WHO WE ARE
HISTORY
I built this foster home (which is now become an association) was for me a result of process of reception with the adoption of a child among many, all from the war in the East of Congo without parents and home. Unicef, through the province, invited all people of good will to adopt a child. I decided to take one and I entrusted her to my sister with all my attention in gard. Today she’s married and she feels very happy. She lives in Durban (South-Africa). My second adoption was a baby girl who was born from my niece who died after childbirth because her religion refuses blood transfusions. This child too was entrustedto my sister and se was integrated to the family. When I was nine, my father died and I was entrusted to my uncle who integrated me to his family. For this reason I decided to build this foster home, so all children without family can have one. Many other children was helped with medical care in surgey family healt … but I wanted to do more. This experience made us happy and, then, I wanted to continue it for needy children (orphans, children not recognized at the time of birth, children considered as sorcerers, children in hard situations); to the needs of the area (build wells with potable water, ambiental hygiene, pediatric clinics), and, particularly, to the needs of growth, love needs and relationship which every child needs (school education, social and religion education, food, … ). At first, I decided to have an adapt training in Educational Science and I gratuated at Salesiani in Rome, to start my passions. In fact, this experience, together with the priesthood and the study in education, gave me a new impulse, new resonances that allowed me to apporach to the children’s world with differente yes and higher sensitivity. In the end, in 2010, other people and me created an association named “TuFra Onlus”.
MEANING OF THE WORD “TUMBO”
Our association is named Tumbo Francesco, in abbreviation “TuFra”. Tumbo means, in Kiswahili, a warm intimacy which sustain the lye of a person, the guards, nourished and protects it, makes it grow and then return it to the world and leave it free to go to express all the good that, certainly, it has with himself. The womb is an oasis of silence, is the Earth which sustain you, it is a deep sigh that we do, after being for a time in a stressful, strange and anxious situation, and we go back in a familiar and intimate place and we feel the tension loose, we can find serenity. There is no doubt: it is the maternal embrace, the return to the womb which receives, surround and console you.
In the same way, TuFra is a growing space and a place of life for children in need. A place of transitional permanence where children live together. They share practies and significant moments. It is a service intended as a network of people with different roles and responsabilities, where they think, plan, organize and create the best condition for children’s growth.
Francesco is a priest, our friend who deserved the dedication of house (Association for his hospitality) for people in need. Our association TuFra works in connection with other local associations, it receives children from 0 to 12 years old and the orphans older than 12 years old are moved from our community to another. Our hope is that our association will becoma a hollow, a hug, a nest, a mother’s womb
WHAT WE DO
TuFra deals with everything related to children in need and promote their rights. Our objectives are: education, helat, water, rehabilitation of the environment and food safety.