Children of Arusha 2012 Fundraiser - School Sponsorship

Help send former street children in Arusha, Tanzania to private school!

Filex (left) and Heven in class

From now until February 12th I will be accepting donations, by mailed check or through PayPal, to continue sponsoring former street children in Arusha, Tanzania for private school.

Take advantage of this terrific opportunity to give directly to those who have so little, and to see the joy you bring to little faces on the other side of the world.

Depending on how much you donate, you may also be entered in a raffle to win beautiful African handicrafts.

• Who Are These Boys?
• Why Private School?
• What They Get
• What YOU Get
• How to Donate

Who Are These Boys? (back to top)

During the summer of 2010 I volunteered at The Children of the Street Welfare Association (CHISWEA) in Arusha, Tanzania.  For 16 years CHISWEA has been a source of food, shelter, responsibility and family for kids who wish to abandon their “life on the street”—i.e. not attending school, either having no family home or finding it better not to live there, surviving via the generosity of strangers, panhandling, petty scams and theft, and other unsavory means. Time that isn’t spent hustling is spent just hanging out, often drunk or high on pot and glue fumes.
 

Jim and his boys at CHISWEA

At CHISWEA, despite minimal resources, over 70 such children have discovered a more promising and fulfilling life.  On this blog you can read more about CHISWEA here and here, and my experiences working with these exceptional children.  You can also read about our previous fundraising success where, thanks to many of you and your generous donations last year, we were able to deliver new Tae Kwon Do equipment and also send twelve boys to Nairobi, Kenya to compete in the East Africa Taekwondo Junior National Championships.

And of course I invite you to read about my other Tanzanian adventures, including my first night, Operation: New Teeth in Arusha, and Operation: Eye Surgery in Moshi.


Why Private School? (back to top)

Every child in Tanzania, even those with no means to pay, are entitled to a public school education.  So why is sending these boys to private school so important?

Government schools pay their teachers very low wages, so low that teachers can't really earn a sustainable living. As a result, government school teachers do not show up for class (yes, you read that correctly).  Instead, they request that the children meet with them after school for private "tutoring" sessions, where the actual teaching happens.  The children who cannot pay for these tutoring sessions, or who simply choose not to show up, do not receive an education.

Also, at government schools, kids can leave whenever they want during the school day. Besides the minimal adult supervision (as a result of their teachers not showing up), the schools don't have a fence or a gate. Often, the kids will end up roaming the streets, doing the same things (scamming, drinking, sniffing glue) that street children who are not in school do.

And finally, while corporal punishment is often practiced to a limited degree in private schools, it is far more prevalent in government schools.  This usually takes the form of "the stick"--a thin stick carried by teacher and used for whipping.


What They Get (back to top)

Before I left the country, I registered ten boys for the Nakido School --- a private school within walking distance from the CHISWEA facility where they live --- and paid their fees for one school year.

Thanks to the help of their teacher, Matiko Benson, and my dear friends Georgina Tenga and Sonia Hanspaul, I have been able to get updates on their progress, including some wonderful photographs of the boys at school.

The crew (starting from top row, left): Frankie, Adam, Heven, Amani, Agostino, Musa (sponsored by my friend Hugo Macklin from France), Denis, Athumani, Bryan, Filex, and Kelvin (not pictured)

Standing (squatting?) guard over the school gate.

Now, with your help, I'd like to fund their next year of higher quality education.   My goal is to raise $5,000.  Incidentally, this figure is nearly half what it costs to send just one child to private school in the U.S.  So what does your money buy?

$240 pays tuition fees for one year of private school for one child.

(from left) Athumani, Agostino, and Amani

$110 pays for lunches for one year, one child.

$90 pays for a school uniform --- a requirement for school and a source of tremendous pride for students!  The uniform includes: 2 shirts, 2 sweaters, 2 trousers, 1 pair black shoes, 1 pair athletic shoes, and 3 pairs of socks.

$35 pays for school supplies for the year for one child. This includes: school bag, umbrella, exercise books and stationary, pencil kit and mathematical kit.

$25 pays for an annual school field trip, usually to one of the country's beautiful natural preserves, like the Serengeti, a national treasure which the children would otherwise never get to experience for themselves.

