A local team, travelling to Tanzania to build a home for eight AIDS orphans, met a thousand more needing help.

“We realized how widespread the need was,” said team leader Daniel Kooman. “You have this incredible hunger to eradicate the need.”

The team’s dozen members got busy building a home for brothers Haruna and Juma, their grandmother Sabina and the five other AIDS orphans she cares for. Kooman was the only member of the team to have travelled to Africa before, where he met the brothers.

When the team returned to Red Deer last week, the house was nearing completion. Its clay brick and concrete floors and walls are in place. Local contractors will install a tin roof.

The unconventional family are scheduled to move in July. Sabina cried with joy when she saw her future home for the first time. Its five bedrooms and running water are far from the decrepit one-room, one-mattress home the eight currently share.

“They were elated the entire time,” Kooman said.

The house is the first in charity SaveAfricaNow’s Adopt-A-Home program, and will be named Gateway House, in honour of Gateway Christian School’s Grade 7 students who raised the $16,000 needed to build it.

While there, the team travelled to a refugee camp where they met with more than 800 orphans, many from neighbouring Burundi and most of them under 12 years of age. SaveAfricaNow is beginning a sponsorship program for the orphans and the team helped register many of them for the program.

The team also hosted a party for orphans in Tabora. They planned for 70, bringing small gifts, such as stickers, from Canada and preparing games. More than 250 orphans showed up.

Kooman said it was an emotional journey for the team, feeling overwhelmed by the immense need and taking joy in what they were able to accomplish.

“There’s always something we have to give,” he said. “What we have to give — when we pool together — it’s enough.”

A filmmaker, Kooman shot footage for a 15-to-25-minute film that will document the creation of a new home in Africa and the Red Deer students whose passion made it possible.

To learn more about the trip and view a blog written by team members, visit canadiansforafrica.com

Team members plan to host an event on Friday, June 20, celebrating their trip and encouraging sponsorship of some of the orphans they met. Once finalized, details about the event will be posted on the website.

Contact Heather Schultz at hschultz@reddeeradvocate.com