February 18, 2026

A Real Hero is hard to find nowadays!

I think we found one!!

As founder of Neema Village, after retirement, and at the ripe old age of 69, Michael followed God’s call back to Africa to care for the most vulnerable – abandoned babies, struggling mothers, and families in crisis into one of the poorest countries on earth.

In 14 years, more than 500 babies have been saved, many babies have been adopted, or reunified into a stable family, and many others are in school today thru Neema Village and 68 little ones are waking up for their bottles this morning at Neema Village. 179 women have been launched into small businesses, and over 700 Maasai grandmothers have been trained to help save lives in childbirth. Amazing!

Michael deeply loves Africa and it’s people and he lives out the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:40 “Whatever you did for one of the least of these… you have done for Me.” He believes every child is fearfully and wonderfully made. He believes no mother is beyond hope. His life is a testimony to quiet obedience, deep compassion, and unwavering trust in God. Michael doesn’t just talk about faith; he lives it in action every day.

Other programs such as drilling water wells as a free gift of precious water to Maasai villages, a top-rated Rehabilitation Center for handicap babies, an exciting soccer program keeping young people off the streets, and a preventative program called GIFT encouraging young girls to stay in school and forgo early marriage are all Neema Village programs that have evolved over the last 14 years. And they aren’t finished dreaming.  A medical clinic and a men’s trade school are both on the horizon.

And he has done it all as a volunteer, has never taken a salary — simply and quietly loving and serving like Jesus while giving God all the glory.

Neema Village: Honoring Michael Fortson

GoFundMe: Neema Village: Honoring Michael Fortson

As many of you know, Michael has been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. It is beyond hard for Dorris and the family. We know if God does not step in we will lose him. Many of you have asked how to help. Pray!! Pray for a pain free day! Pray for a Miracle, we are!

One other meaningful way is to ensure the ministry he gave his life to will continue.

From The Neema Village Board of Directors:

1. To let Michael know that Neema Village will continue saving babies for years to come we will raise A Million Plus for Neema’s Legacy Fund. Before it is too late, we want him to know that you have given in his honor and Neema Village will continue rescuing babies and moms. Remember Neema Village is a 501(c)3 so gifts are tax deductible. EIN #46-2762501
2. And Pass it on! Call every one you know, call those you don’t know! Nothing is too small but big would be greatly appreciated, too!
3. Some of you have told us you want to leave your house, or car someday to Neema Village. Let us know of your intentions so we can count that in as part of the Legacy gift. We can refer you to our Neema Village financial advisor to help you set that gift up for the future. Call Michael Robinson at Edward Jones 254 751 0288
4. Commit to give and let us know so we can count you in!  email Kelle at jksamsill@gmail.com if you have questions
5. Click on the link below and Help us raise A Million Plus for A Real Hero!

GoFundMe: Neema Village: Honoring Michael Fortson

Michael continues to run his race faithfully. Be Praying for him and for healing and for pain free days. He is a true hero. Now we carry the torch forward — for him, and for the Faithful God he served.

To learn more about Neema Village, visit neemavillage.org.

January 13, 2026

God is doing amazing things at Neema Village!

In 2025 we had 37 new babies come to Neema Village. Thirty babies were reunified with a family member and eight babies were adopted this year. Just thought you might like to know.

Dr. Teddy gave our first baby of the year a good check up and pronounced her perfect.

She was our favorite pediatrician at the hospital for many years. Now she works at Neema village and we keep her busy with a full house of babies every month. The babies all had a bug this month so it has been a bit rough around Neema Village.

Baby Camilla’s adoption day! Neema Village averaged 67 babies in house each month in 2025. Since we are not an orphanage we try to get the babies adopted or back into a family home as soon as possible. Do you have any idea how many dirty diapers 67 babies can make in a day?

Our first baby of the year, little Bettyann’s mom died of Eclampsia and we have now added Eclampsia to our teaching schedule for the Save The Mothers program at Neema Village every month. Dr. Sarun teaches that class along with midwife Wema. Since these TBAs (traditional birthing attendants) grandmothers do not read or write they get to do a lot of role playing to learn how to help the expectant mothers in their villages.

