We’re moving back to Ngaramtoni!
It’s such exciting news that I just had to shout it from the rooftops. A lot has happened to bring us to this point, and I want to walk you through how we got here… I almost said ‘full circle’ but it’s not; it’s an upward spiral. We’re moving back, but ‘back’ is not backwards - it’s onwards and upwards.
2022 was a year of huge change: we made the tough decision to leave our beautiful Ngaramtoni home.
The land we had built on belongs to the North Central Diocese of the Lutheran Church, and over time, it became clear that their vision for us didn’t match our own. Staying true to our future meant we had to move on.
We’d been in Ngaramtoni nine years by the time we left.
That’s nearly a decade of memories we accumulated - and they’re pretty momentous memories too. We raised every cent that it took to build our dream home, and it fit us perfectly. My family planted the trees that shade the gardens.
We raised the funds to expand in 2017 and again in 2021, and treated our record number of patients that year. Those walls held some of our proudest achievements, and the transformation of countless lives - including my own.
It wasn’t easy to leave, but I also wouldn’t change a thing.
Registering our own NGO gave us permission to step into our power, and the structure we’ve been able to build is strong and resilient; it will carry us through anything that comes our way.
Looking back, I can see all the ways 2022 unleashed our potential.
While we’ve been powering forward, the North Central Diocese has been undergoing its own changes.
Two months ago, the Bishop Dr Godson Abel and Assistant Bishop Laetoni Lukumay came to my house for tea. It emerged that they missed our closeness as much as I have, and they extended an invitation to Kafika House to take up residence in Ngaramtoni again.
I said a wholehearted yes - but it was a decision I made with my head as well as my heart.
Our independence as an NGO remains, and our decisions will always be determined by what best serves the children in our care. That’s why our arrangement with the Diocese is that of lessor and tenant. It was always the case that we would be leasing premises, so it makes sense to rent a home that was custom-built for what we do.
So, we will begin moving from Themi Hill to Ngaramtoni on 1st of June.
Ngaramtoni will become Kafika House Arusha, taking its place alongside Kafika House Karatu and Kafika House Moshi.
Our HQ will remain in the office we are renting in Themi Hill. It’s where our management team operates the NGO from, and having some peace, quiet and space is helpful.
All of the partnerships we have built with medical providers still stand.
Moving back to Ngaramtoni doesn’t mean returning to an exclusive relationship with Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, the church - or anyone else for that matter.
We are still moving forward with as much excitement and energy on our plans for Likamba.
Building our own surgical centre, residential outpatient centre, and training centre is as much of a priority as ever.
Your support through all of this means everything to all of us, and we are so very grateful. Here’s to the many memories we will make in our new old home.
With love,
Sarah