Angela Kirwin went to the east African country of Tanzania last summer to help with the drought crises and assist the youth conservation efforts of Roots & Shoots members in northern Tanzania in and around the town of Arusha. Arusha is about 45 minutes drive from Mt. Kilimanjaro and a few hours away from the big game preserves of the Serengeti. She did this through her contacts with Roots & Shoots and the Jane Goodall Institute where she worked as a web project manager consultant in 2005 and 2006. She traveled with KIRF supporter CJ Oliverson. The initial plan was to deliver donated laptop computers courtesy of Ventura Printing, donated Patagonia and Water Girl clothing, a solar oven, school supplies and funds to help the local Roots & Shoots groups and their new modest office in Arusha.

The donated laptops from Ventura Printing and the thousand pencils and paper given to the Roots & Shoots youth groups have allowed them benefit more fullyin an outdoor educational program called Nature for Kids funded by a Dutch non-profit. KIRF also assisted the students and teachers of Massai Oldonyo Sambo Primary School that had no source of water through purchase of some supplies to build a rain cachment water supply system. Since 80% of Tanzania's GDP is from small farms and the Maasai of the arid northern planes of Tanzania have traditionally been pastoralists the drought has been devastating to thousands of people. Mrs. Kirwin and Mrs. Oliverson are paid their own travel expenses to Tanzania. The drought relief for affected villages and the school supplies were paid for from funds and resources provided by the Kirwin International Relief Foundation.

KIRF's goals for Tanzanian 2006 project:

• Drought Relief for a rural village
• Assist Roots & Shoots youth environmental conservation work
• Assist Arusha School for the Blind and Site Impaired
• Build relationships with local non-profit partners for future work