The Magic of LWCF - Tanzania Trip 2025
Read Tania Ketenjian’s personal essay about her life-changing experience going to East Africa to visit the original Living Water Children’s Fund school.
By Tania Ketenjian, LWCF Volunteer & Supporter
Fall 2025 Newsletter Update
I first became involved in LWCF when Mario Iorillo invited my 14-year-old daughter Nora (whom she helped to deliver) to be a part of LWCF, thinking that Nora and other children her age across the US could form a leadership group to help, connect, and form friendships with the kids in Africa at LWCF. Upon hearing Maria speak about the organization, Nora became enchanted. She began meeting every month with other young people to find ways to support LWCF, and after a while we decided to travel as a group with Maria to Tanzania to visit the children at the school. It was one of the most memorable experiences of our lifetimes.
From the moment we landed in East Africa, we knew we were going to have our hearts and minds expanded. We visited schools in Nairobi, went on safari, and traveled to Arusha to meet the inimitable David at the Living Water Children’s Center.
Visiting the school was a deeply gratifying experience. We were so pleased that the children there are being given an opportunity to learn, grow and be independent in a setting that is safe and healthy. Several of them spoke in front of everyone and shared what they hope to do in their lives: Doctor, lawyer, footballer, artist, nurse, architect, pilot. These children are dreamers! For the next week, the leadership group that had formed in the US spent their days teaching the children in all different subjects, playing games and generally letting these amazing children know that they are loved and considered.
On our last day, the children at LWCF and the visitors from the US had a party with music, dancing, food, jewelry and letter-writing. Leaving was painful, but we are already planning our next trip there. In the meantime, we are holding bake sales and arts and crafts fairs to fundraise. Families who are sponsoring children write letters to them and find ways in which we can support their deepest aspirations. Landing back in the US was challenging, knowing just how much these children need, but we remind ourselves that help comes in many forms, from brainstorming ideas to raise funds, to sending a letter, to setting up a zoom. For many years, these children couldn’t dare to hope. LWCF offers one of the most valuable gifts of all: A sense of possibility. What an honor it was to play a role in that. We will continue our efforts here and we look forward to the next time we are with the children, laughing, hugging and celebrating a connection that crosses oceans and continents.
Every child deserves a chance ❤️
Thanks to generous donations Living Water Children’s Fund has been able to help the children of Living Water Children’s Centre receive the support and care they need.
Please consider donating to support LWCC in Tanzania. Any gift, big or small, helps us on our mission to make sure children have their basic needs met so that they may flourish and grow.