Each Bibi takes turns learning lessons like baby CPR.

When they learn that they can actually save a new born baby when he is not crying they get pretty excited. Below is our last graduating class for December 2025.

SAVE THE MOTHER’S (STM) ANNUAL REPORT from 2025

144 TBA’s were trained in the weeklong midwifery classes.

8 remote villages were visited for follow-up and evaluation of TBA’s deliveries as well helping their communities with deliveries of food.

STM opened 4 small businesses for older women from these villages who were found to be in extreme poverty.

12 Classes was taught on how to make liquid soap for a potential business

Many of the women from each class agreed to give up FGM.

6 TBA’s who were diagnosed with serious medical conditions

Required surgical interventions and were helped by Neema Village.

STM helped reduce maternal and neonatal deaths in the Maasai communities from preventable causes such as retained placenta, shoulder dystosia, poor nutrition, results of FGM and Eclampsia.

STM has now trained 724 TBA’s since the beginning of the program 5 years ago, from two Regions and Districts separately; LONGIDO (ARUSHA REGION) and SIMANJIRO (MANYARA REGION)

One of our new graduates, Magreth, from the MAP program had started her business, a small food shop, when all her goods were stolen from her shop. Neema helped by restocking her store so a much smarter Magreth is now back in business. Some A & M students helped reload her store.

MAP, Mothers Against Poverty, has continued to transform lives like Charity, leading singing at Women’s Rights above, restoring hope and dignity to mothers in crisis. Many mamas successfully launched or expanded businesses, grew in confidence, and became able to provide for their children independently. The supportive environment at the MAP Apartments with nightly bible classes contributed to emotional healing and growth.

MAP Totals

In 2025 twelve new businesses were begun, other older businesses were boosted adding things such as mannequins, enlarged stock, Mpesa banking, renting larger stores and entrepreneurship classes.

85 counseling sessions for abused and abandoned women were held.

65 English classes held

72 Reading and Writing classes held

Sewing classes held daily M – F.

Daily Bible classes held for the women in the Neema apartments.

12 sessions of “Women’s Rights” were held in 2025.

Our first large women’s conference was held with appx 400 women present, including our MAP moms.

31 moms were housed in the MAP houses on campus in 2025

Currently the rooms are full with 13 moms living in 10 rooms.

A new much larger sewing room was built.

A computer lab was remodeled and equipment added.

A daycare building was completed for the children of MAP moms.

In 2025 a Tanzanian counselor was hired for MAP moms and is currently taking classes to be better equipped to help women brought to Neema in traumatic situations.

A total of 179 moms have gone through the MAP program at Neema Village.

Nasiri is up and going on his new arm crutches!

Our Rehab Center on the Neema Village campus is a bright and cheerful place for special needs babies. And as always the services are free to the babies and moms.

New equipment and the innovative work by PT Noelle Cedeno has made Neema’s Rehab Center one of the best in the country.

The Rehabiltation and DayCare Center Report for 2025

Twenty Two babies with cerebral palsy and various delayed developments have gone through the treatment center this year. Nine children gained independence in 2025.

The Day Care has 12 to 14 babies daily in attendance.

Medical checkups, family guidance on nutrition and daily home activities are provided by the center.

Regular home visits are made by the director.

Our babies are growing up! Memusi, Jojo, Nengai and Big Zawadi are in boarding and local schools in Arusha. Neema will send 44 of our big kids to school this next year.

Thirty Eight of our 44 school kids were able to come back for Christmas. Talk about a big family reunion! Our school fees have become one of our larger budget items but nothing will change Africa like educating it’s children.

Our volunteer program saw 267 volunteers come to Neema in 2025. They love, build up, encourage, work hard and tell of our work when they get home! We love em!

God is doing amazing things at Neema Village. Spiritual growth continues with 147 baptisms reported for 2025. Church at Neema is vigorous, exhilarating and participatory worship every Sunday. It’s Africa folks and you don’t have worship without movement here!

