Art Building Children's Dreams

Thank you to Joseph Lyimo

Frank — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:05:43 +0000

It is with sadness that we announce that ABCD’s relationship with Joseph Lyimo has come to an end. Joseph has provided much needed help to ABCD in the past when we were newcomers doing our work in Tanzania and we are immensely grateful for that help.

The challenges of daily life in this area of Tanzania are great and it has become difficult for Joseph to meet those challenges and to continue to volunteer effectively for ABCD. So we thank him once again and wish him the best in his future.

Welcome Director Terry!

Frank — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:02:54 +0000

I just want to publicly welcome our new addition to the Board of Directors, Terry Maynard! You can read more about him on our Who Are We? page.

We’re all looking forward very much to working with Terry. The mission and vision of ABCD dovetails perfectly with both his extensive experience with children and educational institutions, and with his experientially based conviction that education is crucial to the alleviation of poverty in developing countries.

ABCD Media Coverage!

Frank — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:15:11 +0000

If you go to this link you’ll find an article about ABCD. The Artsies is an on-line business venture which is promoting creative businesses and artists. Click on their e-magazine to read the article about ABCD. Thanks go to the staff at The Artsies for helping so much with our cause.

Click here to read the article.

Breakfast Program

Frank — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:22:25 +0000

We are thrilled to announce that after months of back and forth communications with Africa following our visit to Kisuluni Primary School in January 2010, that ABCD has begun to fund a breakfast program at this school. Some of our ABCD children are attending this school and we learned from the Headmaster, Mr. Lyaruu, that many of the children come to class with no breakfast which of course impedes their learning. After reviewing the cost, we have transferred enough of the non-dedicated funds to the school’s bank account to cover a breakfast program for the last quarter of the school year (Sept.-Dec.). More than 200 primary school children will now be receiving a good breakfast of millet porridge before they start school! Here are Mr. Lyaruu’s words about this initiative:

“My thoughts on the beginning of the program

The pupils will enjoy themselves very much
The pupils will appreciate the program and also their parents since it is new to our school
Truant pupils will admire the program so there will be no more truancy
Teachers will also be activated by this program since the pupils will be more dynamic and be able to acquire knowledge given
The parents, Guardians and the whole community of Kilema will also be extremely impressed”

We will assess the implementation and success of the program when we return in January 2011.

ABCD at Fairy Lake

Frank — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:27:45 +0000

On July 25th, Fairy Lake in downtown Newmarket was alive with music, dance and song. The event, “A World Tour”, was an opportunity for Newmarket and area organizations to celebrate cultural diversity. A first for the Town!

Lynn, Joe and myself were invited to promote our activities in Tanzania at the Rotary Club of Newmarket booth. We displayed our music CD, “Nyimbo Za Watoto”, booklet “Thribletts in the Wash” and several plaqued posters of children that we support in anticipation of further support for the cause.

It was fun chatting to visitors who stopped by our booth and all were impressed with what ABCD is doing to address the educational needs of children in the Kilema and Marangu areas of the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania.

It was and enjoyable and worthwhile day and we look forward to participating again next year.

Castlebridge Public School

Frank — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:25:50 +0000

Castlebridge Public School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada is a very compassionate school and very active in fundraising for various causes. The Staff and School Council are now supporting the education of two of our children: Amedeusi and Fabiola. I was recently invited to speak to the entire school at their monthly assembly. The theme of this assembly was CARING. Surrounded by hundreds of children I showed some slides and told the children about the school and home lives of Amedeusi and Fabiola. The children were very respectful and attentive and judging by their questions, very interested in our Tanzanian children’s lives. I presented updated plaked posters of the two children to Principal Paucholo and they will be displayed with past posters in the school foyer.

It’s wonderful to be connected to such a school and to know that Canadian children are being taught the value of global compassion and interconnectedness.

Building Communities, Bridging Continents

Lynn — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:45:50 +0000

Rotary’s 2010-2011 theme, “Building Communities, Bridging Continents” reminds me of how close in spirit are ABCD and Rotary. ABCD: Art Building Children’s Dreams is supporting children in Tanzania, Africa while our Rotary friends with ABCD: Art Building Children’s Dreams Australia Inc. are supporting children in the Fiji Islands… building communities and bridging continents together.

Last Thursday I was invited to speak at the Rotary Club of Newmarket about our recent trip to Tanzania. The Rotary family (Rotarians, Rotary Clubs and Rotaract) has been a generous supporter of ABCD efforts in Tanzania and will surely continue to support us for years to come. Wondering about my certainty? Well, I am sure because ABCD and Rotary each share a common concern for the well being of the children of the world and a focus around their educational needs.

I am excited about our achievements and know that the greatest days are yet to come.

Touching Lives Around the World

Lynn — Sat, 01 May 2010 21:52:47 +0000

Last Tuesday was a special evening at Southlake Regional Health Center in Newmarket. Four speakers had been invited to present their experiences in the developing world to an audience of more than 60. The evening was entitled “Touching Lives Around the World”

Dr. Nancy Merrow, Chief of Staff at Southlake was the MC and opened the evening with the following remarks, “We know that one person can make a difference in the lives of others and that big problems can be resolved with small contributions from many people”.

Dr. Linda Douville, family medicine physician, shared her experiences in Uganda; Dr. Brian Stotland, gastroenterologist, touched on his visit to Cambodia; Mr. David Shaw, an RPN, related his experiences in Haiti after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake. And the best was left to last! I told the ABCD story with a review of our current work in Tanzania and our plans for the future. The evening provided me with an opportunity to say a big THANK YOU to Southlake staff and physicians for their generous support over the past two years. During the December exhibitions of the profiles of our children in the Art Gallery at Southlake, over $10,000 has been donated in support of the educational needs of more than 20 children.

It was very satisfying to know that we are one of the many making a small contribution to resolving some of the big problems in the world.

7 New Children

Franca — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:03:19 +0000

This year we welcome seven new children into our “Children of Kilimanjaro” family: Dativa, Epifania, Fabiola, Honest Erasimsi, Joven, Mary and Paul. You can read about them on our Children of Kilimanjaro page.

Welcome Joe Crone!

Frank — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:46:09 +0000

I am very happy to welcome Joe Crone to the Board of Directors of ABCD: Art Building Children’s Dreams.

Joe and I have been friends for many years and I know him as a kind, sensitive and compassionate man. He’s also very funny and creative and plays a mean guitar. Joe brings to ABCD: Art Building Children’s Dreams his love of children, his passion for teaching and ideas to help us grow and strengthen in our capacity to help our children in Tanzania.

One of his visions is to see a ‘twinning’ program between schools in Canada and the schools our children attend in Tanzania for mutually beneficial growth and learning opportunities. Welcome Joe!