Tetea

Dear Chow Family

On behalf of Tetea and all of the students who will benefit, I would like to thank you for your generous support of Hagati and St. Luise Secondary Schools.  Your contributions will help to improve the learning environment and quality of education in both of the schools.

Both Mr. Mbunda, the headmaster of Hagait Secondary, and Sister Janeth Hyera, the headmistress of St. Luise secondary have written letters thanking you for your generous donation to their respective schools.  Their letters are enclosed.

Thank you again for your past support of our library and all of our activities.

Tetea

November 26, 2011

Dear Joseph Chow Family,

Thank you for your August letter.  My condition is going well and I continue well with my studies, with full cooperation of my friends in our school through group discussion during the class time and we join together during the play time after class w=and we have nightly preparations  Most students are going to studies during that time and we have electricity at night in our school.  When I am home I use kerosene and candles, and the type  of food which is available are cassava flour and maize flour and I have a room with one bed made up with small pieces of trees and local threads.  my home ah no water storage tank but we use direct rain water and some times there is a tank int he village to store water, but there is a water shortage. We  have to fetch the water from a small channel of river which is not safe to human lips also when I am at home I meet and play with my friends who are studying at different schools which is far from our school and we discuss different issues concerning our studies.  We also work with other youths who did not get into schools, they finished their education at the O level.
During the holy day I turn back to home to see my grands who I  live with and just to assist which is required to them including fetching water and finding pieces of firewood for cooking.  I do not go far way from their home because they are my only relatives.  Therefore after holy day finish I turn back to school to continue with my studies.  I thank you for remember I and the assisatance providing to us I wish your all the best and God bless you.

Thanks, yours

Kassam S. Dadi.

It is difficult

Every morning I have to wake up and think - My Joseph is dead.  and then  I have to think, I will not get an email from him today, I will not get a text message from him; a friend will not pass along a funny story, he will not call me.

This was my first born child.  I held him in my arms minutes after he was born; I swore nothing bad would ever happen.  I had long silly conversations, because he was a baby, and I was a first time mother.  I was silly in my worries, and overwhelming in my fears.  I was afraid of everything, but spent hours trying to figure out how to make sure he was not afraid.  How to send him off into the world - strong and smart and gifted.

And now, it is another Christmas and there is nothing.

Christmas 2011

Silent Night; Holy night
All is calm; All is bright
Round yon Virgin
Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender & mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace.

November 27 2011 letter

Dear parents of Joseph Chow
Thank you very much for your August letter.  I was interested to hear about your family.  God wish you all the best.  I am doing well at school in studying and I hope I will continue doing better in my subject fields as I did in last examination since I did it well.
The only unpleasant to me news that my mother have died four months ago and left motherless.  She died from stomach cancer.
I n Tanzania I live in rural areas where my parents have lived up to date.  We live peacefully because there are not many misunderstandings among people.
I spend much of m time studying at school in order that I can liberate my other family members from life difficulties that facing them since I am the first to go to school up to the level I have reached.
I wake up early in the morning ant both home and school daily where I help my guardians in daily activities and studying.
At home I live in one room together with  my younger brothers where as at school we live collectively in the dormitories  In our school we get fresh water while at home we get water from  the natural wells and we using  them in domestic activities.
At our school I eat stiff porridge (ugali) every day with beans and other days I eat rice and meat at home I also eat ugali everyday with variety of vegetables on other days.  Ugali  is cooked by using the maize flour.
Our school has electrical service we us in studying during the night and other activities related to electricity.
Many Tanzanians rural areas lack electricity including my village, so at home I use a kerosene lamp to study at night  I d prefer most rice with beans (maharage).  I have many friends at school and home, and i love most to have other friends from other places.
Greet Daniel, kyle and Ray tell them I wish all the best in their daily life and God be with them.
Thank you alot and have a good luck.
Sincerely
Fadhili Juma

November 27th 2011 Letter from Castor

Dear parents of Joseph Chow

I am very happy today to write to you a letter.  First of all, how are you.  Concerning to me with my family we are very fine except my father only who is suffering.  His muscles cramps serveral times and this makes him t o fieel harship, but the rest of my family are so fine.

The letter is just to extend my thankful to your for your much support within my studies and future life in general.  Because I do believe that one day with this education I am getting now is showing me to take a place where I can enjoy good life.  God bless you all.

Thank you for your August letters.  And I enjoyed to hear that your family is doing well .  I am very glad to your good story and information about your family members.  I hope even me if God wishes I can come there and see you all and perform various things with you this is because I like more to share ideas with people so that to get various news and information's.  Also I like playing various sports and football, table tennis and I like mores studying.
According to our culture, people are likely to play "Ngoma" (drums) and we have various types of Ngoma such as Singenge, Mzombe, Mtotonto, Katasima and so on.  These Ngoma are mostly practiced during circumcision of young boys period usually in June and December.  Young girls also when they becoming mature are also collected together and taught about how they can form their life when they will get married and taught how to cook foods like ugali, mboga and so on.  And when they finished their teachings, people to go play Ngoma as a sign of happy to that their daughters and sons are now full knowing various adult duties and responsibilities.
These kinds of culture are practiced by the people found in tribes of southern part of Tanzania such as Makua, Yao and Makonde.  I am a member of the Yao tribe.
The leader of our clan is titled "Mwenye".  The man controls the whole clan and maintains discipline and people.  But for the moments these people are starting disappear since to many tribes in their clans there is no Mwenye the most causeful factor is globalization as people especially we young people do not like to live in the such kind of life hence we do against clan rule, even if not all of the rules.
When I was on holiday in September I enjoyed much with my parents, brothers, sisters and others in my family we are six children.  Two girls, four boys.  Our first born is girl, second and third boys, fourth is girl and fifth and sixth are boys.  I am the third born to my family.  My sister and brother still have no job to do since they lacked education.  So they are at home and jobless.  I am the one who a luck of being educated.  My family is so poor so they depends on me so that I can save them.  S do to your support you have boosted me very much and I see the light that I can save the family and society at large.  Than you very much.
Concerning my studies, I do better since the last term  I was the third of 56 students in my class and my grade was a B.  Am sure that the coming term I will be the first because of the many books and materials which also come from you.
I enjoy writing a letter to you.  May God bless you.  Amen!

Yours thankfully
Castor Alfred

Daniel set up the web page

http://www.jlcmemorialfund.org/