An AA chapter was begun at Neema in 2025 and we continue with mens bible classes, soccer kids bible classes and feeding over 150 kids every Sunday after church. Three men’s conferences were held last year and 267 men attended the last conference. We believe if you change the men, you change the family. You change the family, you change Africa!

We continue to drill water wells out in the villages with a goal of one well a month. The latest well out in Mkuru is producing lots of sparkling clear water for the local Maasai school who had been hauling water in every day for the children.

Maria, Memusi and I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of how your prayers and donations have worked at Neema Village in 2025.

Kim, Kelle and Michael and I pray God’s Blessings upon you as you continue to care for the “least of these” in Arusha, Tanzania.

On a personal note, please be praying for Michael and I as we return early to the States for medical reasons.

And remember I cannot see your comments on Messenger because I do not exist on Facebook!! UGH!

Email me at dorris@neemavillage.org instead.

Bibi Dorris

www.neemavillage.org

December 11, 2025

It’s time to decorate the tree! We think God decorated ours!

Good News! Tiny Robison, an abandoned baby, now three months old is up to 2.96 kg (6 1/2 lbs). Born on August 9th, this tiny slip of a human has been in Neema NICU and finally moved to the newborn room. He is alert and wiggly and cute as a little button. You should come hold this baby!!

It has been a great time for babies returning home or being adopted these last few weeks. Babies Diane, Glory, Michael, Yohana and Berthan have all found a forever family and are in their new homes. It’s what Neema does best!

Baby girl Diane was adopted on November 29th! She had been abandoned at the hospital 1 year and 4 months ago but a good family from Tanzania has been coming for months to visit her. Now she has a new mom and dad, a grandfather who is crazy about her and a big brother. Her mom has a job in Maryland. She will never be abandoned again!

Last year a young school girl who hid her pregnancy from her family came to Neema with a 1.2 kg baby. She was begging for help to be able to finish school. Today she was able to bring her grandmother and sister and the family was reunited as baby Glory went home with her mom. Glorious day!

This sweet baby girl was reunited with her parents today. Little Berthan had been abducted, but her father never stopped fighting to find his daughter. Neema Village stepped in and cared for her while the investigation continued.

Today, the abductor is in jail, and Berthan is sleeping in her own home with her mama and daddy. We’re pretty sure they’ll be holding her a little extra tight tonight.

An early Christmas present for this precious family.

God is good! Thanks Kelle for this sweet story.

Our volunteers love working with our MAP moms and this fun afternoon they got to go up to the Preslar Mothering Center and make bracelets with the moms living on campus. When you come to volunteer think up something fun to do with the MAP moms, crocheting, knitting, baking cupcakes or even quilting like Jackie Swift does. They love anything you can teach them.

Neema started a much needed AA chapter this month and this was the kick off; a full day with counselors and others who plan to attend, speakers, breakfast chi and lunch. If we can just help these men who desert their families because of alcohol and drug abuse, we will go a long way to making a difference in this beautiful country.

We noticed our little peewee soccer team was pretty shoeless so volunteers Lorna and Stacy decided to buy some of them shoes. Neema made sure that all 28 boys got a new pair of tennis shoes.

A hard morning of soccer and then they wait for lunch and Bible class. It is amazing what God is doing with this little soccer program. A young man died with a dream on his heart of a soccer field in Africa and his widow made it happen. Amazing!

We have had a dream for a long time of bringing water to Mukuru village and this month it happened. It was not a gully washer but it is enough. It will supply Joshua’s village as well as the nearby school. Thank you to those of you who help with the Tanzania Water Project of Neema Village.

Our Save The Mothers program is going strong and we are branching out into new areas in the Maasai villages. Folks, this program works! It is saving lives almost daily as our trained TBAs safely deliver babies when moms cannot make it in to the hospitals.

Rainbows are supposed to mean rain, right? Well, we have not had any in months! It is very dry at Neema Village but as always still beautiful. We thank God for this land and for those of you who support this precious work.

