Dear Colin,
Of course my main course of action is within the country. xxxxxx xxxxx
Social Welfare for weeks, and only now that we
have convinced them that they are implicated under The Law Of The
Child (TZ 2009) for not taking sufficient steps to ensure the safety
of the children are they are finally starting to investigate Hisani. The
police department has proved useless time and time again as it is the
person with the most money who they support and at this time Fred has
much more money than we do.
I forwarded you that letter so that you could be aware of what is
happening and decide for yourself what is best for the children and
your organization. I do not feel the need to prove to you all the
things I know about Hisani. I have given you information and it is
your responsibility to find out for yourself how bad the situation is.
Yes, I know Luigi, we met xxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx and was a friend of
mine until I learned recently that he has been accused of raping a
teenage boy. If I was welcome at Hisani anymore I would be there now
insuring that he is never alone in a room with any of "my" kids. You
may have also met my friend, xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx . He has told me quite a
few things about Luigi that makes my skin crawl. His nickname for the
doctor is xxxxxxxx because of how much he lies.
I am also fluent in Swahili and have spent much more time with these
children than Luigi. The stories they tell me about being forced to
strip naked and be beaten with electrical wire by their peers make it
difficult for me to sleep at night. This is why I have decided to do
my best to close down Hisani. I feel all of us who have been
supporting the project are responsible for the welfare of the children
and that we helped to put them in this situation by not fully
understanding who we were dealing with.
I know you have your own opinions on the matter but I would ask you to
consider the following:
I'm sure you are aware that duing your stay in Mwanza Fred was
arrested for discharging a firearm and kidnapping a reporter that was
interviewing xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx. Dawn told me a
couple of months ago that Fred keeps a loaded gun in his truck. xxxxxxxx x
xxxxxxxxxxx but I certainly believed her when xxxxxxx telling me that
Fred shot at someone. Do you think that sending young volunteers to
an environment such as that is a reasonable or responsible thing to
do?
I have been bcc'd on many emails to you from volunteers complaining
about Frednand. I myself did not find much reason to act on them
because quite a lot of the complaints were about minor infractions
such as lies and misappropriation of small funds. But you yourself
said that you received information about Patrice beating a young girl.
If you believe it to be true (and I certainly don't put it past him)
why did you not do anything about it? Yes, you may have sent an email
or two but you should know by now that when you are not physically
here in Tanzania, the people that run Hisani act however they please
and take no notice of your concerns. This is how things are in
Tanzania. It is a lesson that many of us "wazungu" learn the hard
way. Are you willing to support an organization that uses physical
violence as a form of punishment?
Thank you for the contact of Mr. Mwaluko. xxxxxx x x xxxxxxxx and I
have learned not to share information with important people in Mwanza
because chances are, they are friends with Fred and will just pass on
to him what we know. Or if they are not friends with him, they will
find him and sell him the information so that he knows what to cover
up. But I will certainly find out more about him and perhaps send him
an email.
I have attached a few recent documents that I have submitted to the
Department of Social Welfare as well as a few local children's rights
organizations. Its just a start, but I intend to xxxxxxxxxxx xxxx
to shine a spotlight on Hisani and bring them to justice.
I have written and video testimony from xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx x
but I do not have their permission to share it with anyone outside the
Tanzanian Judicial system.
Please remember my request of keeping my identity private if possible.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Regards,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 2/18/11, Kids Aid Tanzania <kidsaidtanzania@btconnect.com
> Hi xxxxxxxxxxxxx,
>
> If you are confident that your evidence will stand up to external scrutiny
> then you should go to the Welfare Department with it and possibly the
> Police. At present, the Welfare Department seems to be content to continue
> to refer children to Hisani. If this situation was to change then we would
> respond accordingly.
>
> Dr Luigi, who has been resident at Hisani for many months, is a fluent
> Kiswahili speaker, and converses regularly with the children, as we observed
> during our recent two week visit, has no particular concerns about the
> manner in which the children are treated.
>
> Professor Gabriel Mwaluko, the Technical Director of TANESA, based at the
> NIMR Building in Mwanza and regularly used by the WHO on its projects, is
> concerned about the allegations you have made and would be willing to
> discuss the situation with you. He is encouraging complete transparency at
> Hisani. You can contact him to discuss your concerns at 0282 502644
> (direct line), 0784 274545 (mobile) or g.mwaluko@yahoo.com
>
> Colin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: 18 February 2011 05:42
> To: Kids Aid Tanzania
> Cc: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Some correspondance re: Hisani
>
> Colin, don't worry about me, I don't fully trust anyone regarding this
> issue. I have been collecting information xxxxxxxxx and only have
> decided to act now because I have finally seen concrete evidence that
> proves what xxxxxxxxxxx been eluding to for xxxxxxxxx. I feel like
> I have given you enough information so that you can follow it up
> yourself. Why you decided to ignore the issue during your visit to
> Mwanza I don't know. If you continue to support Hisani you are
> supporting the abuse of children. That is your own decision.
>
> Your statement about acting on the side of caution baffles me. The
> safety of xxxxx, xxxxxxxxx, xxxxxx, xxxxxxxx, xxxxxx and xxxxxxxxxxx is
> in danger. Yours is not. In the case of probably abuse of children's
> rights I consider stopping your support to be acting on the side of
> caution. Who are you protecting by continuing to send money?
>
> Regards,
xxxxxxxxxx
>
> On 2/17/11, Kids Aid Tanzania <kidsaidtanzania@btconnect.com
>> Hi xxxxxxxxxx
>>
>> Thank you for the emails. Obviously we take note of everything which is
>> sent to us but have to act with caution. I have warned Dawn not to treat
>> Patrice as whiter than white. The only case I can remember of a
> volunteer,
>> out of the hundred or so with whom we have contact, who made a complaint
>> about child abuse referred to Patrice beating a girl. He stopped when
> he
>> saw the volunteer. He may well have his own agenda. Your concerns
> must
>> be addressed through the Welfare Department and we look forward to hearing
>> the outcome.
>>
>> Best wishes
>>
>> Colin
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Sent: 27 January 2011 09:38
>> To: colin
>> Subject: Some correspondance re: Hisani
>>
>> Hello Colin,
>>
>> I have heard you have arrived in Mwanza now. Dawn told me that in the
>> past you have been resistant to making decisions based on hearsay and
>> conjecture. I usually agree with that stand point -especially when it
>> comes to financial matters - but I urge you to consider the
>> implications of your actions if you continue to support Hisani. I
>> myself am riddled with guilt knowing that I have supported hisani
>> these last xxxxx d now realizing that I helped put these
>> children in such a terrible environment.
>>
>> Just to keep you in the loop I am sending you my correspondance with
>> xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxI know it
>> is odd that I am writing to you without ever meeting you, but I have
>> always been aware of your work at hisani, axxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx have kept me abreast of your work in Buswelu so I
>> feel like I already know you. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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