Dianne Frampton joined the For the Love of Africa Society in September of 2009. She had observed what type of work the Society was doing in Africa, how those projects made a significant difference to the people in Tanzania and she knew that she wanted to help to make a difference in the continued work that the Society was pursuing. She decided to join Team Tanzania 2009 and immediately set out to take responsibilities. Dianne and Edith Ritzer were assigned to look after the team expenses. Dianne was meticulous and her final report was amazingly accurate and detailed.

 In her final report she stated: “We were assigned to dig a waste treatment pit for the Galilaya Children’s Centre. When I saw the backhoe next door I wondered why we would not pay to have it do it for us, but Erich insisted we do the job with a bucket brigade assembly and it was HI HO HI HO it’s off to work we go … even the chain gang gave way to a new activity we all enjoyed and were proud of.’’ Her final comment in the report stated: “Africa, we came, we saw, we conquered and we may be back to enjoy your animals, beauty, countryside but most of all your people. Thank you all, my fellow team members, for my first trip to this continent.”

 Well, Dianne did return for a second trip to help with the construction of the first buildings at the Dodoma Technical Institute in 2015. Her enthusiasm and hard work spilled over to everyone on the team, she was a unifying force on any team. This year, 2020, Dianne once again volunteered to join Team Tanzania 2020, leaving for Tanzania to work on the Imarika School Project near Dodoma on October 2, 2020. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this trip had to be cancelled. It really showed her commitment to wanting to make a difference for the good of the people in Tanzania.

 After joining, Dianne became a pillar of the Society. Dianne did not just talk about fundraising ideas – she put thoughts into action and was involved in almost every activity. She was usually first on the scene and the last to leave after clean up or wind-down. Her enthusiastic contributions to the organizing of and solicitation of support for the Water Garden Tours was just amazing. She made contacts and got results, a truly valued contribution and one that will be missed.

Dianne was full of wonderful ideas. She was outspoken and stood for what, in her mind, was the right thing to do. She was unwavering in her support of what the Society was doing and her bubbly personality was always welcome and rubbed off on everyone.

– Prepared by Ruth and Erich Schulz

Nashipay Maasai School: A Success Story for the Community

Just imagine the enthusiasm of these children as they learn their numbers and alphabet at a school in their own community! The parents, who didn’t have the opportunity to go to school, go along  sometimes and watch — everybody learns. Besides this, the school functions as a community centre in the evenings as it is the only place in the village that has electricity.

The children of Nashipay School are doing really well academically, especially in comparison to children who attend the public school — no surprise, really. At Nashipay there is one teacher for about 30 children, in the public school there can be 80-100 kids in a classroom.  At Nashipay each child has a seat at a desk or table — in the public school we saw as many as 5 children crowded onto a bench at a single desk.

At Nashipay, each child has a workbook and there is a text book for every 2 children.  In the public school we visited, they had 3 or 4 tattered textbooks for the whole classroom and no workbooks.  Children may come to school hungry, but at Nashipay each child receives 2 meals a day;  learning is fostered by nourishment.

Nashipay is an English medium school, the teachers are multilingual and one of her/his languages is Maa (the tribal language), the only language Maasai children of primary school age speak.  Just think, they can actually understand what the teacher is saying! The Maasai children who attend the public school have their lessons in either English or Swahili, and they understand neither language when they start school.  This was initially the primary motivator for building Nashipay School. In order to maintain cultural integrity and teach classes in English, the school must be a private school.  That means no funding from the government.  It’s a constant challenge to meet the payroll and run the school, but they are managing by collecting minimal school fees from the families who can pay them. For the families who cannot pay, For the Love of Africa has initiated the Education for All program.  Donations to the program are pooled until we can support a whole classroom, which allows that all children, even those from families that live on $2 per day, get a quality education and an opportunity for a bright future.

Kizota School: The Society’s First Project

In 2004, a Cordova Bay group was invited by a visiting couple, Dr. Wilson and Usuili Mtebe, to help build a school in Dodoma, Tanzania.  It was their vision to promote education amongst the young people. 

A large construction team was formed to join with the Kizota community to build a Pre/Primary school. For two weeks, our team worked with the Kizota community, each sharing their talents, energy and camaraderie. Most chose to help with the classroom construction, others worked with the children, while some helped the women prepare meals in the open-air kitchen. 

We were introduced to staple dishes of the region, such as ugali (a type of maize flour porridge), fish, rice and kachumbari (a vegetable mix).  It is important to recognize the contributions of the women in this culture, who are often the silent backbone of the community and who work hard to give their children a chance to be educated. 

The reward for those of us who chose to return to Dodoma was to see the students of 2004 become leaders in their own community. The painted numbers and letters on the school façade had received a fresh coat of paint.  Flower and vegetable gardens had been planted nearby.   The Kizota school is still thriving, with active groups of parents and teachers, who inspire a lively body of students achieve their dreams.  

One of FTLOA’s main aims is to provide ‘seed money’, so that our projects are sustainable, and to know when to step back, thus giving the community the opportunity to pool their efforts and continue working to fulfill their vision. 

Kizota was the Society’s first project, and one that provided a firm foundation of trust, friendship, respect and a sharing of cultures.  It opened the door for future projects where, with the generosity of donors, FTLOA – For the Love of Africa, endeavours to help others to help themselves.