Transforming lives !
We know it’s been a while since we’ve sent you our latest updates, and we have so much to tell you! These past few months have been exciting and packed with activities at Jithubutu . Below, we’re sharing some of the highlights and achievements.
Growth in visits
This period has been very active with the arrival of new visitors, who, in addition to enjoying dance classes, traditional dance shows or any other activity with us, have had the opportunity to interact with our young people. In addition to the usual groups, 4 new travel agencies have accompanied us and have assured us future visits. These visits have a great impact on our project:
Motivation for young people: It gives them the opportunity to practice languages, improve their communication skills and feel valued.
Financial support: Many of these visits result in donations or the purchase of our handmade notebooks, which are essential for our funding.
Encouragement and recognition: Seeing the support of those who visit us fills us with satisfaction and drives us to continue forward. Thank you to all who believe in this project!
Volunteering in action
We are receiving volunteers more regularly! In the last few months, people from different parts of the world have collaborated with us:
Marta (Spain) – 3 weeks in August
Lea (Germany) – 1 week
Léna (France) – 2 weeks
Alessia (Italy) – with us since mid-September
Breena (EE. UU.) – 2 semanas
Ana and Ari (Spain) – 3 weeks
Thanks to their dedication, we have been able to start new workshops, develop fresh ideas that inspire and motivate our team, as well as extend the hours of Spanish classes and improve the English conversation sessions. We hope that more people will continue to come to help us!
Spanish classes: A great demand
Teaching Spanish is one of the most popular activities at our centre. Although the lack of staff often limits the number of classes we can offer, thanks to our volunteers we are able to run two intensive courses: one lasting 3 weeks in August and another lasting 4 weeks in October. The young people have shown great interest and commitment in their learning.
New collaborations: Saint Elisabeth Hospital
We have started a weekly collaboration with Saint Elisabeth Hospital. Every Wednesday afternoon, when our centre is busy with Spanish, English and our popular dance class, a team from the hospital offers free VHS tests and personalised sex education advice to those who need it. We have been surprised by the excellent reception among young people, who take advantage of this opportunity without hesitation.
Mental health and expression workshops
Promoting a mental health workshop in a country like Tanzania is not an easy task. It is not common to talk about feelings and moods as we usually do, so these types of activities are not frequent. However, in August we managed to hold one led by Milou and Jacquee. Although the attendance was small, its impact was really powerful. Milou will be back in December, and we are counting down the days until we can organize another workshop with her and Jacquee.
Currently, our volunteer Breena is leading a workshop on expression through voice, dance and movement, which allows us to explore thoughts and emotions in a group. Her work is amazing, and more people are attending every day. This shows us that they are enjoying it and are losing their fear of these activities, learning tools to “relax,” “communicate” and “let go.”