PERSPECTIVES - The Power of Cultural Exchange
Our Dedication to Building Personal Connections with Our Friends in Tanzania
Something extraordinary happens when people from different parts of the world come together. When we exchange culture, we deepen our capacity to connect and empathize with others. We become more understanding and compassionate. We think more practically about the challenges faced by our fellow people across the world. And, if we’re lucky, we develop friendships that inspire us to support others’ pursuits for basic necessities—things like clean water, quality education, accessible health care, and equal treatment. And, hey, cultural exchange is a lot of fun, too!
Focus On Tanzanian Communities (“FOTZC”) was founded by a group of safari parents and their children who simply saw the disparity between Tanzanian schools and ours and worked with Thomson Safaris co-president Judi Wineland to form this non-profit. Over 25 years later, we’ve grown into a sprawling charitable enterprise working on numerous high-impact projects that benefit a variety of communities across northern Tanzania. But developing personal relationships and friendships with people in Tanzania is still a treasured and vital component of everything we do.
That’s one of the reasons why the FOTZC Board of Directors visits Tanzania every two to three years (paying their own way) to speak with village elders, community leaders, members of the government, and families living in our partner communities. Visiting our friends face-to-face makes us better listeners who are more capable of providing thoughtful and effective support.
We would like to celebrate some of those beautiful face-to-face moments when we last visited our friends in October of 2022.
Nekaaki Olekioki Emash and Catherine Halloran Cook hug while reconnecting in Tanzania.
Nekaaki flips through the FOTZC annual report with Judi Wineland
Nekaaki Olekioki Emash is one of our long-time friends in Tanzania. Her service as a midwife, storyteller and grandmother has been a constant source of inspiration. Moreover, she has been remarkably kind and generous in supporting maternal health in the community. That’s why it was our profound honor to dedicate the Health Center’s new maternity ward to her last year.
FOTZC unveils a plaque dedicating the new Sukenya Health Center maternity ward to Nekaaki.
Our Maasai friends head to the Christopher P. Halloran School to join us
and celebrate.
The women of Orkuyene celebrate with us.
This visit included the unveiling of some of the new facilities at the Christopher P. Halloran School in Orkuyene - a project that includes housing for teachers, classrooms, dormitories for students, a water supply, and a kitchen. We convened in this new FOTZC-built dining hall that also serves as a community center for meetings and celebrations like the one in our honor.
Ann Przygocki and Ryan Schwartz receive Maasai dresswear to celebrate our visit to the Christopher P. Halloran School in Orkuyene.
We love every moment of interacting with children and students in Tanzania. Brian McDonald, a generous donor to the Robanda Primary School, is no exception.
According to Brian, “It was truly insightful to visit the villages and learn firsthand about their interests in providing educational opportunities to the children along with the other priorities they shared. It was a real joy to meet the kids attending school in the different villages. I’ve been able to exchange video messages with my new friends Derrick, Calvin and Lucky from Ganako through my friend Seph, one of our terrific guides.”
Brian shares stories and life lessons with the students of Robanda Primary School.
More new friends line up for high fives with Brian
These are just a few of the face-to-face moments we shared with our friends in Tanzania, moments filled with warm conversation, celebration, and discussions
about where we are now and what these communities need going forward.
FOTZC Board President Bonnie Clendemming shakes hands with Ngorongoro District Commissioner Dr. Raymond Mwangwala, thanking him for the opportunity to visit and celebrate our collective achievements.