For just $500, one child gets a full year of quality, private schooling and all the food, clothing, and other resources they need.  It's amazing how far a dollar stretches in this country.

What YOU Get (back to top)



How the raffle works

For every $30 you donate, you earn 1 chance to win one of the prizes below (e.g. if you donate $60, you earn 2 chances).

Every $100 donated = 5 chances to win.

Every $250 donated = 12 chances to win.

I will select the raffle winners after the February 12th fundraising deadline.  I will announce, via e-mail in late February, the raffle winners along with the amount we have raised together.

Runner-up prize (3 winners):  Banana leaf collages

Three of you lucky donors will win one of these gorgeous 5"x7" banana leaf collages, crafted by the tribal Masai of east Africa.  The collages are made by layering banana leaf pieces of varying textures and shades to make an image.

Banana leaf collages made by tribal Masai

With the possible exception of African blackwood carvings, I personally found banana leaf prints like these to be my favorite of all the crafts I saw in Africa.  You'll love them!

Grand prize (1 winner): Beaded table placemat set

Six placemats (two rolled)

The grand prize winner of the raffle will receive this beautiful, hand-crafted set of table placemats, which includes six placemats, six napkin rings and one central table runner.

The matting material is made of “raffia," or bamboo and banana leaves. The mats are beaded by a local group of 40 women in Arusha who earn much needed income, and the funds generated through the sale of these mats help sponsor additional children in Arusha for private school.

Want to buy a placemat set?  If you are interested in purchasing one of these placemat sets, rather than taking your chances with my raffle, please e-mail Sonia Hanspaul to learn more.  The sets range from $50-70, plus shipping, which can be expensive, but remember it supports a good cause!  Over 100 style-and-color varieties are available.

Central runner and six napkin rings (included in set)

Interesting fact: Due to a shipping snafu, these particular placemats which I'm raffling off did not reach me the first time, and were returned to Tanzania before being reshipped.  That means it traveled across the African continent and the Atlantic Ocean not once, but three times to get here.  These are well-traveled placemats!


How to Donate (back to top)

There are two ways to donate.

Heven, Amani and Agostino with their teacher, Matiko Benson

1.  Mailed personal check.  Simply e-mail me, stating the amount you would like to donate, and I will reply with my mailing address where you can send the check. This method avoids the PayPal service fees and ensures your full donation goes toward the cause.

2.  PayPal.  You may also donate through PayPal which is fast and secure (please note that PayPal will deduct a 2.9 percent service fee from the amount you donate).  Just click on the "Donate" button and follow the instructions.

Please note that your charitable contribution is not tax-deductible, as I am not a registered 501(c)(3) organization.  The good news, however, is that since you are not donating through an organization, there are no administrative or overhead costs.  It's just me.  The full amount of your donation goes directly to funding these boys' private schooling!

Thank you in advance for your generosity, and for helping me bring joy and enrichment into the lives of these deserving children.

CHISWEA Fundraiser: Kids Clean Up at Tae Kwon Do Tournament

I'm a year late in reporting the second major success of our Tae Kwon Do fundraiser for the junior warriors of CHISWEA.

First, by way of review, some of you will hopefully recall the first success of this fundraiser -- the purchase of new sparring and training equipment and locking storage unit.  I invite you to enjoy (or enjoy again) this short movie I made where the warriors break in their new pads.

Well, on the weekend of December 18-19 of last year (2010), the TKD fundraiser scored another major victory.  Using the money raised, we were able to send 12 boys to Nairobi, Kenya for the East Africa Tae Kwon Do Junior Championships.

Granted, Tae Kwon Do is a fairly niche sport in Africa, but bear in mind we're talking about an entire continental region here.  For these twelve boys, this was not merely their first opportunity to compete in an official tournament, nor was it merely their first opportunity to compete with peers besides themselves.  For most or all of them, this was their first time out of their home country.  What an adventure!

Are you excited yet?  Well hold on to something, because it gets better.  We took home some medals.  That's right.  Three of our boys placed in their weight class -- two gold medals, and one bronze.

