Mama Nora's Kids
Mama Nora Mlingi is a widowed teacher who has taken on the care of several orphans and disadvantaged children on the small property that she owns in USA River, Tanzania, just outside the city of Arusha.
Nora runs a small preschool for about a dozen local youngsters, using the meager income she gets from this to support ten other orphaned children between the ages of four and eight. Without Nora's nurturing care these children would be homeless, malnourished and vulnerable.
We've visited Nora's preschool and orphanage in February 2008 and again in 2009 and have been impressed by the care that she gives to these children.
When we first encountered Nora in early 2008, a young boy had just been abandoned outside her compound in the middle of the night. He was emaciated and frightened and spoke not one word. 
Even with the assistance of local police authorities Nora was unable to identify this child or find out where he had come from. She took him in and started to care for him.
Money she received from Canadian benefactors allowed Mama Nora to get medical care for this lad who, not surprisingly, turned out to be HIV positive. One year later, thanks to the nurturing Nora provides, Micah is healthy, playing with the other children and proud to recite the alphabet.
The story of HIV infected children whose parents die and whose other relatives are either unable or unwilling to care for the surviving orphan child is a common one in Sub Saharan Africa.
Nora carries on the care of these children, relying entirely on benefactors to help her manage. She has a well-kept little compound with tiny bunk beds all neatly aligned, clean toilets and a classroom for the children. For a long time she cooked, however, outdoors over an open fire. CanAssist built a kitchen building where she can prepare food for the ten orphans who live with her and the several others who attend the preschool and receive one meal (often the only one of the day).
CanAssist thanks both private donors and these corporate donors whose gifts have made it possible to construct a Kitchen for Mama Nora's Orphans:
*National Bank*
*Mackenzie Financial*
*RBC Bank*
*Peak Securities*
Lauren Albert, a McGill University student recently visited Nora's facility.
Lauren reports "Her home is really so impressive. The infrastructure (minus a kitchen) is really amazing! Flush toilets, bednets, a proper playground!"
Nora has agreed to take in a young child that Lauren was trying to find a home for...without too much success as the child has ongoing health problems. Amani will now live with the other children at Nora's - many of them disadvantaged in terms of health as well as being orphaned.
Read more about Mama Nora and her kids here.
