"Dreams can come true". That's what I wrote to my sponsored child Tujana Kiogwe Mboena about visiting her one day.

I had no idea how or when, but I believed that I would take that trek part way up Mt Kilimanjaro to meet Tujana and her family. Her response was: "I pray to meet face to face with you".

About 18 months later, my friends in India coaxed me to visit their country. I saved up and made the trip and while I was there, a family member suggested I look into travel details for Africa.

The prospect of a visit to Tanzania seemed out of my league but I came across a good flight deal and I thought it would be a great adventure.

World Vision was extremely helpful in putting the wheels in motion and the reply from Tanzania was positive. Tujana was delighted to hear that I was coming. She said she prayed God might lead our journey. "The whole family will welcome you. It will be a day of great happiness," she predicted.

And it was. The journey from Arusha to the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro and the village of Bwambo took 15 hours. After a greeting from community elders with a cup of tea and a feast of local delicacies, I was ready for a tour of the village.

The tour began with the kindergarten where a large group of children sang a lovely greeting song in our honour. We were shown a classroom where the walls had been plastered and cemented for protection from the elements. New floors replaced dirt and blackboards had been installed.

We went on to see a milling machine, a carpentry shop and a medical facility with a maternity area and dispensary. One of the community's main goals was the installation of pipes above the village to deliver clean water.

Further up the mountain along a narrow path, the World Vision project manager called out to inform me that Tujana was heading towards our group to meet me.

Through a break in the trees and shrubs came a shy little teenager in a pretty yellow dress and sporting a big smile. My heart melted. To see that beautiful girl coming towards me ahead of her family to greet me was worth every red cent I had and more.

Suddenly, material wants and desires seemed to dissolve in favour of the essence of life; the loving and caring between family and friends growing and learning and the creating of a supporting community.

After much talk and an exchange of gifts we were escorted down through the family's plantations to the waiting World Vision van. There was a pull at my heart to think that this may be my only visit to a family and a village that adopted me into their community although I was assured I would always be welcomed.

"Meeting Tujana and her family, friends and community was one of my most wonderful experiences, an adventure I will always remember".

The message they all gave me to tell Australian Sponsors was: "their sponsorship has greatly helped our community. Please tell them of our appreciation and deepest thanks".