Watch VideoTeacher and husband to bring special cargo to African refugees
Story By: Andy Koen
Source: KOAA
The fourth graders in Linda Todd’s class at Remington Elementary begin each morning with a special hand shake and the greeting "Jambo." It means "hello" in Swahili. This tradition is one of many traits that Todd has picked up in her various travels.
"My kids will tell you, ‘Mrs. Todd where haven't you traveled, she's has traveled everywhere around the world,” Todd says.
Mrs. Todd, in fact, has been to several foreign countries. This summer she's making a special return trip to Tanzania with her husband Steven, a missionary with the African Ministries Network.
"This is a massive United Nations refugee camp, predominantly Congolese refugees who've escaped the eastern Congo where more than 3 million people have been killed in the last ten years,” explained Steven Todd.
The last time he and Linda went to Tanzania, the women of the camp asked her for a special favor. Would she bring some sewing machines with her when she next returns?
"And I looked at the interpreter and said ‘they want me to bring what?’” Linda said.
The women explained that there is only one sewing machine in the camp of roughly 65,000 people. They wanted the machines to teach younger generations a trade.
"I felt like this time if I go, I'm not going to go empty handed,” Todd said. ”This time I'm going to bring something for them."
So, Linda and Steven have been raising money to buy between 10 and 15 hand-powered sewing machines. The Todds can’t take the machines with them on their flight because of weight restrictions. They instead plan to purchase the machines and have them shipped to the camp once they arrive.
If the Todds raise more money than is needed to buy the machines, then they plan purchase gas-powered generators and soccer balls for the kids at the camp.
