Siouxland Organization Building Orphanage in Tanzania
| Siouxland Organization Building Orphanage in Tanzania |  |
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Nai Laizer, Arusha, Tanzania, says "We need it because we have a lot of sick children. They have no hope, they have no life and some of them don’t even know where they come from. You can ask them their last names and they don’t know, you can ask them their age,they don’t know." That’s why STEMM, a Siouxland group that does charity work in Tanzania, wants to build an orphanage. Gayle Stroschein, STEMM Board Member, says "We’ve been eye-witnesses to the homeless children over there. They have no parents, they have no family. They’re running the streets and begging because they have no homes." Lee Harding, STEMM Board Member, says "The street children just sort of hunger for companionship for a mother and a father, you could simply just go and put your arms around a child and let them know that they’re loved." Stroschein says "So, being eye-witnesses to that, STEMM made it a goal to build an orphanage and have a chance for a future." About 20 STEMM members will travel to Tanzania next month to buy 90 acres of land for the orphanage. And while there are other orphanages in Tanzania, most are over-crowded. Stroschein says "What they’ll do if they take in a child and they do not have room for it, meaning they don’t have enough food for it. They’ll send the oldest child on the street which may be a four to six year old running the streets." STEMM’s orphanage will house about 80 children at first, with the potential to grow. Laizer says "I just thank god to have people thinking about my country. Instead of coming to my country and enjoying seeing lions or giraffes they come here to help children and help needy people." The goal is to have a new place for Tanzanian children to call home by the end of this year. STEMM wants to raise a million dollars to build and staff the orphanage. So far, they’ve raised a quarter of a million dollars which pays for the land. If you’d like to become involved in STEMM’s efforts, give them a call at (712) 258-8282 or call Lee Harding at (712) 539-2848. |
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