Meet Yasini

This is Yasini, our housekeeper, and his family--his wife, Lucy, sons Amani (left) and Fadhili (right) and baby Happy, who turned 2 today. They also have an older daughter, Johanna, who is in secondary school. They are a wonderful Christian family and we have really enjoyed getting to know them. (click on the pic to enlarge for a better view)

We also feel a strong sense of responsibility to him and his family. Yasini worked for 13 years at a Baptist seminary and had a very good position caring for volunteers and the guest houses. His job, however, was going to be phased out and it was very difficult for them to realize they had to leave to find other work. So along we came. But we live far away from the seminary--their oldest daughter had to start boarding school, Amani now lives with his aunt and sees his family a couple weekends a month, and Fadhili left an English medium school at the seminary to go to a government school near us. And, prices for food are much higher here than at the markets where they previously shopped. Now, this may have all happened anyway with whatever job he had to take, but these are huge changes for a man very devoted to his family. Also, when we move out to the PHA site, they will have to make changes again. So we worry about the struggles that they are facing as well, ones they may not feel comfortable sharing (yet).

Despite their own needs, they also have a young girl (about 16) living with them who helps out. Elizabeth's family did not have money to support her after her father died, let alone go to school, so she lives with Yasini in his home and helps out with Happy and their family in exchange for room and board. Which I think is pretty inspiring--because the salary we pay Yasini is very fair in terms of housekeepers, but like most Tanzanians, he lives close to the edge. Yet, he gives this help to someone else in more need.

We feel really blessed to have Yasini and Lucy and their family in our lives!