House of Blue Hope

Art by the Younger Boys

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:00:29 +0000

The younger boys at the house are encouraged to explore their talents, whether it be in sports, technology, or the arts. Here are some great pictures they drew recently!

Meet Mussa

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 05:56:12 +0000

A few years ago Mussa was sleeping in the streets, last year he took and passed the entrance exam into one of the most rigorous schools in all of Tanzania – Loyola Secondary School. With House of Blue Hope’s support, Mussa was able to attend Loyola and this year he graduated with his form four certification – the Tanzanian equivalent to the high school diploma. His national examination test performance was so exceptional the government of Tanzania has offered him a spot in the prestigious A level program. With your support, Mussa will attend A Level, a college preparatory program for the most elite students, and go on to study for his university degree. Please join us in congratulating Mussa on his amazing academic achievements!

Want to help more students like Mussa be successful? Consider making a donation to House of Blue Hope!

Raise money online for House of Blue Hope Foundation, Inc.

Why House of Blue Hope?

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:45:53 +0000

Many well-meaning people start non-governmental organizations during their time abroad. Like Billy Bludgus, House of Blue Hope’s co-founder, they see a problem and want to help those affected. Unfortunately, the overwhelming number of these organizations are no longer in existence three years after they start. What allows House of Blue Hope to continue its work over five years after its start?

Dedication from the Day One

In the first days of House of Blue Hope there was no physical house but merely rented rooms with kids serious about changing their lives and adults who refused to give up on them.

In-country Partners

There would be no House of Blue Hope without Daudi Mboma, the organization could not have navigated Tanzanian laws, contracts, building permits and school systems without his knowledge.

Low Costs/Donations Go to the Kids

The challenge of many nonprofit organizations is to maximize the percent of every dollar goes to those in need instead of fundraising and staffing costs. X% of donations to House of Blue Hope go to the project as costs are kept low by people like VP of Finance Scott Sadowski.

Fundraising Leadership

Strides for Kids, March Goodness, Blue Hope’s first book – each an idea created and executed by our Development Director, Jenna Riedi. House of Blue Hope has only been able to expand to a new class of younger boys and two locations because of her work.

Choosing the Right Kids

In order to become a part of House of Blue Hope the children have to show a willingness to dedicate their days to improving their lives and the lives of the other children at House of Blue Hope. Not every child is willing to make this choice and before children are allowed into the program people like our Social Worker, Sabas, ensure that they are willing to work hard at school and respect the other rules of House of Blue Hope.

Constantly Expanding Circle of Believers

Blue Hearts for Blue Hope is the kind of program that House of Blue Hope depends on. A group of teachers, many of whom had never been to Tanzania nor met a child from House of Blue Hope, created a program for House of Blue Hope to increase awareness and raise funds.

The Boys Become Teachers

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:57:14 +0000

by board member, Adam Weise

The boys of House of Blue Hope are students first and foremost, but often they also serve the role of teachers in multiple ways. They form study groups and help each other with homework. For most Tanzanian children, education is a precious commodity. Each trip to Tanzania reminds me of the sanctity of education.

Every day I scheduled a computer class which I would teach at the house. One day I became rather sick but I wanted to alert the class that I would not be able to teach. I stumbled through the blazing hot sun into the house about twenty minutes after the class was scheduled to start. From the outside I could hear loud voices, I worried that the boys were fighting over our limited computers. Instead I found the older boys running a class for the younger boys.

Justin and Mussa were teaching the younger ones how to identify their body parts in English. It was one of the moments that made me incredibly proud to be a part of an organization such as this and to be able to see kids that just a few years ago were not even in school teaching English to other boys reinforced my knowledge that we are doing something very powerful in Tanzania. My proudest moment in House of Blue Hope was watching Justin, a formerly rebellious youth, teaching the younger boys English. He has matured into a leader and we all hope that other boys will follow in his foot steps.

March Madness Matching Gift Challenge!

