foodwatershelter are extremely saddened by the death of Darren Stratti, our building foreman and friend, who was shot during a burglary in Arusha, Tanzania on Monday 30th June.  Darren gave his life bravely to protect those around him.  Nobody else was injured in the incident.



Darren has been integral in the work of foodwatershelter from its inception and has been in Arusha leading the building of the children’s village, Kesho Leo, for 18 months.  During his volunteering time he has mentored up to 30 subsistence farmers, teaching them building skills, and working with them to construct the Kesho Leo children’s village.  He will be missed greatly by all who are part of foodwatershelter in Tanzania and here in Australia.

foodwatershelter are working with local authorities in Arusha to investigate the incident and to ensure the security and safety of our volunteers and local staff. It is anticipated that foodwatershelter will continue operations on a smaller scale in the coming weeks.  The Kesho Leo project will be completed in honour of Darren.

Our hearts and best wishes are with Darren’s family and friends.

If you would like to post a message for Beck and Darren, you can do so on Beck's Blog ›

celebrating Darren's life

Darren's spirit and positive outlook on life was celebrated last Thursday (10 July 2008) in a ceremony attended by more than 600 family, friends and supporters.

His parents, and sons gave touching insights into Darren's family life, while his brothers Daniel and Jason played guitar and sang to honor him. Darren's  father, Sam Stratti, reflected on Darren's time in Arusha, saying "he found peace in Africa"... Read the full article ›

the build team has landed

fws is honoured to welcome Darren's brothers Daniel & Jason, son Robbie and great mate Terry to Kesho Leo in Tanzania.

The team are here to continue Darren's work on Kesho Leo in his memory, and are aiming to get it ready so the fws mamas and kids can move in in time to celebrate Christmas.

You can follow the guys' progress on our news page and on the fws team blog.