Dorkas moved to the Ujamaa Children's Home in July 2017 aged 8 (she is aged 9 in the above photograph). Before she became a part of the Ujamaa Family, Dorkas had several unsuccessful surgeries to treat a congenital condition.

Dorkas is now 13 years old and enjoys playing sports, singing and drawing. She is a kind soul who is always smiling and while she is able to live a fairly normal life, despite her condition, we want to give her the best possible outcome and a chance to do all the things she dreams of.

In late 2018, a supporter visited the Children's Home and set out to find Dorkas a medical option outside Tanzania. Incredibly, she found Dorkas a free of charge surgical opportunity in Columbus, Ohio with one of the foremost surgeons in this field. Truly amazing!

Less than a year later the wheels were in motion to get Dorkas to America...then Covid-19 happened. Travel around the world came to standstill. The US Embassy in Tanzania closed for a significant period of time and even when it reopened, they were only processing certain visa types. Thankfully the time has now come and we finally have a medical visa which allows Dorkas to travel for this life changing surgery.

We are so grateful for this opportunity but we need your help! The surgery and associated medical costs are all free and we have an incredible family willing to host Dorkas in their home while she is in America for her treatment (potentially 3-6 months), however there are still expenses that need to be paid.

We are looking for your support to help fund return flights from Tanzania for Dorkas and the Founder of the Children's Home, Carley, who will escort her and stay with her during the initial treatment phase. Accommodation in Columbus and transport to and from the hospital, as well as food and general living expenses for the duration of her stay in America. Until they see Dorkas in person, the medical team cannot be completely sure of which procedures will be most effective and what the recuperation time will be, so preparation is key!

Any support you are able to give will be greatly appreciated by Dorkas and Carley to help reach our goal and give Dorkas this amazing opportunity.