Trek: Day 1 - Shira Plateau - overnight Shira 1 Camp (11,499 ft)

This is a photo from Gary's trek 5 years ago, but gives an idea of the scene at the trailhead.

This morning the trekkers packed all their gear into vehicles and drove to the trailhead where they began their Kilimanjaro adventure. Cell phone signal on Kilimanjaro is still spotty at best. We had a call from the head guide, Pendaeli, saying that all was going well. The total hiking time was only about 2 hours today. It's an intentionally short day to allow the group start the acclimatization process.

Gary Drobnack and David Still traveled this route 5 years ago. I have photos on hand from that trek to give an idea of what they are seeing along the way since modern technology hasn't quite reached every nook and cranny on Kilimanjaro to enable them to send photos as they go.

Hiking across the Shira Plateau - one of the highest in the world. 

Meanwhile…. News from Mufindi and the Project courtesy of Amari Alexander, a US volunteer who is helping out in Geoff Knight and Jenny Peck's absence.

Best friends and brothers! Elia and Tito love to strike action poses for the camera during some free time in the afternoon.

The Igoda Children’s Village was opened July 7th, 2007 in response to a growing orphaned population. In the Mufindi District, the HIV/AIDS epidemic had reached its peak crisis point, resulting in a mass mortality of adults and an extreme shortage of able-bodied caretakers. Normally, Tanzanian culture encourages family members to take on the responsibility of caring for the children of the sick and dying. However, a dissolution of the family structure as a result of HIV/AIDS lead to many orphan-run households or one –often elderly- caretaker taking on the responsibility of 8 or more children at one time. Upon the recognition of this heartbreaking problem, Foxes’ Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust (FCWCT) donated money and land to establish the first of the eventual six Children’s Houses that would come to be the home of some of Mufindi’s most vulnerable children.

Through hard work and a partnership with neighboring villages, as well as local government, the Igoda Children’s Village has expanded rapidly in the past 7 years with a capacity to house and care for over 80 children and a completely local Tanzanian staff of 50 people. Igoda Children’s Village remains committed to vulnerable childcare and currently is the home to 53 children.

Every Saturday evening, the boys head up to the airstrip to play a quick 3 hour soccer game! They play until they can't see the ball anymore- and then keep playing for 15 more minutes! This activity is lead by the young men on our staff. 

And a Children’s Village it definitely is! The six houses form a sort of loop over a beautifully scenic valley, a few short kilometers from the neighboring village of Igoda. Each house, though identical in structure, is run by a House Mama who lives full time at the Children’s Village. The House Mama is given autonomy to create a home for the children under her care in that house, with the guidance of

the staff’s Administration and Welfare Team. The goal is to achieve a lifestyle that closely resembles daily life in the village. In addition to the House Mama, the children in each house are carefully placed to imitate village life as well. Every house (with the exception of two: the Baby House and Boys House) has older girls (ages 12-17) and young children (ages 3 -8). The House Mama guides the older

girls in care of the younger children and the younger children are provided with many models of responsibility. Just as in the village, the House Mama leads her children in daily chores like fetching water, cutting firewood, and doing laundry. At some point, every child will leave the Children’s Village- either at the age of 18 or under the care of a family member. Daily life is structured to make that transition from the Children’s Village to the village as easy as possible. The idea that every child contributes to the daily operations of the Children’s Village also helps to fight against entitlement mentalities that can be rampant in community development projects. Every person- young and old- lends a hand in the maintenance of the Children’s Village. A culture of reciprocity is very strong
here.

The young boys of House #1 are being lead by their older brother Harry as they fetch water using a very cool waterball- a device that allows you to carry 50 liters of water at one time!

The older girls enjoy a quiet Sunday afternoon spent doing some arts and crafts activities.

Vulnerable Childcare does not end at providing food and shelter. Healthcare and Education are also strong branches of support for every child at the Children’s Village. Currently, there are 10 HIV+ children in the care of the Children’s Village. As part of their daily care, these children receive daily medical supervision, antiretroviral therapy, weekly wellness checks, and monthly trips to the Care and Treatment Center to receive HIV treatment and CD4 testing. Other children are fighting daily battles with diseases such as Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and physical deformities.

These children receive special medical care and attention as well, which is often an impossibility in the local villages. The Children’s Village also provides pyscho-social support for children from all types of home situations and backgrounds. Many of the children arrived at the Children’s Village, not because of parental death, but because of abuse and neglect. This can lead to behavioral problems. Both guardians and staff are trained in the management of vulnerable children and trauma behavior. Through the implementation of nightly studyhalls, sports clubs, and weekend activities, children can be
closely monitored and supported.

University of Louisville Medical Student Volunteers joined the ranks of the dedicated visiting doctors who help provide medical care for our children. They held numerous clinics as well as performed wellness checks on-site for all of the kids.

Meet some of the Children of Igoda Children’s Village:

Meet Godi! Ask anyone about Godi and the first thing they will mention is his smile! Godi is an extremely sweet little boy who came to the Children’s Village after suffering unspeakable abuse and neglect at the hands of his Uncle after the death of his mother. He was brought to the Children’s Village by the Social Welfare Office. And through the combined efforts of the Children’s Village team and the local government, Godi was the first child in his village to bring charges up against a relative for abuse and neglect. He appeared in court with his NGO advocates and bravely recounted his story. When Godi first arrived at the Children’s Village he was extremely shy and withdrawn. He has since blossomed! He remains at the top of his class in our on-site Interactive Learning Kindergarten. He is extremely helpful to his House Mama and loves to meet new guests and volunteers. He has had
a difficult start in life but we are so happy he is now a part of our family!

Meet Loveness! Love arrived at the Children’s Village just a few days after her birth. Her mother died in childbirth and her father is unknown. Love came as a failure-to-thrive baby, meaning her birth weight was extremely low and her chances of survival very little. Failure-to-thrive babies often arrive at the Children’s Village because everyone else has lost hope. But not us! Against all odds, Love rebounded back! With carefully monitoring, a special diet, and lots of TLC, Love grew healthier and healthier. She was paired with an amazing volunteer who, for three months, treated her as if she was her own child. This extra attention proved just what the doctor ordered and today, Love is doing better than ever! She has just started to walk all by herself and has quite the reputation for demanding snuggles and cuddles from the closest person. We certainly love our Love!

Meet Hezron! Hezron is quite the village celebrity and many residents and volunteers site his endless optimism and huge smile as where it all began. He arrived at the Children’s Village in its first year. He has Cerebral Palsy and he is HIV +, and remains to this day the most remembered child for almost anyone who visits us. During the day, he attends our on-site Interactive Learning Kindergarten where he practices his language skills and fine motor skills. In the evening, you can often find him sitting in the sun in front of his house (everyone knows that House #6 is actually Hezron’s house) and helping the House Mama keep an eye on the younger children - who love him because he is just their size!