Volunteers and donors organize water and a new roof for Glory Orphanage
By: Tiina Heikkinen & Saara Kanula (Originally published on May 18, 2014)
Art in Tanzania volunteers have been dedicating much of their time and enthusiasm to further develop Glory, an orphanage in Dar es Salaam. The orphanage serves as a home to 9 children and a day-time school for other children from the neighbourhood. During the day, the volunteers taught the children reading and writing using interactive games, songs and other exercises. During the past few months, the volunteers have also been giving their time to gather donations to renovate the orphanage.
Manuela and Patrick, volunteers from Germany, put their effort into building a new roof for the building where the bedrooms are located. Half of the roof was renovated earlier with the help of previous volunteers, and now the other half has a new roof. Previously, the building consisted of two separate areas connected by a roofless corridor. Now the corridor is covered, so the whole building has a roof, and all parts can be accessed without getting wet when it rains! There were also holes in the bedroom walls which are now fixed and the bedrooms are now fitted with fans.
Manuela and Patrick gathered donations for the Glory Orphanage from the Catholic Church of St. Peter & Paul, their church in Germany. Every year, the church raises money for different purposes, and this year, they decided to help the children in Glory Orphanage.
Perhaps the most incredible achievement, however, is the installation of a water pipeline to serve not only the orphanage but the whole community. Before the pipeline, the orphanage was using rainwater, or they bought water more expensively. Now, they will not only have fresh water all the time, but with every bucket they sell, they will have a bucket for free for themselves. By selling 
the water, they will also have money for food, medication and clothes. Also, the people living in the neighbourhood can buy fresh water nearby. The funding for the water pipeline came from Holland and Belgium. Suzanne Ter Haar (Art in Tanzania volunteer from Holland) and her parents have been very active in fundraising.
The main sponsor has been Lievesense CSO, a water pipeline company where Suzanne’s father works. Suzanne’s father gave a lecture to several other pipeline companies in Holland and Belgium and pitched the project Suzanne was starting to organize at Glory Orphanage. LSNed and Materials Consult also signed up to donate, and together with Lievesense CSO, they funded the whole project.
The opening ceremony for the water pipeline was on May 1st. It was a success, and many Ar in Tanzania volunteers and people from the neighbourhood participated. The day was very sunny and cheerful, with lots of food (a typical local rice dish, ‘pilau’) and soft drinks for the kids to enjoy. The day was filled with music, dance, and laughter.
An essential part of donations is to acknowledge
besides funds for building materials, there are also school supplies, toys and clothes for the kids. Just before the opening ceremony for the water pipeline, Glory Orphanage received some donations from Holland. Suzanne Ter Haar’s friends were eager to donate all sorts of things, and her parents brought them to Tanzania. The toys were especially welcomed and brought smiles to every child’s face.
Volunteers are also finding new ways to raise money for the orphanage. Two weeks ago, they were throwing a party at the Dar es Salaam volunteer house to raise money for medical expenses for the children in Glory Orphanage and other orphanages.
A valuable lesson from this story is that every bit counts. On behalf of Glory Orphanage, Art in Tanzania would like to thank all the donors and volunteers who contributed to the incredible improvements made over the past year. No words describe how grateful the kids in the Glory Orphanage are for these acts of kindness.
Art in Tanzania is always looking for volunteers to help us continue to make a difference.
If you are interested in volunteering or make some donations, go to our website for more information: www.artintanzania.org
