Gifts for the Arusha Team

Walmart sales these for as little as $5

Here are some ideas for gifts for the MDFT teachers:

Because of the lack of electricity, any source of alternative lighting would be a great gift for out teachers.  battery or solar LED lanterns, reflective tape, reflective vests and LED flashlights would be amazing.

The teachers sleep in the school now but the school does not have any electricity!

In Arusha, there are very few street lights so people must walk very close to traffic to be able to see.  This makes it extremely dangerous for pedestrians because car drivers can not always see the people who are walking. Inexpensive reflective tape or reflective vests would be a great way to keep our teachers safe at night.  Pieces of reflective tape can also be used for the children's back packs.  They too walk in the dark at night.

Nokero makes a number of solar light devices as well as solar chargers that would be very useful to our Arusha friends.

Nokero solar light bulb retails for about $15-$20 

If you have an unused laptop computer, digital cameras or cellphone that you no longer use, please consider donating it to the MDFT primary school teachers.  We are working on helping them get electricity for the school so that they can improve their 21st century skills.  There are inexpensive internet hot spot that David has purchased that can be used at the school as well.

Having electricity and internet in the school will also allow me (and my team of teachers) to conduct needed professional development online.  Having a couple extra computers with internet at the school could allow the teachers to open a small computer lab for the parents.  By charging a very, very little fee or even working out a sweat equity agreement, the teachers can earn a little cash for paper, printer ink, and basic school supplies.

Here is the team. I believe T-shirts and New World Flood stuff would be a great gift for them:
There are currently 5 teachers in the school (4 at Flood Garden 1 and one teacher at Flood Garden 4).  David is their director but there are also about 4 parents working the FG1 garden prototype.  Also, Cecilia, who is the owner of the Flood Garden 2 location and Mohamed, the owner of the Flood Garden 3 location.

Cecilia has an agriculture degree and has been instrumental in teaching horticulture to our teachers.  She is also the Maasai host for our Maasai dinner planned on this trip. She is hoping that our partnership can help her use her amazing garden paradise as an educational center for schools in the area.

My 9 year old son Rio at the Tilapia ponds in Flood Garden 2

Mohamed has allowed us to begin farming 1 acre of his land (he eventually would like to sell it to us at an incredible $4000 per acre. He usually sells for $20,000 an acre).  This acreage will help us farm the surplus that MDFT will need to become self sufficient.
There is also Officer Sotery of the Arusha Police Dept.  He has shown much interest in protecting our little project from meddling officials looking for kickbacks from a perceived western project.
So in recap:
David
5 Teachers
4 Parents (community members)
3 community benefactors