What is the Amani Partnership?  Marple Newtown’s partnership with Amani began with Mrs. Can’s Studio Art courses.  These students are creating portraits of some of the children from the Amani Children’s Home.  By doing so, our students will be providing a gift and a memory to street children and orphans who do not have childhood pictures of themselves or their families.  This is the first year of an on-going partnership between the children of Amani and the students of Marple Newtown High School. Now other groups and organizations have gotten involved and also want to help these children.

What is the Amani Children's Home? Amani Children's Home is a small,  not-for-profit organization that runs a residential home for orphans and street-children at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, East Africa. Due to one of the world's poorest economies, weakening family ties, & HIV/AIDS, the problem of street-children in Tanzania is growing daily. Amani tries to help these affected children by offering them a safe home, attempting to reunite them with their families, & offer a variety of educational opportunities.

AMANI is the Swahili word for PEACE. This word has been chosen for the name of the children’s home because it characterizes Amani’s vision - to see each child flourish in an environment of peace and stability.  Amani believes that all children should be given opportunities to develop intellectually, emotionally, and morally - as well as to play and have a fun and safe childhood! 

How is Amani funded? Amani depends entirely on donations from sponsors and supporters. For the entire first year, all staff worked as volunteers, without any pay, and slept and ate at the home with the children. Often the children had to ask for donations of food just so they could eat the following week. These days, the situation is somewhat better, thanks to the generosity of ordinary people from around the world who've heard about the Amani children and want to help.  Amani is still at the stage where every donation makes a difference.   

How can I get involved with the Amani Partnership?

The Class of 2008: Give ONE DOLLAR to the senior class and sign your name on a HAND! Your donation will go directly towards sponsoring a child’s needs for a full year! Your donation will provide school, clothing, food, medical care, and counseling.  Donate a dollar today…

Interact: Will be collecting change at the end of the lunch lines for the project…Give your spare change to a good cause and make a difference!

Donations: Some classes and staff members are currently collecting items that are needed for the children, faculty and staff at the Amani Home.  Please see Mrs. Can (room #104) to view the list of items for donation to Amani.

Book Fair: The Book Fair will be held in Mrs. Gallagher’s room #200B from May 12-16th.  Mrs. Gallagher would like to donate books, supplies & a potential monetary donation to benefit the children of Amani!  Thanks to Mrs. Gallagher, the Book Fair will also be supporting Amani!

Portraits for Peace: The Studio Art courses, along with Digital Imaging, will be creating portraits of some of the children at Amani.  These portraits will be completed by Studio Art students and given directly to the children at Amani by Ms. White in July!  

Ceramics Club: Several members of the Ceramics Club are creating pottery to be sold at the Fashion Show on April 22nd and at the annual “Evening of the Arts” on May 15th.  These funds will be used to support the Amani Partnership!

Are you, your class, your club, or your team interested in supporting Amani?  If so, see Mrs. Can in room 104 today!

Click here to watch the video!

Learn more about Amani at their website:  http://www.amanikids.org