006, but has been servicing children for over 6 years now. It was started by Pastor Christopher Luka Kaaya, or as we call him, Babu (meaning grandfather in Swahili). Babu is assisted by his wife Grace and son, Fatael.
As a pastor, Babu worked as an Evangelist for over 26 years, both in Kenya and Tanzania, and in the year 2000 decided to retire due to his increasing age and worsening health. He settled in Arusha and came to realize that there were a growing number of orphans who were living on the streets or with poor family members, with most being severely mistreated. The number one cause of children becoming orphans is due to the deaths of their parents either from road accidents, or chronic disease, such as HIV. Being a man of God, Babu felt so awful for these children that he decided to start an orphanage. After much perseverance, he finally received the proper legal documents to run the orphanage. The orphanage began with 8 children, and today there are currently 19 children, all between the ages of 2 months up to 12 years.
The conditions in which these children live are truly horrible. Although Babu and his wife are doing all of they can to take care of the children and provide them with a safe home, they rely solely on donations from volunteers and missionaries abroad. Currently the orphanage is being run out of a 3 room rented building which is extremely run-down and quite dirty. Babu has recently been able to purchase land in order to build a new orphanage which will hopefully house around 50 children! Unfortunately, the money is not there to allow them to start building. As Babu is getting older and older, it is imperative that this new orphanage be built that will be owned by Paradiso. This is in case something were to happen to Babu, the children would not be put back on to the streets. To build this new orphanage, all Paradiso needs is around $5000.
I am trying to raise this money in order to give these children a hope for the their future. Attached below are some pictures of the children and also their current living situation. Any and all donations are much appreciated, even a small amount of $5 can make a big difference in one these children's lives. You can donate by clicking on the "Donations" link at the bottom of the page. I will update this page with the progress of the donations. Thank you all in advance for your kindness and generosity. Peace and love. XOXO
Roselle
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| They love posing for pictures |
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| The place where the children sleep, keep in mind there are 19 of them... |
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| Collecting water to flush the toilet |
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| Play time with the children...we brought toys and coloring supplies |
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| To the left is the kitchen, and to the right is the bathrooms |
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| Showing us her love for the markers and paper we brought |
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| Busy at work drawing |
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| The "play room" where the children eat and play |
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| Babu's wife Mimi who also helps to run the orphanage...Babu was not here on this day |
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| Myself and some of the older children after returning from school |
