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Haba na haba, hujaza kibaba.
Little by little, fills the pot.
As this Swahili proverb says, all things are possible if you just take it little by little, step by step.
And, little by little, we can make a difference, one person at a time.
In 2001, when I visited Tanzania for the first time as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, I was captivated by the country’s awesome beauty and warmed by the people’s hospitality. I was also overwhelmed by the devastating impact of AIDS, especially on young people. In 2000, there were one million AIDS orphans |
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in Tanzania. This number is expected to reach 1.8 million by 2010. One in ten children in Tanzania under the age of 15 will be orphans. One-fifth to one-third of the children has lost one or both parents to AIDS.
When I returned home, I began thinking about what I could do to help. With Grace Ndunguru Msindai, a Habitat for Humanity project coordinator I met in Tanzania, we founded Haba Na Haba. We are a small but resolute incubator that nurtures local initiatives and empowers young adults, most of them AIDS orphans. Our goal is to build thriving businesses that provide on-the-job training and jobs with fair wages that enable these young men and women to support themselves and create a hopeful future.
Your Purchases Make a Difference
Businesses supported by Haba Na Haba design and produce unique fabric and textile products such as decorative pillows, table linens, and fashionable clothes. We hope you will find these products a wonderful addition to your home as well as a reminder that we all can make a difference in the lives of people all over the world.
Part of the profits from the sale of each item support job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth in Tanzania.
- Beth Peterson |
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