As we get close to the end of the year here are a few ways to help Neema Village:

1. Required Minimum Distributions “RMDs” – Did you know that it is possible to satisfy your RMDs from your Traditional IRAs without paying taxes on the distribution? This can be particularly attractive when the IRS requires a greater withdrawal from your IRA than you would otherwise like to take. To accomplish this, you can direct your brokerage firm to make a direct contribution of cash or securities from your Traditional IRA to Neema.
2. Stock with large Unrealized Gains – Do you have stock in your taxable brokerage account with sizeable unrealized gains? Selling the stock could generate a significant taxable event, but gifting the stock provides a way to 1. Support Neema, 2. Avoid paying capital gains tax, and 3. Provide a reportable deduction on your income tax return.
3. For our supporters who may have a Donor Advised Fund, Neema is a 501(c)(3), EIN #46-2762501, and would be a qualified recipient should you direct the fund to make a distribution to Neema.

Please speak to your financial professional for more details on the above ideas, or our financial advisor Michael Robinson with Edward Jones in Waco would be happy to discuss more in depth if you have questions. Work #254-751-0288.

Love,

Kim, Kelle, Michael and Dorris.

www.neemavillage.org

November 21, 2025

After three months of traveling and speaking from Kentucky, Indianapolis to Florida and Texas, we are glad to be back at Neema (Grace) Village in Arusha, Tanzania.

Our big kids at Neema Village love music class with Ms. Caroline singing “Jesus Loves Me This I Know.” They are in front of the new gorgeous mural at the preschool. Volunteers at Neema just do the most amazing things! Thank You!!

Three new babies came to Neema Village this month. Sweet little baby Robison, above, was abandoned at the hospital. He makes 70 babies in the baby home today. Baby Robison is a preemie, weighing about 2.1 kg, and is in our NICU unit at Neema Village getting great care from our nannies and doctors. We are so Thankful to be able to rescue these little ones.

It is hard to think what desperation would make a mom walk out and leave her baby. But in one of the poorest countries in the world, it happens. As we tell folks, it is not our job to judge. Neema Village is a place of Forgiveness and Hope. Hope for the babies and Forgiveness for the moms. We pray baby Robison will have a new mom and dad someday and he will never be abandoned again!

It is hard to put this story together but little Berthan came to Neema from Social Welfare. She has two women claiming to be her mother! Hopefully the police and social welfare will be able to figure this one out soon and she can go home. Two women were in the hospital, one went to get some pain meds for the other but when she came back the woman had taken the baby and left. The police eventually found the woman, who also claimed the baby was hers.

I know… you can’t make this kind of stuff up!! As many of you have reminded me, “Oh, for the wisdom of Solomon!”

New baby Kendric Gipson came to Neema this month. His mom exposed him to “the sickness” and refused the medicine. She is a college student and has asked that we help so she can finish school. We have started baby Kendric on preventative medicine and he should be fine. Please pray for the mom.

We are so Thankful for our daughter Kim White who has been at Neema for three months directing the work on site. With seven different ministries it is a huge job. She is amazing and totally up to the task! We have returned to Neema so she can have a few months home with her hubby, Bruce, the Saint.

Remember only Tanzanians are paid at Neema Village, the directors are all volunteers. We like that!

Important on a personal note: Facebook has decided that I am not me so I no longer have Facebook or messenger. If you have wondered why I am not responding to your messages please complain to Facebook – if you can find them!!

We’ll survive!

Some of you may remember in 2013 when twins were brought in late at night and we realized one of them was blind. Malikia and her twin Julius have been our babies ever since the night their mom died out in a Maasai village.

Now that little baby, Mali, is home from Braille school for Christmas break and we caught her helping wash dishes in the Hallelujah house yesterday. We are so thankful God has allowed us to do this precious work for almost 14 years now.

We are most Thankful that you have come along with us on this exciting journey, following our posts, praying for the moms and babies, coming to volunteer and giving from your heart so the work can continue.

Love you all and please come for a visit, you will be amazed at what God is doing here!