Did I mention these were the junior championships for all of East Africa?

Thanks to your generous donations, we were able to pay for passports, transport, lodging, meals, tournament fees and uniforms.  Two CHISWEA volunteers (Thomas and Malene from Denmark) and took some photos, and though some of those photos were unfortunately lost to the technical gods, I am thankful to Thomas and Malene for salvaging what they could from their camera.

Congratulations to all of our generous donors for giving these deserving boys such a wonderful opportunity!

Shaking hands before the match ("I must break you.")

Always bow before kicking someone's ass.

Start with a low kick...

Then wind up for a "I break nose with big toe" kick.

The junior warriors get some guidance from their teacher.

Chillin' like villains between matches.

The kick I wish I could have seen in person.

Oscars 2011 - Movie Haiku

To review, the Best Picture nominations were:

     Social Network
     The King's Speech
     True Grit
     Black Swan
     Inception
     Winter's Bone
     The Fighter
     Toy Story 3
     127 Hours
     The Kids Are Alright


And now the 10 haiku, not necessarily in that  order.

* * *

This is just a dream.
So is this. And this. And this.
Ponder. Watch again.

* * *

Crackhead brother proves
dreams can come true, even in
Lowell, Massachusetts.

* * *

Canyoneer gets stuck,
misses party with hot chicks,
cuts arm off in rage.

* * *

Shy new monarch must
tell subjects: "We're going to
wuh... w-wuh... wuh... wuh..."

* * *

Day care! Bear-in-charge
seems nice; smells like strawberries.
Smells are deceiving…
 

 * * *

Don't fret if Dad's gone,

'cause in the Ozarks, you've got

relatives to spare.

* * *

Sperm donor wants to
collect on his investment.
Lesbians say, "No." 

* * *

The Dude gets eye-patch
in Coens' Western remake.
Makes bowling tougher. 

* * *

Girl gets lead, gets head,
gets paranoid, gets deranged,
gets applause, gets dead. 

* * *

Budding billionaires
make website. Lawsuits ensue.
Sorkin makes it cool.

My MFA Personal Statement (a.k.a. Statement of Purpose)

The chatter over at the Creative Writing MFA Blog indicates some folks wish to see examples of personal statements, so I thought I'd post mine here.  It's no golden ticket, but it has gotten me into a few reputed programs. I applied to 14 schools and received acceptances from LSU, Wash-U. in St. Louis, Vanderbilt, and Florida.

Notes:  My letter was more or less the same to all the schools, but of course I tailored each according to their specifications.  Below is the letter I sent to Vanderbilt, just shy of 500 words, which I believe is pretty standard.

I've also included a link to an earlier draft that includes edits and feedback from a consultant at Driftless House, which I found enormously helpful.

Finally, I have links to my teaching statement for Indy (also used for LSU and Syracuse), and my pair of letters to Michigan, which required a more academically-oriented "Statement of Purpose" in addition to the personal statement.  Please bear in mind that I did not get accepted to Michigan or Indiana U., so those letters aren't "proven."  And the teaching statement is reflective of someone who has no formal teaching experience to date.

• Early draft of Personal Statement with edits
• Teaching Statement (Indiana)
• Personal Statement and Academic Statement (Michigan)

Personal Statement, Final version

November 30, 2010

Creative Writing
Vanderbilt University
411 Kirkland Hall
Nashville, TN 37240


Dear Selection Committee,

Once upon a Grade One writing test I composed "Chicky and Eggy," a nine-sentence saga that follows a hatchling and pre-hatchling as they explore the world outside their nest, flirt with danger, and discover the power of friendship and forgiveness.

More recently, I am making final revisions to a manuscript I have worked on for the past six years, an underground fantasy inspired by the humor of Richard Russo, the tenderness of Charles Baxter, the imagination of Chuck Palahniuk and the talents of so many other authors who move me. The journey has been nothing short of a gift, but even so, getting lost in the wilderness of one project for so many years has made me hungry for new terrain. Scraping together even ten hours per week to write is challenging when one works full time and tries to maintain a balanced lifestyle. It makes for slow progress, no matter if you measure by total words written or refinement of craft.

