A Documentary About JBFC: Little by Little

It seemed so long ago that Ashli Sims and I were talking about the dream of creating a documentary of the ins and outs of JBFC. It is an incredible idea, but it seemed to be quite the challenge. However, thanks to Ashli and her fellow filmmaker Jonathan Wooley, the dream is about to become a reality. It will be an incredible platform to share our story, our start, what makes each and every member of JBFC tick, and how JBFC has touched the lives of so many people.

But, we need your help to get this dream to the big screen. Ashli and Jonathan have launched a new blog and have begun the incredibly fun process of fundraising. I really encourage you to check out their blog and learn more about the film, filmmakers, and how you can become involved. Please share this link to as many people as possible so that we can start spreading the word about "Little by Little".

http://littlebylittlemovie.wordpress.com/

If you are interested in assisting with fundraising, visit their Kickstart page at:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1801105660/little-by-little

The documentary's title, Little by Little, comes from a Tanzanian proverb. "Little by little, a little becomes a lot." It pretty much sums up what JBFC has done for Tanzanian orphans. And if you give a little and you ask a friend to give a little... a little will become a lot. And we can see "Little by Little" become a reality.

A little about Ashli Sims, JBFC Board Member and New on 6 Reporter:

As a veteran television journalist, Ashli Sims has spent the last eight years telling stories that matter at KOTV in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, was a contributing producer for the Emmy-award winning education series “Raising the Grade,” and has been honored three times with the Marshall Gregory Award for year-long education reporting by the Oklahoma Education Association. Sims has done several stories on Chris Gates and JBFC from his hometown of Tulsa and she’s eager to tell the rest of the story from his home in Tanzania.

Why Africa? Why not help in our own backyard?

When I am speaking about our work in Tanzania, a question that seems to consistently arise, is: why there, why Tanzania? Why go halfway around the world, when there are so many people here in the America that need your help? It is an interesting question, and one that I have thought long and hard about, and my answer changes slightly from time to time. This very question was recently posed to me by Ashli Sims (JBFC Board Member and News on 6 Reporter), who is working on JBFC's documentary "Little by Little." We were exchanging emails and Ashli, with her incredible persistence, kept trying to figure out what makes JBFC and me tick. She wanted to know the ins and outs of why and how I am doing, and this question kept coming to the surface, despite my best efforts to evade the question.

She has recently compiled my answers to many of her questions, and I thought it would be interesting to share some of her journalistic work on why I am doing what I am doing...

I believe we all have a calling in life, we all have a purpose. If we all followed this calling, the world would be a much better place. I truly feel that Tanzania and these girls, this work, is my calling in life. I am right at home and I feel this is where I should be, doing exactly what I should be doing... I agree there are tons of girls, people, animals, and environmental issues in America that need help, but I also believe that in America, we have the luxury of systems that work to protect and assist people. I have worked in the public sector in New York, and I know how frustrating the bureaucracy and the formalities of our systems can be...however there are systems in place in America, and compared to Tanzania, they work like a very well-oiled machine (mind you, this is definitely in comparison). Since there is a complete lack of systems in Africa, and the third world, I believe these children and the impoverished lives that most people lead, require more help in Tanzania, than is needed in America. When we are working in Tanzania - we are the only system in place to help these people. Whereas in America, there are tons of opportunities, comparatively, that help people bring themselves out of hard times.

MSNBC Appearance with Alex Witt

Here is the link to my appearance on MSNBC last Sunday with Alex Witt. Pass this link around to your friends and families and help us spread the word of JBFC and what we are doing to help alleviate poverty and rescue children in Tanzania!

Mwenge (Freedom Torch)

The freedom torch is a national government honor bestowed upon organizations that are making a significant impact ont he communities of Tanzania. It also shows the government's new commitment to assisting JBFC with our needs as we expand.