And please remember our fun loving, hard working Nannies and the Christmas bonuses. We now have 103 full time employees and we try to give each one a $100 bonus for Christmas.

Give a Christmas bonus at www.neemavillage.org

Michael and Dorris

October 23, 2025

If you can’t come for a visit, maybe you can just drop in by drone! Isn’t it amazing what God has done at Neema Village!!

It’s been almost fourteen years since the little rent house in town and now seven different ministries are serving the people and loving the babies of Tanzania on a seventeen acre campus.

Four day old Kendric Gipson Mollel, our latest baby, came to Neema Village last week. He makes 70 babies currently on campus. His mom exposed him to the sickness that still afflicts so many people in Africa today. Our doctors have started him on preventative meds and he should be ok. His mom is a college student but she is refusing to take the medicine herself. With 70 babies in house today, we are needing sponsors! What about giving a baby sponsorship to someone for Christmas!! That would be too coo!! To get a baby who needs a sponsor email Hayden Francher at sponsorship@neemavillage.org

A New Business is born. Stella has opened her shop selling everything from soap and salt to sodas.

Her name is Stella, she is the mother of two children and her husband left her when she found she was pregnant again. She had no money so moved into this mud hut in the slums. She began to feel very sick and after going to the clinic found that her husband had given her the sickness. The Doctor who was treating her contacted Neema Village after he found she had no money for food.

Very few people are able to pull themselves out of such poverty without some help.

I always tell them you have come in contact with Jesus people, help is on the way!

You may not be able to guess who this little guy is. It’s Lecumo! He was almost starved when a group of volunteers from Neema who had been out in the Maasai villages doing a medical mission saw the little guy and knew he needed immediate help. Kelle was not sure he would survive the night. His tummy was very large, hard and distended but his arms and legs were like fragile twigs.

Lecumo is eating everything in sight now. A fried egg sandwich Yum. This little man, (as someone said) who looked like he had been chewed up and spit out is cute as a little button now. He has a chance at Life!

We are not just about getting food in their tummies, we are about getting God in their hearts. I love this photo.

Now how did this photo get in here!! Hmmmm.

We miss our home in Africa, but little Jack, our great grandson, is one of the few things we really do miss about living in Africa.

Matthew 19:29 “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much…”

Please be praying for Kim, Kelle, Ashley and Michael and I as we leave our homes in America and work in this incredibly beautiful ministry called Neema Village.

www.neemavillage.org

October 6, 2025

As you get ready to come to Neema Village to volunteer you might be asking yourself, is this worth it? What is spending a week volunteering at Neema Village like? Let’s follow one of our recent groups.

Well, first of all you have the suitcases to contend with! Did they all make it to Africa and then is that picky agent in the airport going to charge me for diapers that I’m bringing in for the babies.

Smiles and tears from exhausted, sleepy volunteers begin to explode when they hold their first Neema babies.

As you spend your week at Neema we try to make sure you get to see some of all the seven Neema programs, from holding babies, to teaching classes, doing a Saturday VBS, holding the hand of an abused mom, yelling for the Neema team at the soccer field, praying for the water wells or just sitting and visiting with the neighborhood kids after church.

Seeing our Rehab Center for Handicap babies will grab your heart. These little ones who have been hidden in dark, back rooms, now have a sunny bright place full of music and light where they are encouraged to reach their highest potential. It is a joy filled place but be sure and bring a box of Kleenex.

Going on a MAP (Mothers Against Poverty) interview doesn’t happen for every volunteer group. We go when we are called. It might be with a woman begging on the street or asking for help from Social Welfare or in the hospital with no home to return to.

For these young volunteers from Wisconsin who can’t imagine what life is like when you have no where to turn, no family to help, no government programs to step in and you’ve been abandoned by everyone you know, going on a MAP mom interview can be a life changing experience.

And then seeing a finished product when a mom sets up her new Neema business is a great afternoon adventure for volunteers. The Wisconsin group got to see Florah’s new hair salon business.

Florah was homeless and sleeping on a church bench when she was brought to Neema. She was about eight months pregnant living at Neema when she accepted Jesus and was baptized!