I long for sophisticated criticism from professionals and fellow aspirants, and for the emotional support of an impassioned community. In that spirit I am currently auditing a workshop at Harvard taught by Amy Hempel, and the perspective and inspiration I’ve found there has convinced me I am ready to be immersed in creative writing full time. If enrolled in your MFA program I would pursue short story projects to explore my written voice, as well as various character and plot ideas, with a long eye toward my next novel.

In my current position at the Harvard Kennedy School, I edit a weekly column on public management for the online magazine Governing.com, as well as a biweekly e-newsletter highlighting government innovations, reaching ~10,000 and ~8,500 readers, respectively. This work has honed my attention to syntactic detail and improved my ability to clarify complex ideas. Most significantly, it has taught me how best to make my criticism constructive and respectful.

My professional interests are eclectic and ever-changing. After switching majors twice, I graduated with a degree in psychology and for three years worked on a research project focused on preventing depression in children. I then came to the Kennedy School where, in addition to my editing roles, I produce web conferences for government professionals on topics ranging from land conservation to combating human trafficking. I have also been a nightclub bartender and a day camp counselor, built water collection systems in Africa, mentored children, tutored prisoners, and conducted supervised psychotherapy sessions with the developmentally disabled.

Throughout all of this, I have crafted stories. Writing remains my most enduring passion and defines sense of purpose. I have proven to myself that my commitment to the craft merits a higher level of instruction. I hope I have the opportunity to prove the same to you, and thank you for your consideration.


Sincerely,


Jim Cooney

Applying to the Top MFA Programs: Back in the Saddle

This is mostly just a place holder, as Round Two is keeping me too busy to document my experiences as thoroughly as last year (probably a good sign).

But I just wanted to note that after my 2009 experience applying to MFA programs, and coping with my subsequent acceptance to none, I am geared up to make a second go of it.

I just re-read the mostly self pep talk I posted back in April, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that I have followed my plan almost to a "T," the three main points of which were:

1. Write two new stories in accordance with my amazing feedback from Driftless House.
2.  Re-invigorate myself by spending the summer in Africa.
3.  Take a workshop taught by Amy Hempel.

As can probably be ascertained by my writings from Africa, my summer adventure was everything I'd hoped it would be.  And I am in love, LOVE, with my class (and Amy Hempel).  But more on that later, including some unexpected turns getting admitted to (and then finishing) the class.

For now, I shall take my leave to continue working on my applications.  The earliest deadlines are December 15, and run through the end of January.  I'm applying to 15 schools this time, and the Michener Center in Austin still tops my list.  Wish me luck!

Results of Tae Kwon Do CHISWEA Fundraiser

I’m pleased to report that the Tae Kwon Do fundraiser for the junior warriors of CHISWEA was a huge success!

Through your generosity, we were able to raise over $4,500 for new training equipment!

I’m also happy to report that a portion of the funds have already been put to exciting use. Thanks to Chris Lassonde and his massive hockey bag, we were able to transport the first batch of equipment via airline luggage, thus avoiding shipping charges. The boys are already breaking in their new focus mitts and sparring equipment, and we’ve got video footage to prove it. You’ll be amazed at the difference proper equipment has visibly made in their training.



Before I left I was also able to commission the building of a security cabinet for storing all the expensive equipment being donated. Over the next few weeks I’ll determine how best to apply the remaining funds and further investigate reliable yet economic shipping options available for getting the rest of the equipment where it belongs. I will also do my best to work with volunteers still on the ground to document the boys using more equipment as it comes.

Congratulations on making a such fun and meaningful impact on these children’s lives. Bravo!

Safari Za Emanuel Kwa Moshi.

Before coming to Tanzania I read several articles calling into question the true value of short-term volunteering, often referred to as "volunteer vacations" or "voluntourism." In short, the argument is that a few weeks or even a few months are simply not enough time to affect change in a developing country. Between unfinished projects and short relationships that end abruptly, some critics posit that short-term volunteering may even do more harm than good.

