Ian and Mary

Ian and Mary are two of the four people I share the accommodation with here at Usa. Ian first came to Tanzania from the UK in 2005 to climb Kilimanjaro. At that time he got to know some people who were running a shelter for street kids in the town of Moshi. He was so impressed by the work they were doing he went home and resigned from his teaching job and came back to spend a year as a volunteer with the organisation.

He met Mary in Moshi and last August they were married. He teaches art at St Judes and Mary works in the school office.

They are building a house about 30 minutes drive from Usa River. They are expecting their first child next January.They are the only people I know who have a

car and they are very generous in taking us here

and there on the weekends.

Ian and Mary have also started an NGO which is building a school in the remote village Mary comes from. There has never been a school in the village and the public transport is too unreliable and the roads to unsafe in the wet weather to take children to the nearest government school (if they could afford the cost of uniforms and books).

The building will be ready for the start of the school year 2012. Ian is leaving his paying job here to be the first teacher at the new school.

This is an amazing couple.