days when he was very ill to when he started walking, I never called to ask a question or for advice because it just came so naturally to me. I’ve always been a caregiver, and that carried over into motherhood.” In addition to her son, Mandy is a mother figure to the children at Neema as well as many children in the village, including Baraka’s sister, Subira, who recently graduated from the Uru Academy. “I may be the one providing these opportunities for them, but I believe that I need them more than they need me because they are the key to my happiness,” Mandy shared. Make an Impact Neema International is a nonprofit sponsorships to remain in operation. “I don’t make a salary,” Mandy said. “One hundred percent of any money that is donated goes exactly to where we say it goes, whether that’s to cover a child’s education needs, for structural repairs, for items like clothing, toiletries, etc.” Mandy has stayed connected with her Alpha Phi sisters, some of whom have sponsored children at Neema and even visited Tanzania to meet the kids and assist however needed. organization, so it is completely dependent on donations and “I can't stress enough how supportive the Alpha Phi community has been,” Mandy said. “Even some women who I wasn’t necessarily close to in college have come over to help out, and now we are close because we’ve bonded over Neema.” Mandy recently launched a campaign to fill a 40-foot shipping container back home in Houston, Texas, with supplies the children at Neema needed. Alpha Phis rallied together with other community members to help stock this container and donate toward the cause. Earlier this summer, the container was delivered as Neema’s kids cheered in the background while supplies like clothing, books, toys, classroom supplies, toiletries and more were unloaded on site.
In addition to supplies donations, each of Neema’s children are matched with a sponsor so they can receive healthcare, education, mentorship and social work services, as well as having all of their physical needs met. Sponsorships range from $1,300 to $3,000 or more per year, depending on the age and educational level of the student. The goal is to follow each sponsored child all the way to the university level. Sponsors are not committed to sponsorship for this whole time period, but are encouraged to continue their support. Sponsorship is renewed on a year-by-year basis. “Telling one of my kids that they’ve been sponsored is like telling someone they’ve won the lottery,” Mandy said. “It completely changes the trajectory of their future and provides them with a sense of hope that that things will get better.” Sponsors receive updates, pictures and letters throughout the year, and all donations are tax deductible in the US and Canada. Donations, of course, are also welcomed. For example, just $50 can feed a family of four in Uru for one month, buy one year's worth of school supplies for a public school student, cover the health insurance of a child for one year, pay for a new desk and chair for a student, supplement the cost of six bags of cement for on-site development at Neema and even buy 20 pairs of shoes at the local secondhand market. Larger donations like $200 can go even further by covering a teacher’s salary for one month, all gas and transport for the school van, new computer for online learning and the internet fee for one month. Additionally, there are various on-site and remote volunteering opportunities available ranging from teaching and business development to grant development, fundraising and marketing development.
Mandy playing with some of the kids at Neema International.
To learn more about Neema International or to become involved, please scan the QR code or contact info@ neemainternational.org.
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