Resident Returns From Trip to Help Orphans in Tanzania

Louise Plack, a Montville resident, Lifetime Girl Scout, Quaker Hill Baptist Church member, and teacher in Marlborough traveled to Tanzania for the first time with the organization Pocketful of Joy to help in the education, feeding, health and clothing of students in the Bukoba district of Tanzania.

Plack began raising funds for Pocketful of Joy in 2004 when a fellow educator spoke about meeting Charlotte S. Hunter from Pocketful of Joy. Fundraising was done at the Elmer Theines-May Hall, where Plack teaches, and as a mission project for the vacation bible school at Quaker Hill Baptist Church.

Plack and Hunter left for Tanzania on Jan. 19 and returned March 16, full of stories, pictures, music and artifacts from their adventures in the villages.

They lived with the Tanzanian directors and became part of the village. While there Plack spoke to teachers, administrators, boards of education and district education officers about what American schools are like, and what small changes can be made that require very little money. She brought educational charts for the classrooms.

Based on her observations and evaluations, Pocketful of Joy will be sponsoring a series of seminars to enhance teacher training in teaching to the various modalities, using cooperative groups and the supervision of students as they work.

Another series of seminars will be presented to the children in the area of health and sex education.

Elders who are being helped by secondary students in the work study program were visited.

Pocketful of Joy had eye doctors in to each school to assess the students' vision and eye health while she was there. Plack assisted with exams and with dispensing medicine and eye glasses once they were ready. Many children were given medicine for ring worm, and several children were assessed further at the hospital for other ailments.

Currently a wall at Nyakataare is being replaced as it had cracked rendering several much needed classrooms unusable. Pre-K classes for ages 5 and 6 were therefore held outside. Last year a lightning rod was installed at Ntoma to ensure the safety of students and staff during the rainy months. A new latrine was also built at Byeya with the help of World Vision.

There are many orphans at each of the three schools, sponsored by Pocketful of Joy. The group provides ugi for the orphans, as well as, pens, exercise books, uniforms, medicated and laundry soap, and shoes. This year all students, in every grade received pens or pencils from the donations that the students gave prior to Plack's departure. She also brought puzzles, crayons and colored pencils for the library and teachers.

For further information and

to make a donation, visit

www.pocketfulofjoy.org.