Pray for a great success for Florah’s new hair salon!

Many of our babies are Maasai whose moms have died in childbirth. Volunteers love going out to the Maasai villages.

They are always so gracious to show our volunteers their culture, their dances, how to build a fire from donkey dung, how to make medicine from roots, how to kill a lion, and they might even kill the fatted goat for their lunch.

Going out to the villages for the GIFT program is one of Neema’s most important preventative programs. Encouraging these young girls to stay in school and not have babies at 13 or 14 is saving lives and giving them a bright hope for their futures.

And occasionally a volunteer group will get to pull off something really big! The Village church from Mosinee, Wisconsin planned, studied for, organized, taught and paid for our first Women’s conference at Neema Village. Three hundred and ninety nine African women came for the day of singing, classes, lunch, prizes and just a whole lot of fun. Was it worth it Wisconsin?

But if you just want to come to Neema to hold babies we are good with that too. We think a lot of volunteer lives are changed just holding babies.

As David Platt says: “Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms, but once you do, everything changes.”

But just one more story of why volunteering at Neema Village is worth it. Because Dr. Sarun was working late one night which he often does, and because he happened to be in the baby home just when baby Janet couldn’t breath, and because we had the medical equipment he needed Dr. Sarun was able to save her life.

But really little Janet gets to live because a volunteer from Fort Worth who owns a day care decided to go on a medical mission and watch Dr. Sarun work and decided we had to hire him and informed us she would pay his salary! And little Janet gets to live because some volunteers from Canada bought the exact medical equipment he would need to save her life. Was it all worth it? You bet!

Last year we had over 250 volunteers, next year could be your year and it will be worth it, I promise you!

Love and Blessings,

Michael and Dorris

www.neemavillage.org

September 15, 2025

I am in Awe of what God is doing here! What is happening at Neema Village today is way bigger than the dream of two retired people wanting to care for abandoned babies.

It is bigger than one baby like Jasmine who was abandoned on the road and brought to Neema this month.

It’s bigger than the over 450 babies cared for at Neema in the last 13 years…

it’s bigger than our gardens feeding 200+ meals a day and the 15 cows giving milk and the chickens giving over a hundred eggs a day and the little preemie calf, named Dana, too little to survive but surviving anyway…

It’s bigger than the three Neema adoptions last month or soccer games with bible classes for young people or hundreds of men meeting to learn how to be good husbands and fathers.

it’s bigger than the 15 buildings on campus.

I think God is doing something Mighty and Lasting at Neema Village and we are standing back in AWE!

Kim, Kelle, Marq, Ashley and Michael and I all feel it, we can see it happening we just don’t know how to explain it all to you!

It’s even bigger than the dream of a trade school where men can turn “wine into milk” for their families and regain the respect and dignity that men need to stick around and raise a family.
Thanks to Mitch and Carson from Georgetown we now have a cleared off and leveled pad waiting for a trade school where men can learn to weld or repair small engines or become tailors or bakers or electricians or plumbers and learn to love and provide for their families again.

What’s happening is bigger than the dream of a big co-op warehouse full of MAP mom businesses for our women; hair businesses, used clothing businesses, sewing, vegetable stands and in the middle a cool coffee shop offering prayer with chicken salad sandwiches and fresh baked bread.

Our little MAP moms who have been kicked out, abused, hopeless, come to Neema and spend 6 months to a year being loved and cared for and taught how much Jesus loves them and has never lost sight of them and taught all kinds of classes and then we send them out alone to run a business.

I see a co-op where they can support and help each other as they learn to start their businesses together. I see it so decorated in front that as you drive into Arusha town you cannot miss it!

It’s even bigger than the 30+ Maasai men who have come in so far this year for baptism. I see men coming in by the hundreds, repenting and giving their lives to Jesus.

Yes, it’s way bigger than two old people with a dream.

It’s you and us together flowing out God’s love and his promises of a better life in places where it has been so very dry and drained and empty for so long.

