Meet Jennilea... December 03 2013
I want to introduce Jennilea Hortop, one incredible, adventurous, and caring chick. She too, fell for the amazing kids at Peace Matunda Orphanage and wants only the best for their future. Jennilea is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime- all for a great cause. This is from Jennilea- she will be posting about her adventures along the way on this blog and on the PbP facebook page. ~Susan
From Jennilea:
Thinking about Africa gives me goose bumps of excitement and a longing for adventure. In two months time, I will be in Khartoum Sudan embarking on what I know will be some of the most amazing experiences of my life. Riding 12,000km, in 120 days, through 10 countries I will join fifty other riders from around the world, as we travel by bicycle from the North to the South of Africa.
While on this journey I plan to help a cause that is very close to my heart, Peace Matunda Orphanage and School. I first came to know Peace Matunda in June 2009 when my friend, Sarah Patriquin, and sister, Kayleigh Hortop, headed to Arusha to meet twenty-one young Tanzanian children. We immediately fell deeply in love with the children who lived and attended school at Peace Matunda. Living for six weeks in the foothills of Mount Meru, was a life changing experience and I knew that I would be back to this magical place.
In 2010, I traveled with a group of eight high school students from NIST International School in Bangkok, Thailand to share this special community. The students helped to develop some of the projects that the director of the organization, Kaaya Unambwe, was working on at the time; a new school building for Standard Five and Six, and a lunch program for all students at Peace Matunda. In both 2011 and 2012 more NIST students traveled back to Tanzania to learn from the amazing children at Peace Matunda and the surrounding community. Again in April 2013, 12 more students and teachers will travel to the foothills of Mount Meru to spend time learning about Tanzania culture and visiting the orphanage.
After four years of watching the small children of Peace Matunda grow up, they are ready for the next step in their lives; secondary school. In collaboration with Peace by Piece I plan to help provide the children of Peace Matunda with a secondary school education. My goal is to raise 1 USD for each kilometer that I will bike through Africa to help sponsor these children to have a secondary education. On the Peace by Piece donor page, the are many options for how you can donate to Peace Matuada, specifically there are links that say "Donate for education" please select the amount you would like to help to provide these beautiful kids an education.
On the Peace by Piece Facebook page, I will be updating my bike journey through Africa; If you haven't already please like this page so you can follow my story.
Jennilea