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President opens Malaika Village

. July 22nd 2010 is unlikely to be surpassed in the history of Malaika Kids! The official opening was indeed a very grand occasion. We were honoured to have former President Ali Hassan Mwinyi stand in for President Kikwete, who was in Spain. President Mwinyi is now 85 and very much the 'father of the nation' having succeeded the first President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere in 1985. He flew over specially from his home in Zanzibar and was accompanied by an impressive array of dignitaries including our Patron, Mrs Mwanaidi Maajar, who is just taking over as Ambassador to Washington. We were also pleased to have the Dutch Ambassador Mr Koekoek and his wife, and Mr Mark Polatajko representing the British High Commission.

Children from the local school (where many of our kids go) were on the approach road in their blue and white uniforms, waving flags. As the cortege of official vehicles drew up inside the gates, the band of the Dar es Salaam Scouts struck up and a traditional dance troup performed in exotic costumes to the music of the drums. The principal guests were introduced to the leading representatives of Malaika Kids, and were taken on a tour of the site, finishing up at the central hall, where President Mwinyi cut a ribbon and declared the Village officially opened. As many more guests had arrived than we expected, new deliveries of chairs were a feature of the last minute preparations, including an impressive carved wooden throne for the President himself. In all over 250 guests were seated in the central hall of Phase 1, and it still left space for our kids to perform their songs and dances.

There were speeches by the Regional and District Commissioners, and the chairmen of Malaika Kids International, Tanzania and UK, but pride of place went to President Mwinyi who spoke from carefully prepared notes for 40 minutes, praising the initiative of Malaika Kids and exhorting his countrymen to support Malaika Kids and use our example as a standard to aspire to in the urgent work of caring for this and future generations of orphans.

Najma Manji's team then calmly provided refreshments to all the guests and children - some 400 people in all. Among generous gifts offered, we have to thank the Hindu community BAPS for their amazing kindness and organisation in donating food, toys and gifts and even a 20,000 litre water tank.