For many of you who follow the work of Haven of Hope International, the name Neema has become very special. It has been a few months since our last update, and we want to share both the progress and the ongoing need surrounding this remarkable young girl from Matonyok, Tanzania.
Neema first came to the Matonyok Children’s Home while facing a serious health battle. She was diagnosed with active HIV, and when Emmy, the director of the home, learned of her condition, she immediately contacted Haven of Hope International for guidance and support. Like so many children who arrive at Matonyok, Neema carried not only physical illness but the uncertainty of what the future might hold.
In 2023, Neema’s condition became even more serious when she went into kidney failure. HOHI began consulting with physicians in the United States who worked together with local Tanzanian doctors. Through this collaboration, Neema was able to begin dialysis treatments in late 2023.
By the time Easter arrived the following year, concerns were growing. Dialysis was helping sustain her life, but improvement was not coming. Those close to Neema remember that season well. Across Tanzania, in the United States, and among HOHI supporters around the world, prayers began to rise for what HOHI called “an Easter miracle.”
Then Something Remarkable Happened
A friend of Haven of Hope, who worked at UCSF Benioff Children’s Medical Center in California, shared a notice about Neema’s situation with the medical community. Soon after, Dr. Peter Stock, a world-renowned transplant surgeon, reached out personally to HOHI. Moved by Neema’s story, Dr. Stock and members of his team made the extraordinary decision to travel all the way to Tanzania to evaluate her condition.
What followed was nothing short of a global effort of compassion.
After examining Neema and working with the team at Matonyok, Dr. Stock later returned to Tanzania to personally accompany Neema, Emmy, and a nurse guardian on a journey that would take them halfway across the world to San Francisco. In September 2024, Neema arrived at UCSF Benioff Children’s Medical Center where a dedicated team began caring for her.
During that time, Alice and John were able to visit Neema and meet the incredible medical professionals caring for her. Their commitment went far beyond addressing her physical health. They worked diligently to support her emotional well-being and to help her continue her education while she was receiving treatment.
For an entire year, Neema lived under the careful watch of Dr. Stock and the medical team. Slowly, her strength returned. Her condition stabilized, and eventually she was placed on the transplant list, waiting and hoping for the day when a kidney would become available.
But the journey has not been simple.
In the fall of 2025, Neema’s visa expired, and she was required to return to Tanzania. Even in that difficult moment, Dr. Stock and his team continued to stand beside her. They coordinated closely with medical professionals in Tanzania to ensure her treatment would continue after she returned to Matonyok.
Today, Neema remains there. The current monthly cost of care is $2,000 a fraction of what it would cost here. Since returning, the HIV infection has once again become active, while she waits for the life-saving transplant she desperately needs. Her spirit remains strong and hopeful.
She needs a living kidney donor.
A living donor would make it possible for Neema to be entered into a much larger donor matching database. Through that process, another donor could potentially be identified who would be a compatible match for her transplant. This act of generosity would not simply offer hope—it could quite literally save her life.
For someone willing to step forward, it would mean committing their donation toward Neema so that the matching process can begin. Even if that individual is not the final match, their willingness to be a champion for Neema could unlock the door that leads to the kidney she needs.
Here is a link below for anyone who feels moved to learn more about becoming part of this process: https://bit.ly/LivingOrgan-UCSF
We believe Neema’s story is not finished.
Once before, as Easter approached, many of us prayed for a miracle—and God opened doors that carried a young girl from a small village in Tanzania to one of the finest children’s hospitals in the world.
Today we are praying again.
We are praying for strength for Neema.
We are praying for wisdom for the doctors caring for her.
And we are praying that somewhere, someone will feel called to step forward and become part of the miracle she needs.
If you would like to stand with Neema in this season, you can also send support through Haven of Hope International to assist with the ongoing expenses related to her care and treatment: https://bit.ly/MatonyokMedical
Together, we believe that hope still lives.