I think Kim said it best, “God is Here!” and that dear ones is the exact Miracle that we need.

You’re gonna wanna come see this!

We will see you at the banquet in Fort Worth Saturday the 20th at 6pm!

The link or QR Code to start biding on auction items is:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/neema-village-tanzania-incs-silent-auction

Tickets are still available for the September 20th Banquet/ Auction in Fort Worth to help us continue the work with abandoned babies and women in Tanzania. Just scan the QR code below to get your ticket and hear Payte Baldwin talk about his experiences volunteering at Neema Village.

Kelle could still use more auction items just email michael@neemavillage.org

See You There!

Michael and Dorris Fortson

www.neemavillage.org

August 25, 2025

Little more than a footpath in places, the trip Saturday out to Maria’s village was a once in a life time experience. We had planned to do a medical outreach and men’s bible study in the furtherest village we have visited so far into Maasailand.

We left Neema at 6am. It was rough going for about four hours, up and down the long-dry gullies, over thorny cow paths, through dusty goat-infested scrub brush where villagers had hacked a road in places between the trees so our car could pass. I was thrown out of my seat at one point.

Hope the video above doesn’t make you car sick!!

Maria’s real brother, Alias, was the first to greet us when we got to the village. I don’t know how many half brothers and sisters she has since her father was extremely old and had had eight wives. Alias who is about 33 years old, is one of 5 siblings from Maria’s mom, the youngest wife, who died during her birth.

Alias’s very young wife has one child and they live in a one room mud house with about 50 goats running around the yard.

Maria is very proud of being Maasai and loves their beautifully colored, sparkly culture. She speaks Swahili and English and is learning KiMaasai.

There were a lot of tears and hugs as Maria got out of the car. One of her sisters had married around age 15 before Maria was born and had never seen nine year old Maria. She made the 2 day journey with her baby on a motorcycle from her home to see Maria and dropped to the ground in tears when she drove up to the village and saw her little sister for the first time.

Maria’s grandmother was holding one-day-old Maria in the hospital the first time I saw her. She weighed about 700 grams and was not expected to live. A month later when we returned to the hospital grandmother had gone home and tiny Maria was still holding on to life. We started feeding her and bringing her formula to the hospital. When she got big enough to leave the hospital the villagers said she could come to Neema Village. She has been our girl ever since.

As much fun as visiting the family was, we came to do a medical mission and a Bible study with the men so we had to get set up for the day. Dr. Sarun is Maasai and loves his people dearly. You can tell with his gentle touch how much he loves people and cares about their illnesses. He saw 107 patients in one day in the middle of a forest.

They had set up for the clinic in a cleared area outside the boma. Mikayla one of our volunteers got to do triage, taking blood pressure, temps and filling out paper work. Ester and Regina were the pharmacists dispensing medicine.

Most of what Dr. Sarun saw was chest colds and some pnemonia or TB with skin sores, eye infections and high blood pressure. Many of them had never seen a real doctor before but Dr. Sarun generally thought they were all pretty healthy people.

In the Bible class the Maasai men leaned against the trees while Pastor Paul taught about how to live a Christian life as men in their culture.

It has been a hard lesson for me to learn since our mission at Neema Village has always been to help babies and women only but until we bring the hearts of men back to their families as good husbands and fathers we will do little to really change this country.

Pastor Paul took some time off from teaching for lunch. And yes they killed the chicken! We told them please do not kill your chicken but they did. It was a bit tough but we got it down.

We have much to tell you, new preemie twins come to Neema, a MAP mom in labor as I write, two of our big kids having tonsillectomies today, currently digging another water well, three babies adopted to Tanzanian families this month and 8 babies went to their new home but time is short and this blog is already too long so I will say goodbye for August 2025.

All For His Glory!!

dorris and michael

www.neemavillage.org

ATTENTION: Kelle says we can still use some auction items for the Neema Village dinner on Sept 20th in Fort Worth. Contact her if you have items for the auction jksamsill@gmail.com

August 7, 2025

It is time for Dorris and me to transition back to the states again. We have loved our time at Neema Village, but with the return of our daughter, Kim, we are free to be in the states for reporting, visiting churches, and taking care of our personal business. We will be in the USA from September 5 until November 15, when we fly home to Neema Village.

