St. Dymphna's Wonderful Students

Below you will find the stories of our many students who are attending St. Dymphna Special Needs School. Many of them have had struggling life experiences, which have now led them to St. Dymphna Special Needs Schools.

Yeyoni and Elisha

Yeyoni and Elisha are two children from traditional Massai families who stand as examples of the lack of understanding or compassion some parents feel for special needs children in Tanzania. Yeyoni’s mother frequently beats her and keeps her locked up instead of sending her to school, aggravating her already severe cerebral palsy, and Elisha was sent to our school 4 months ago despite us having neither the space nor the funds to support another student. When we explained this to his parents they gave us a choice: either we could take him or they could kill him, either way he couldn’t stay with them any longer. They sent him to stay with a relative who lived closer to the school and now he is slowly learning to feel safe and happy for the first time.

Moody, Moody, and Moody

If in doubt of a child’s name at our school just say “Moody” and chances are you’ll be right. Our three Moody’s suffer from Down syndrome, deafness, and autism respectively, and they’re all equally attention seeking! From Moody trying to show off his latest sign language to Moody trying to show off his older cousin (also called Moody) you will be hard pushed to find a more fun and affectionate group of boys.

Michael and Paulo

Another sibling pair, the story of these two brothers is a rare happy ending. Abandoned by their parents and rejected by their community they set off to find a new home and family, walking for days over the hills surrounding their village until they reached Arusha. Here they were taken in by a family living near the school and have now been given another chance at their childhood.

Jackson and Lucy–9 & 3 years old

Jackson (9) and Lucy (3) are a brother and sister team living on the outskirts of town. Unfortunately their story is not a happy one as they are two of the most financially vulnerable children that we support. Although their mother works hard washing clothes she only earns a small amount of money per week, nowhere near enough to support Jackson, Lucy, and their 3 other siblings. In addition their father suffers from alcohol addiction and their one room house is inadequately roofed to keep out the rain or cold. Jackson, whose only major learning disability is dyslexia, takes good care of Lucy who suffers from Down syndrome and has only recently learnt to walk. Since opening our volunteering project however we have been able to employ Jackson’s mother and are now much better placed to ensure the wellbeing of this family.

Sammy – 16 years old

Sammy is one of the sweetest children you’ll ever meet. Living in town with his father, a preacher, Sammy has a rare form of dwarfism, which means that, despite being 16 years old, he has the body of a 6 year old, and the mind of an even younger child. Sammy needs help performing almost all everyday tasks such as walking, eating, and going to the bathroom, however he is one of the happiest students we have! He loves music, counting, and learning new words.

John Lukumai– 12 years old

John is severely autistic and is currently speechless. In addition, he is an extremely hyperactive child. Attending school has helped him improve his behavior and life skills. He is still working on being toilet trained. John lives with only his mother because his father passed away. He and his mother live in very poor conditions. When he comes to school the teachers clothe and feed him since he rarely gets to eat at home.

Sara Edward– 15 years old

Sara has Cerebral Palsy and has great difficulties walking. She is working on exercises to help her with her balance and to improve her walking. Reading is very challenging for her and she practices regularly to become better at it. She is working on writing and counting. She also practices sewing and making beaded necklaces to help make money in her future. She loves attending school and is able to eat multiple meals at school, which she did not always get at her home. She loves being at school and takes great pride in the clothes that she makes and sells at school.

Joyce Mente– 14 years old

Joyce has Cerebral Palsy, which has paralyzed her right hand and leg. At school she is working on exercises to learn how to use her right hand. Joyce is learning how to use a sewing machine to make clothes and she also practices bead work. These traits will allow her to make a living when she is older. She is also focusing on reading and writing at school. She loves attending school and her life has improved greatly as she is eating on a daily basis now.

Julius Joel – 5 ½ years old

Julius has Down Syndrome and before attending St. Dymphna school he could speak only a few words. Julius lives in a village and comes from a very poor family. Since attending St. Dymphna he is now communicating with teachers and other students. He is also being fed at school, which did not always happen in the past at home because of lack of money. Julius loves going to school and after every meal that he eats at school he will thank all of his teachers by going around and shaking their hands.

Baraka Jastine– 8 years old

Baraka has mental and developmental disabilities and was born with club feet. He recently had surgery to straighten his feet and help him to begin to walk. Baraka lives in a small village and comes from a very poor family. Their most prized possessions are their two cattle. Baraka started at St. Dymphna not being able to speak, but since has improved his verbal communication and can carry on small conversations with teachers and other students.

Photo Update

I promise there will be an actual update coming soon. But in the meantime here are some new photos. I received these from Mary today. She is now teaching full time at St. Dymphna and the school continues to grow in physical size and in the number of students. As soon as I have details I will post the update.

This Is What You've Made Possible!

