Lastest Commuication from Dawn and Colin's reply

From: kidsaidtanzania@btconnect.com
To: dawnschaller@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Mwanza visit
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:58:11 +0000

Hi Dawn,

We continue to proceed with caution. Unacceptable levels of violence against women and children are endemic in Tanzania, as you know, and there is no way that we would condone it. We do request volunteers to tell us if they have witnessed anything which disturbs them and few concerns have been expressed from the hundred or so volunteers with whom we have had relationships. The only instance of a report that I can remember at the moment involved Patrice beating a girl. He stopped when he saw the volunteer. We have this on record somewhere. So be careful of treating Patrice as a whiter than white observer. He may well have his own agenda. Of course, we cannot know what happens behind Hisani’s closed doors. The Welfare Department is the appropriate department to investigate this and we look forward to hearing about the results of their investigation.

We have now put in a full accounting system at Hisani, the operation of which is a condition of our continuing our grant. Orphan’s Voice did provide some funding for Hisani in the past. It was an American Christian organisation and, if my memory serves me right, was based on the sponsoring of orphans. Their pictures were shown on their website. There is no evidence of money coming from them in recent times according to the various Hisani bank statements. I don’t even know if they still exist since I haven’t been able to find a current website.

Now getting acclimatised to the cold of the UK which we finally reached on Sunday evening.

Best wishes

Colin

From: dawn schaller [mailto:dawnschaller@hotmail.com]
Sent: 04 February 2011 17:18
To: Kids Aid Tanzania
Subject: RE: Mwanza visit

Hi Colin,

I trust that you and your wife arrived back to the UK safely. I apologize for everything that happened in Mwanza. I hope that your Lion's Club Project in Bugarika was a success.

Sometimes I feel like I'm tattle tailing on the things that Fred is doing and the way Hisani is running: that its more than you care to listen to. I can understand your decision not to take sides. I respect that. I hope that you can also understand that this has now become personal to me.

I'm not sure what Fred explained to you in his absence on Saturday. But here are the facts.

- Fred was released from prison between 3-5pm on Saturday after Mr. Arron (the head teacher of Gedeli Primary School) posted bond for him

- Mr. Aaron spoke with the reporter who Fred shot at and they agreed that if Fred agreed to pay 1.2 million shillings the reporter would drop the case. Fred and the reporter agreed. Now life goes on as if nothing ever happened.

- Here is the story we got from the Director of ITV and the Reporter. The reporter went to interview Fred, (this was the same time I was sitting with you and your wife.) Fred was very evasive about questions and paid the reporter some money to drop the story. The 'shady' reporter decided that the money wasn't enough, so he went to Lukobe to take more pictures and ask more questions there.

Mama Ndogo called Fred. He and Grace rushed to meet the reporter. They met him on the road when Fred told him to get off the motorcycle and showed his pistol. The reporter immediately went to the fetal position on the ground. At which time Fred verbally threatened his life in Swahili saying "if you are going to run this story about me I will kill you." Fred then proceeded to shot his pistol less than two feet away from where the reporter was lying on the ground. The bullet hit the ground only 2 feet away from the face of the reporter. At the same time Grace took the reporters bag and stole everything inside it.

Fred put the reporter in the truck and drove to the police station and was upset/shocked that they arrested him instead of the reporter.

The rest is all back room deals that I was not privy to. Legally Fred should have stayed in jail until Monday at which time he should have appeared before the court. How he got out is by obvious means of corruption.

I reported to Social Services about all the children who weren't orphans at Hisani. Mama Missana, the person in charge of social services explained to me that at first Fred didn't follow any rules or regulations in the beginning. They knew that the first 25 children weren't from the government. But Fred assured them that they were indeed orphans. She said that since that time, no children should have come from outside of Mwanza without their knowing.

They asked me to give them 10 days to make a proper investigation. Over the last few days, myself and my husband have been contacted by the schools that the children from Hisani and Lukobe attend. (Lukobe Primary and Gedeli Primary) Begging us not to pursue this fake orphan case any further. They pointed out the facts that if we did. Fred would not only be the one in trouble. The head masters from each school would be too.

The head masters would be held accountable for accepting more than 60 children with out proper transfer papers from the children's former schools in karagwe.

Since all of this has happened, the children from Lukobe have magically disappeared. Fred is now claiming to the government that there never was an orphanage there, nor were their any childing residing there.

I am not sure which way the government will act in these charges or accusations towards Fred.

So far the people at fault are:

Hisani and Lukobe Organizations (all board members, including myself)

Persons in charge of Social Welfare department

The police and court for not upholding "The child act from 2009''

The Head Master's from both Primary Schools

The Education board for not monitoring school enrollment

This may turn into a big scandal or all get swept under the rug with a severe warning. It might be too difficult and bad media for Mwanza to implicate all the parties involved.

I understand that your concern is for the children. So is mine. All of the stuff I have mentioned so far does not include the abuses that are going on behind the doors of Hisani and Lukobe. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx have come forward to tell stories. (we have xxxxxx testimonyxxxxxxxxxx and pictures xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) of how Fred severely beats children with electrical cord, how he heats up knives until they are red hot and burns children, how sometimes he gets the children to inflict beatings on other children as a form of punishment so sometimes he doesn't have to.

These accusations are real. No one is there to stand up for the children's rights. The children have no one to turn to. Fred/Grace are related. Their teachers at Gedeli School are all either friends with Fred or members of the Lion's Club of Ilemela. Its not like the children here have the option to make a report to police. The other workers at Hisani all see what is going on, but they said that if they take a stand, Fred will fire them. Then they have no way to support their own families. So they keep quiet.

Since it is your funding who is keeping Hisani alive. I ask you to reconsider.

I beg you to reconsider at your next trustee meeting whether to keep supporting Hisani. Whether by supporting them you are really helping the children or not.

Attached is the list of children that was compiled by xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx All of the members who are listed on the constitution have children at Hisani and also have spouses, some have good jobs.

Another piece of news that we recently received is that an Organization called Orphans Voice has also been sponsoring children from the members of the constitution. I have proof of sponsorship from 05-07 but still need to inquire if it continued after that time.

Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Dawn

If you want proof or evidence to any of the things mentioned in this email. I am happy to send it.