Good morning

I have been here nearly 7 months now and actually feel like I've just found my footing. ...and now it's nearly time to leave. I considered staying on a while longer but I think my challenge will be to help the orphanage figure out how better to use external resources while developing greater internal support rather than having imported workers forge these relationships. We'll see. Money is an issue and, frankly, there's no saying how long it might take to feel "accomplished". Anyway, I still - and I know this is bad - can't picture what it is I'll be doing back in California once I return.

It is just past 8 in the morning now while I type on my lap before a desk and open window. A week of rain in the area (but not much here in the city) has made for cool evenings and mornings. "Cool" is not a word I'd have imagined using here during the past 7 months. A small group of students are studying on our front porch; they've been dismissed from our school for some indefinite period of time as punishment for unclear offensives. So while the adults get their acts together I've pulled them from the City Center and brought them to here next-door where they can focus and follow their regular school schedule without being asked to take over chores and run errands. I can't give them guidance but can extend the opportunity to study in a protected environment.

Now begins the time when everything must become ordered, when I prepare HOCET to understand what I've been trying to do so they use it and so we can work together to refine whatever I'm leaving behind so it's useable for them. At the same time, I'll be jumping into lots of new things including, it seems, helping to develop and put on a big event or series of events with one of Tanzania's favorite sons, a boy from a local school in Dar who was a #2 NBA draft pick in 2007 and plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. I'm trying to think and talk about all the ways he can be used to bring in funds and, even better, committed support to HOCET. We'll see.

This place has a lot of work ahead of it and, with what they intend to do, or now, it's continue, it seems, to realize where and how to set real expectations - from the school, the staff, the teachers, leadership and, more importantly, this partnership. ...but that's all another topic for another time.

~aB

Currently

...working with Baba Mwalugaja on drafting the Medical Needs Fund launch letter to all HOCET supporters.

This fund has been established by 1 mil/= already: the first 500,000/= going mostly to past due bills and the second 500,000/= actually launching the fund.

While HOCET is now tracking expenses and is close to establishing firm budgets for addressing basic costs as well as one projected for growth these are by no means going to be any more stable. These budgets will be ever so fragile and will need the upmost protection. This is why a Medical Needs Fund, to me, makes sense - it allows us to have money on hand to immediately help a sick child without having to use the same money needed to feed that same child.

I'm really praying for a good response. We need the people who donate to be dedicated to maintaining the fund and that's what Baba's got to make clear - we're not looking for a one-time donation, we're looking for Guardians of Health who will receive and read regular (monthly, in fact) reports and provide feedback, leadership, when they see a place we can improve or otherwise benefit.

The donor who is launching this is another find I'm excited about - I intend for her to lead the way for more, big, regular donors to HOCET, providing the needed funds to care for itself and, hopefully, advise it on any other plans for future growth. What does that mean? I'm hoping that, from this eventual group, there might evolve a true Board for HOCET.

wish us luck!

~aB