It's amazing how much St. Dymphna has grown over the past 6 months. Recently the builders have completed the roofing for the first floor along with 2 additional classrooms. They continue to work on completion of classrooms, an administrative office, and roofing for the second floor. Most importantly, when the rest of the school is completed the remaining students on the waiting list will begin to attend school. I could continue to write about all of the progress that St. Dymphna has undergone, but it seems best to let the photos do the talking. Enjoy!

Thank You!!

Building Progress!!

Hello Family and Friends!

We are thrilled to tell you about how quickly St. Dymphna’s School has grown since our trip to Tanzania in January of 2008. Mary, the director of the school, has recently sent us many new photos and we wanted to share our sense of pride with you in hope that you will feel the same way. It is only through your continued support that this project has been able to become what it is today…a functioning school for special needs children in Tanzania.

As you see will from the photos below the second building is almost complete and is now home to one completed classroom, a storefront and functioning bathrooms. Yet to be completed in the second building is the classroom for continuing education for special needs young adults where these students will be taught how to cook, make various curios and sew. All of the products made in the class will be sold in the school store. The store will function to not only help sustain the adult education project but also the experience of selling goods will be a learning opportunity for students striving to gain employment in the future.




The third building continues to grow. Currently the foundation and walls are completed for the first floor of the building. This building will consist of classrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen.


The best news of all is that we now have ten children attending school daily at St. Dymphna. Our goal of providing a safe place for special needs children to learn and grow is being realized even as the building continues to grow around them. Mary and all of the children are incredibly grateful and asked me to pass along their appreciation.

There is still much work to be done, but I hope that you agree that with your help, we’ve accomplished a great deal.

Thank you again for all of your support. Through your contribution to Brick by Brick you are truly saving lives.

With Gratitude,
Colleen and Kari

Where Does The Money Go?

Brick By Brick is sharing with you how donations are being spent to build St. Dymphna. Below is a more recent update from Mary, the director and head teacher at St. Dymphna Special Needs School. You will see a breakdown of what supplies are being purchased with the money, costs for delivering those supplies, as well as labor costs to build the school. In addition, are new photos displaying the progress of the school. We are proud to share that the walls for the initial portion of the school are nearly completed and they will soon begin the ceiling and second level of the school. It is because of your gracious donations that we are one step closer to the completion of the school.

Building Material/Labor Costs
2.13.08
cement 100@13,500 = 1,350,000
steel Bars 16mm20pcs @23,000 = 460,000
Steel Bars 8mm30pcs@8,000 = 260,000
Binding wire 50kgs @2,000 = 100,000
Timbers 6*1 rm480 @1,208 = 580,000
Transport for materials = 130,000

3.14.08
Labour charge = 600,000
concrete bricks 500@1,200 = 650,000
Red bricks 4,040 @250 = 1,010,000
Bricks trans.3 trips@20,000 = 60,000

3.17.08
cement bags 50@1,200 = 675,000

3.19.08
Sand 1 lorry@80,000 = 80,000
labour charge = 1,000,000

3.23.08
concrete bricks 200 @1,200 = 250,000
sand 1 lorry@80,000 = 80,000
dpc(plastic for foundation = 45,000

3.29.08
Nails 10 kgs @1,800 = 18,000
stones 1 lorry @70,000 = 70,000

GRAND TOTAL IS 7,398,000/= Tz shs
= Approx. $6,725 US Dollars

Kwaheri (Goodbye) Tanzania

After two days of flying and a run in with food poisoning, it has been a real treat arriving back in the U.S. In America one tends to take for granted a refreshing shower and the ability to brush through your hair. Although Colleen and I are both back in the U.S. we look forward to continuing the construction of St. Dymphna. Before my departure from Tanzania, the fundi (workers), were rigorously working on the foundation of the second portion of the school. Only moments after I had arrived back in the U.S. and checked my email, I received word from Mary that the foundation had in fact been completed.
The fundi consistently amaze me with their endurance, speed, determination, and how meticulously they work. Their day is spent shoveling dirt, mixing cement, stacking cement blocks, all while being bare foot, yet rarely do I witness them breaking a sweat.
In addition to the foundation, the fundi were able to complete three bathrooms, which included tiling the main bathroom, placing sinks in the kitchen, and finishing the ceilings in the office and adult classroom, as well as other touchups. Lori, Anna, Colleen, and I were able to participate in a little hands-on work. We spent a day and a half sanding the adult classroom in preparation for painting. Once we were finished sanding and cleaning the walls, we were able to begin painting the classroom a color we referred to as Buttercream. We also spent time helping the fundi shovel dirt to prepare for the placement of cement blocks for the foundation. Needless to say we didn’t last long under the scorching sun.
The next step will be to construct the walls for the main level of the second portion of the school. We hope to be able to provide continuous updates as the walls are being built. Mary has agreed to take photos, scan them, and email them to us so we are able to share the school’s progress with all of you as it is happening. Keep in mind technology and transportation in Tanzania for Mary isn’t as reliable and timely as we are accustomed to in the U.S, but we’ll do our best to keep you as updated as possible. Thank you for your continued support.