Visa Application

Last night we got our photos taken at Kinko's for our visas - just awful pictures..

And today, I'm sending in our applications - it's so much stuff!:

1. A complete visa application form.
2. Valid Passport (At least 6 months before expiration).
3. Two passport size photograph recently taken.
4. A sufficiently stamped self-addressed envelope to facilitate return of passport by the most secured mail.
5. Visa fees - US passport visa fee is $100 for both 6 months single and 12 months multiple entry. - Non U.S. passports visa fee is $50.00 for single entry and $100 for double entry..- An extra $20 is charged for ALL visa rush services, which takes 3 business days.-Payment is accepted in form of money order (payable to Tanzania Embassy)
6. Provide proof of travel plans (e.g. FLIGHT ITENERARY, TICKET, TOUR OPERATOR PACKAGE RECEIPTS) to and from Tanzania.
7. Provide proof of having sufficient funds to maintain the applicant while while in Tanzania. This can be done via bank statements, employer letter or pay stubs.

I am surprised we don't need to add our kitchen sink!

Keeping Track of Questions!

I've got a list of questions for Sara - the Volunteer Coordinator in Tanzania:

1. resume? it says in the info packet that I need to bring my resume?
2. we're to bring umteen copies of our passport - can I just email it as a jpeg so they have the file?
3. can we organize the safaris when we get there? we're thinking of doing them on our days off in week 2 and 3.
4. skype?

Asked Pajamagram for a Donation

My friend Marcia was at the Pajamagram outlet in Waterbury last week and had the best idea:
to ask them for Pajama donations for all the children!

Brilliant.

So I went to the Pajamagram website and wrote a detailed email to their customer service dept. I got a reply saying I needed to fill out a formal donation request form on the VT Teddy Bear's website.

Take a look at that form - it doesn't really apply to donations like the one I am asking - but nonetheless I filled in all the blank as best as I could with a very long explanation in the "Information about the Event" box.

We'll see.

Wouldn't it just be amazing if Pajamagram donated 41 pairs of pajamas that would be given to the children for Christmas this year? A Vermont company donating to an orphanage started by a UVM grad? Imagine the photos?

Maybe I should just go down to the outlet and see how much these pajamas cost and buy them myself!

Call for Donations!

Today we put the following in the school newsletter:









At the end of October I am going to Tanzania to work at an Orphanage with my Mom. The Rift Valley Children’s Village (“Children’s Village”) is an orphanage located in Oldeani Village, Tanzania and is home for 41 orphaned and abandoned children.

These are the kinds of things that we will be doing:

• Help kids correspond with their sponsors (writing letters and drawing pictures to be sent in the mail)
• Be an extra set of hands at meal and bath times
• Tutor older children in Math and English at the Children’s Village
• Run weekend activities for the children
• Spend one on-one-time with the children
  

We are going to bring an extra bag with things that the orphanage needs and are hoping that you might be able to donate some of the items (all in good shape):

· pajamas, especially boys’ sizes 8-16
· soccer cleats, sizes 2-adult 10,
· kids shoes sizes, 2, 21/2, 3 31/2, 5, and 6 as well as the cleats.

They give out a pair of PJ’s on Christmas Eve to all the kids! There will be a box by the fish tank.
Thank you in advance for all your donations.
JS
p.s. if you want to learn more you can go to http://www.tanzanianchildrensfund.org/ and make sure you watch the “A Day in the Life video”.