This may very well be the case, but while I cannot say for sure what the actual value of short-term volunteering is, I feel I can speak confidently on its potential. Given some initiative, drive, creativity and communication/collaboration with other volunteers (and possibly a willingness to spend a little money), there are opportunities to make a small but significant impact.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have found medical "projects" to have the greatest cost-to-benefit ratio. Though none of the children I work with have severely crippling or immediately life-threatening illnesses, there are several who possess treatable maladies that, if corrected, could improve their quality of life. The answer to why they go untreated is always cost, and usually the dollar amount imposing this barrier is shockingly low.

Case in point: My housemate and fellow volunteer, Andreas, from Germany, and his eight year-old student Emanuel. Andreas exemplifies the kind of initiative I'm talking about, and for me has served as a vital source of inspiration. After administering an impromptu vision test to some of the students in his class (which he did by tracing an eye chart off his laptop -- amazing), Andreas decided to further investigate Emanuel's "lazy eye" condition, i.e. seeing with only one eye at a time while the unseeing eye turns inward. After three trips to three different doctors in Arusha (each nearly a full-day affair), paying all the costs every step of the way, Andreas was directed to Moshi (about 80 km away) to see a pediatric opthamologist, one of only two in the country capable of performing a surgery that could correct the problem.

The doctor determined that he could see perfectly well, but emphasized the psychological benefits of corrective surgery -- those with lazy eyes as extreme as his are less likely to be married, less likely to get a job, less likely to be happy, etc.

The surgery involves anesthetizing him, then detaching and reattaching the muscles around his eyes. all of which costs a whopping twenty-seven dollars, U.S.

The catch was that the earliest surgery date available was after Andreas returned home to Germany. While this was very unfortunate for Andreas, since he would not be able to witness the culmination of his noble efforts, it turned out to be a gift for me, who had the distinct pleasure of taking Emanuel for surgery myself.

Some day I intend to write a more detailed and reflective account of our three-day journey, but for now allow me to share some pictures with captions.

Outside the eye clinic at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi.

Emanuel getting one last look from the doctor the day before surgery.  Dr. Leigh Woodward, referred to as "Dr. Leigh" by everyone at the hospital, hails from Texas and has been working in Tanzania for just over a year.

 Here's a good before shot.  If he was looking with the right eye, it would be the left that was turned inward.
 

Emanuel's corner bed in the eye ward, where we spent most of our time.  The ward was huge -- six or seven rooms with a dozen beds each.  This is Eye Central in Tanzania.  Oh, and that little piece of tape on his head indicated what surgery he was supposed to get.  I kept hoping he wouldn't unwittingly trade head labels with another patient.

Awww.

Emanuel and his ward buddy, Kasimu, playing a memory game with UNO cards. I am so grateful they were able to entertain each other. Certainly took some of the pressure off me.

Curled up in his overlarge patient's smock, outside the surgical "theater."  This is not fear, by the way (he never once the whole trip seemed anxious or scared); this is him hamming it up for the camera, which he does quite often.

 Andreas, this one's for you.  Remember the zombie nurse from our first visit?  SHE LIIIIVES!!!

Getting wheeled out of surgery -- out like a light.

After some failed attempts to wake his sleeping friend, Kasimu sits diligently by his bedside.  Take a moment to grab a tissue if you need to.

First look in the mirror, post-op.  He did not appear delighted or surprised.  Just curious.  Perhaps he is too young to have been all that self-conscious about his eyes.

My favorite picture:  Chocolate cream cookies... the first meal (that he was able to keep down) in nearly a day.  An hour earlier he had polished off a bowl of warm porridge in small little sips.  When I refilled his mug and asked if he wanted more, he vomited on my shoes.

"'C' is for cook-ie, dat's good e-nough for me..."

 Team CBM implored us not to leave until they got some photos of our grand exit.

Back home at last, with his primary caregiver (a nearby neighbor).  Abandoned by his mother and father, Emanuel now lives with his elderly grandparents.

Meet the grandparents.  They may be old, but they're also traditional Masai, which means they're tough as nails.

And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't end with a close-up of the final result.  Prepare to get a little misty-eyed.

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Yaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding.  Here he is:

Ready for Hollywood.

I offer my deepest thanks to Andreas for making me a part of this endeavor.