Achievements![]() Our companionship isn't very old, but we've already had some great successes! We've traveled to Tanzania three times to meet face to face with our companions, and we've made great progress in many areas, including initiating a large water rehabilitation project, donating books for children, delivering medical supplies to various facilities, and providing office supplies for our companions. Hedaru Water Rehabilitation Project
Phase 2, a large reinforced concrete tank, is paid for, and construction is underway. The remaining parts of the project involve connecting the newly built intake system with the storage tank and the village at the bottom of the mountain and building various other structures along the route for water to be used by farmers on the mountainside. We have a lot of work to do to finish the last 3 phases of the project, but are confident that we can raise the funds necessary to complete the project Medical Supplies for Dispensaries and Hospitals
While we haven't begun any larger-scale medical supplies project, we have collected and delivered sheets for bare hospital beds, donated over-the-counter medications to dispensaries, and transported many items like birthing chairs, glucose testing Kkts, and sterile suture kits on our visits to dispensaries. Everything is greatly appreciated and eagerly used. Even a box of 20 pairs of reading glasses and 3 dozen toothbrushes were met with cheers! Books for Children
One problem in the secondary schools of the Kilimanjaro region is a lack of reading material in English for the kids. They take classes in English, but they have very little to read for pleasure that is age appropriate. War and Peace just doesn't make sense when you are 14! We took donations, and delivered over 150 children's novels from easy reader to high school age to be given to the secondary school libraries, and were able to also give a donation to Hedaru's first public library. Supplies for our companions
Thanks to a very generous donation by a supporter of our ministry, we were able to purchase a computer that we hand delivered to Hedaru in Sept of 2006. We also support the small yearly cost of internet, and are now able to communicate very efficiently with the people of Hedaru. This is essential for planning together. |

After planning, surveying, emailing, and meeting, we have completed Phase 1 of the Water Rehabilitation Project! Phase 1, which is an intake system at a place called Rangeni, high in the mountains above Hedaru. It was our first major victory and we learned a lot about how projects are carried out in Tanzania.
Health care is a big issue in Tanzania, and while we can't tackle all of the problems at once, we can make a big difference in many ways.
As a university town, education is extremely valued in Ames.
Thanks to the local 3M Plant in Ames, we have donated much needed paper, pens, paper clips, tape and many many other common items found in any American office, but in amazingly short supply in Tanzania.