About The Small Things
The Nkoaranga orphanage kids are the epitome of small things with great love - tiny little bodies with huge personalities, overflowing with love and desperate to express it. As one friend put it, they get under your skin right away, and you can never fully again see the world without picturing it through their eyes.
The Small Things was founded after I spent six months living and working with the staff and children of Nkoaranga orphanage, and realized that I couldn't bear the prospect of walking out of their lives. It was born out of realizing what great strides could be made with comparatively little investment. The first projects were undertaken through the blog alone, which began simply as a way to stay in touch with family and friends. With their support, I raised enough to undertake our first three projects - the well, the chickens, and the garden.
I was joined by many other capable and motivated volunteers, who continue to inspire me. My parents were also able to join me in Tanzania for the final two weeks of my stay, and brought their perspectives as a physician and clergyperson, relatively, to bear on the problems that the orphanage faced. Working together, we crystallized the concept of The Small Things as a vehicle for continuing to address the needs of the orphanage as a whole, through long term investments in education and the staff as well as the day to day concerns. Please see "Our Projects" for details on completed, short term, and long term projects and goals. If you want to know more about the original six months, feel free to dive back into the blog archives and see what you dig up!
As for me, I am currently working towards a Masters of Public Affairs in International Development at the London School of Economics, with the goal of getting the training to fight poverty and improve opportunities for children like these on a structural rather than just a personal level. Please feel free to contact me at any time, for any reason, with questions or comments about the organization, the page, or the kids, at bekka@thesmallthings.org.
-Bekka Ross Russell
Founder and Chair of The Small Things
Board of Directors
Click on each member's name with a (Bio) designation to see more details about their background, goals, and role within the nonprofit.
