28 October 2009

Dearest friends and family,

I hope this letter finds you all doing well! It has been sometime since I have written with the news and updates of TUPO International. This time I write from Boston, MA. I returned to a very cold and wintry Boston last February after an extremely productive trip to Arusha and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

As you many of you may remember from my previous emails, I was in Dar Es Salaam last January to register TUPO International as a recognized NGO by the Tanzanian government. As of February 5th, 2009, TUPO International is a registered Tanzanian NGO (in addition to being a U.S. 501.3.c., non-profit corporation). See the Tanzanian Registration Document in the left margin.

While in Arusha, Jonas (our Program Director) and I worked together conducting a community assessment for the implementation of the corn-grinding project at the KIBOWA Centre. These assessments have proven beneficial and informational, as they have re-confirmed that the KIBOWA Centre will benefit from the corn-grinding project. This initial data collection will allow TUPO International to track the progress and growth of the Centre after the corn-grinding project has begun.

In anticipation of the arrival of the corn-grinder, TUPO International and the KIBOWA Centre have been busy with many complimentary projects. View photos of how KIBOWA Centre has grown over the last year. What's not pictured? Well, just this year the Chairman of KIBOWA, Mike Taylor, donated the cost of having the KIBOWA Centre get connected to the electricity grid. The means the corn-grinder will be plugged in and ready to go upon its arrival.

If you have visited our website lately, www.tupointernational.com, you will have noticed we have a new look! Robin Burrage has come aboard as the designer and Webmaster of the TUPO International website. You'll find a new photo gallery, video gallery, project updates and much, much more. If you haven't stopped by, please do so soon!

Many of you have expressed an interest in visiting Tanzania. During my next trip in January 2010, TUPO International will be offering a fundraising safari package! Details and prices are still in the process of being negotiated and will be posted online when finalized. In the meantime, please feel free to drop me a line with any questions that you have in mind.

If you can't make this trip but would still like to help out, please visit our donation page for a secure donation link. If you happen to be a frequent flyer and have airline miles that you would like to donate as a tax deductible, in-kind donation please let me know.

Thank you all again for your support and encouragement for TUPO International. I hope to hear from you soon!

Best regards,
Jennifer, TUPO International
Executive Director
JWare@TUPOInternational.com