Happy Hello Dear Readers,

The persistent pansy now has three stems with flowers plus an additional plant. I have definitely underestimated the pansy.

As you know, Aneeta Sundararaj, an AuthorsDen colleague interviewed me not so long ago. I want to tell you about a project of Aneeta’s because its undertaking is near to my own heart. In January of 2004, I took a research trip to Tanzania and Kenya. The people that I met there will always be in my heart, and so when Aneeta told me about her project in Tanzania, I thought it only fitting to share it with you.

R

ANEETA’S PROJECT IN TANZANIA IN HER OWN WORDS:

Put very simply, I have started a project where the proceeds of the sale for my novel will go towards helping Gemma Sisia’s School of St. Jude in Tanzania. The story is like this:

1. Gemma Sisia is an Australian lady who once taught at my old school. She married a Tanzanian man and went to live in her new home. Her in-laws presented her and her new husband with a plot of land as a wedding gift and what she did with that piece of land is amazing. She started a school for the poor. Relying entirely on donations and support from people from all over the world, she started and continues to manage the School of St Jude.

It was established in 2002 with only a few students. The school boasted over 400 in 2004 and opened in January 2005 with over 500 students. More than 85% of the students come to the school totally free of charge thanks to the sponsorship scheme. They are provided with tuition, hot meals, uniforms, stationary and transport on school buses.

To keep going, there are several sponsorship programmes going on from a school bus sponsorship programme, teacher sponsorship programme, classroom sponsorship programme to child sponsorship programme.

I would like very much to help Gemma in her cause and have begun a project I call

‘The Banana Leaf Men’ helps fight poverty through education.

The Banana Leaf Men is a novel I wrote and published.
I have prepared a webpage that answers questions like the following:

· Who is Gemma Sisia and what is her cause?
· Why is Aneeta helping Gemma?
· Why do you have to buy a copy of The Banana Leaf Men - why can you not just make a donation?

How you can help me help Gemma in her cause?
· What if you already have a copy of The Banana Leaf Men?
· Are there any other methods of purchasing this book?
· Can you give me a summary of The Banana Leaf Men?
· Do you have excerpts from the novel me to read?
· What have the reviews of the novel been like?

The link for the page is :
http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com/tblm.html

Aneeta Sundararaj