Dear Friends and Family,

As you might know, I recently spent some time volunteering and working in the urban slums of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  My main reason for travelling to TZ was to work on a Stanford research project on water, sanitation and health.  I extended my trip to spend an additional week as a volunteer with A Broader View Volunteers (http://www.abroaderview.org).  I was placed with the Youth in Action Center (http://www.youthinaction.interconnection.org).  The center has a mission to uplift the lives and conditions of young people through outreach/education, advocacy and vocational training. Youth in Action operates out of a small office in the Sitaki Shari region on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. The center survives on virtually no resources except for the donated time, effort and contributions of their entirely volunteer staff.  It is organizations like Youth in Action that have the best chance of improving the conditions for youth as they work at the grassroots level and dedicate all their efforts and resources to youth in the communities.  

In partnership with Youth in Action, the Rafiki Talent Group is a collection of 30+ young adults (ages 12-28) who have organized themselves to write, direct, and act in live performances to educate their peers about the issues that threatened the youth of Tanzania (especially HIV/AIDS, drug use, violence/crime, and teen pregnancy). Located in the Tabata region of Dar es Salaam, the Rafiki group works with Youth in Action to bring to life the outreach and education that is so urgently needed by youth in Dar es Salaam.

Youth in Action and the Rafiki group are in a constant struggle for resources to help them fulfill their missions.  By donating even a small amount to A Broader View/Dar es Salaam Youth in Action Center, you can make a tremendous impact on the lives and future of youth.  A US dollar goes very far to improve the conditions for youth in Dar es Salaam. For example:

• $5.00 will pay for 20 Rafiki performers to travel to do a community show. The demand for their performances is high, but they often have to cancel simply because the teens don’t have money for bus fare (roughly 25¢ each).
• $10.00 will pay for the YIA office to have running electricity. This a luxury they go without, and limits the type of work they can accomplish day to day (i.e., no power to run a printer, or keep the lights on so teens can stay inside longer).
• $12.00 will pay a month’s worth of printing for Youth in Action to provide written educational materials to hand out to street kids (FAQs brochures about HIV/AIDS, contact information for girls who need an advocate when they have been a victim of violence).
• $40 will pay a month’s rent for the project office so directors have a stable place to organize activities, and youth have a safe place to visit and spend the day.
• $75.00 will provide a set of musical instruments for the Rafiki performers.  They currently have no instruments or costumes and make use of things like empty water bottles, sticks and their hands to make their music.
• $120 will buy a durable sewing machine for the Youth in Action vocational training program. In a year, each machine will accommodate up to 4 girls and allow them to engage in sustainable, self-sufficient employment.

In this season of giving, I hope you will give some thought to our global family and make a contribution to support Youth in Action and the Rafiki Talent Group.  It sounds cliché, but every dollar really does go a long way in Africa to alleviate the pain of poverty. A contribution of any size makes a lasting impact. 

When you donate, your funds will go to A Broader View Volunteers based in the US. A Broader View will in turn deposit the funds securely to the Youth in Action charitable organization in Tanzania.  Please use the COMMENT box to specify if you want your funds to go to Youth in Action general operations, or specifically to the Youth in Action/Rafiki Talent Group.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

 

Sincerely, Cynthia