While we are in the USA, we love speaking on behalf of Neema Village. If you would like to schedule us to speak at your church, either to report, or to introduce Neema Village to your congregation, we would love to find a date to do so. We are available on the following Sundays: September 14. 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19, 26, and November 2 and 9. We are also available to speak or conference during the week. If you are interested in a personal update about what God is doing at Neema Village, please let me know and we will do our best to make it happen.. Email me at michael@neemavillage.org

July 20th, 2025

It’s gonna be an exciting night! Lots of great auction items, good Texas food and fellowship and Payte Baldwin from Fort Worth, Texas ready to share about his experiences at Neema Village in Tanzania East Africa.

Just take out your phone and scan the QR code below to get your banquet ticket!!

Come on everyone little Kesia is saying!

“While we were flying for 22 hours to get to Neema Village last year, newborn Kesia was fighting to survive out in a remote Maasai village after the death of her mom. With little chance of the newborn surviving the village leader knew he had to get help for the baby. The father, grandmother and village leader arrived at Neema about the same time we arrived from America.

The mom of four other children had died of retained placenta. Such a sad and needless death.”

Come and hear how Neema Village’s seven ministries are helping save the lives of babies and mothers like Kesia and her mom.

See You There!

Neema Directors Kim White, Kelle Samsill and Michael and Dorris Fortson

www.neemavillage.org

Volunteers often comment on how wonderful Sunday morning worship is at Neema Village.  Unlike back home, the worship is loud, active, and full of joy, dancing and laughter as God is praised and thanked. It is an unforgettable experience!

Singing and dancing at Sunday church service, Praising Jesus, thanking God!

And it is crowded, with wall to wall people… babies, children, nannies, MAP moms, soccer kids, volunteers, neighbors, visitors, etc.   With 87 baptisms in 2024, and 30 baptisms already this year, the church at Neema Village is GROWING!

Above: One of the Many Baptisms at Neema Village Church

From the beginning we have reached out with the Good News of Jesus and brought people to Christ. But since having a worship center and a full time minister on board, we have witnessed much greater response to the Story of Jesus.  People peering in through the windows has made us realize that we must do something.

A Wall to Wall Sunday at Neema Village Church

I Cor. 3:6, the Apostle Paul says of the Corinthian Church, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow,” That is what has happened at Neema Village. We have been planting and watering, and God has made it grow! Praise God!

Now, to stay in step with what God is doing, we feel the need to have a larger worship center. What is wrong with our old one? It is a very fine building, and we love worshipping there, but it will not accommodate the numbers we have coming, and it will not allow for growth. Everyone is saying, “Do something!” What a great problem to have!

Babies are brought to church each Sunday. We always make room for them.

I think God has provided a solution. Before we built the worship center, we had built a school building for our pre-school children to use for class and music. They have been doing that, but we have come to realize that our number of students don’t require as much space as we originally planned.

We have had wonderful classrooms, but bigger than needed.

So, we have come up with a plan to “switch” the buildings… make the school our worship center and the church building our school. With re-design, taking out walls, etc. it is believed that we can more than double the size of our Worship Center at a fraction of the cost of building a new one. In fact, my good guess is that we can accommodate crowds of 400 people or more!

The walls are out, showing the big space available for the new Worship Center.

That is room to grow, a spacious place for worship, a place for big men’s and women’s conferences, and a place for big community meetings.

So, we are making the switch and we are using our conference center as a temporary worship center. It is a tight fit.

We have begun the demolition of walls of our former school. The big open space we have created certainly gives us the ability to dream for the future.

Sunday worship at Neema…. all about praising God and saying “Thank You” to Jesus

We would welcome you to partner with us in this ongoing venture to see how God will use this building swap to reach more and more with the Good News, and for His Glory!

Michael and Dorris Fortson

Click the “Give Now” button on our website: www.neemavillage.org