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:00:52 +0000

House of Blue Hope is extremely lucky to have an amazing group of anonymous donors who are pledging to collectively donate $2500, but only if we raise that same amount during the March Madness NCAA tournament.

We need your help!! Please consider a simple $10 donation towards our goal of $2500. You can also help us tremendously by sharing this challenge to your friends, family, and coworkers and asking them to donate $10 as well. Together we can reach the goal and receive the pledged donation! But hurry, March Madness ends April 2 and so does this challenge – donate now!

Online fundraising for March Madness Matching Gift Challenge at Razoo

Blue Hearts for House of Blue Hope

admin — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 17:21:01 +0000

Blue Hearts for House of Blue Hope was a project started last year by NY teacher, Michelle O’Neill, that coordinated teachers and students spanning from New York to Florida. Participating children were read the book “Heartprints” and then asked to leave their heart print through an act of kindness. The children learned about the House of Blue Hope in Tanzania, and in support they constructed several hand-made Valentine’s Day cards that incorporated both “hearts” and a “blue house”. This year, all four kindergarten classes on the Boca Raton campus made cards using blue tissue paper and hearts, spearheaded by teacher, Kate Sadowski. These cards were then sold for $2 each with all proceeds benefiting House of Blue Hope.

The project was very successful and raised over $400 in its first year; we look forward to expanding the project next year to include additional schools and students.

5 Boys Graduate From High School

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:35:27 +0000

Recently five of our oldest boys, many with House of Blue Hope since its inception, have graduated from Form Four – the equivalent to a High School degree. While their educational journeys are still far from over, we congratulate James, Evarist, Athuman, Musa and Maneno in their accomplishment. Currently they spend their time waiting on their national examination results, helping around the house and teaching the younger boys in a variety of courses on a daily basis.

The national exam scores will determine which schools they can go to and how much the government will help them with their educations. If they make certain levels, their options will be unlimited but as their scores decrease as do the options. It is much like the ACT but is subject specific and takes place over a period of weeks. The national form four examination is a large determining factor in the future of each student. Just completing form four, which they all will have done with a passing grade, will mean they are able to achieve a variety of jobs throughout Dar es Salaam and Tanzania.

Please join us in congratulating these five upstanding young men for their achievements and wish them luck with their test results!

Sports Shoes Needed

admin — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:08:13 +0000

This school year, it has been announced that sports shoes (gym shoes) are a requirement for students. The schools are enforcing this new rule rather strictly and students without the proper shoes will not be allowed to participate in the sports practiced. As we strongly encourage the kids in our program to participate in extracurricular actives such as arts and sports, we are looking for your help to afford the expenses of the 18 pairs of shoes needed. Each pair costs $15, will you pledge $15 so one of the kids in our program can participate in sports at their school?

Donate online to Sports Shoes at Razoo

Happy 5 Year Anniversary!

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:25:32 +0000

Today, February 15th, the House of Blue Hope Foundation turns 5 years old! Over the past five years we have gone from supporting 4 kids in a rented room to now supporting 18 kids through school, owning our own building, renting a second building, and instituting a variety of weekend and evening holistic educational programs, all in the effort to drastically alter the lives of street children through education. It’s been quite the journey!

Thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout the past five years. We look forward to many more anniversaries and hope you will continue to support our mission and the children in the program. Thank you!

Help us continue our success by donating here.

Blue Hope Welcomes Newest Board Member

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:36:13 +0000

We are honored to introduce the newest board member for House of Blue hope, Liam Ahearn! Liam graduated from Georgetown University in 2005 with a BA in Economics and History. At Georgetown University, Liam was also the Director of Community Service for the college’s local chapter of the Society of Collegiate Scholars. Liam became friends with Billy Bludgus when they were classmates and teammates at St. Peter’s Prep High School in Jersey City where they also participated in a number of Christian service activities together. Liam is inspired by the cause of the House of Blue Hope and the dedication and commitment of its staff.

Liam works as a Director at Capstone Advisory Group in New York where he provides consulting services to companies and creditors involved in distressed/bankruptcy situations. Please join us in welcoming Liam to the team!