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November Trip (Over 1,700 Photos)
Selection (39pics), Houses around Bethany (39pics), Cow (6pics), Farming (22pics)
Staff/workers (19pics), Meal Time (15pics), Cooking-Food (36pics), Volunteers (13pics)
Prospective UK Students (4pics), Children and ex-children (533pics), Karen’s photos (128pics)
Football - boys versus girls (88pics), Letters received (47pics), Sunrise/set (55pics)
Girls Netball/football (50pics), Choir Practice (41pics), Chores (109pics)
Play (59pics), Building progress (59pics), Wildlife (15pics), Views (29pics)
Teaching (21pics), Hired Tractor (19pics), Groups (39pics), Individuals (49pics)
Jemma’s photos (80pics), Dave and Vicky’s photos (114pics), UK Students (5pics)
Extract from a letter from a teacher at a supporting school
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Jemma’s Update (via email received Monday 29-December-2008)
Christmas Celebrations:
Well, as with any children Christmas Day started early at 06:00am with everyone up and involved in the preparations for the day. We started by eating porridge in the morning then there was a Christmas church service giving thanks for the birth of Jesus, followed by mandass (doughnuts) and tea made by some of the girls who were up very early making 3 for everyone …that’s a lot of doughnuts! The afternoon was spent relaxing and watching the boy’s v male care workers at football. The Bethany stars (boys) were definitely the stars with the final score being 8-3 to the children!!
Some of the children decorated the dining area with kangas, flowers and balloons the tables were set out ready for the evening meal. Beef and 2 types of special rice were prepared followed by a banana and a soda! Delicious! There was a celebratory atmosphere that evening, with music playing during the meal and everyone dressed in their best clothes! We then had an outdoor DVD and the evening was finished with music and plenty of dancing!! The children had a great day and there was a wonderful atmosphere, with everyone clearly very excited despite it being a very different day to the western Christmas. No one received any presents, but appreciated the special food and sodas that were had!
Boxing Day was a restful day with children relaxing after a general tidy up in the morning! We had a game of nonstop cricket followed by a football rematch. The Bethany stars again out did the care workers, the final score being 3-1! Our evening meal was made up of goat meat and zukkini (courgettes) and in full tradition of Christmas, special rice that was surplus from the day before!
Jemma’s Update (via email received Saturday 20-December-2008)
This week has seen some changes to the UK volunteers here in Tanzania, sadly Vicky & Dave Shaw had to return home due to complications acquiring a residents permit & their volunteers visa expiring. However we hope they will return once a residents permit is obtained.
The children continue to be kept busy during these holidays, cultivating the land, harvesting the zukkinis (courgettes) and watering the tomatoes which are now growing well. The rainy season means the Bethany diet is now more varied, with zukkini and mangos being a welcomed addition! Mangos are sold by the bucket load, last week we stopped on the side of the road and bought mangos from children – enough for everyone at Bethany, we had the land rover back seat space full of mangos!!
Classes have been running well, with each standard having a 1 hour lesson a day of English. Some progress can be seen amongst the children which is encouraging. It has been agreed that lessons will stop for the Christmas holiday week, as the celebrations start as we remember the birth of Jesus at this time. We hope to play games with the children and intend to decorate the communal dining area with balloons kindly donated by a UK supporter.
Shiabu is doing well following his minor operation a few weeks ago and is now almost back to normal playing with the other children outside. Some of the children have had minor health complaints and have attended the hospital for relevant treatment.
We are still eagerly awaiting exam results for the standard 7 leavers; we hope to receive these soon.
Global Financial Crisis and how it affects Bethany:
We are very fortunate to have many faithful supporters. However we will not escape the ramifications of the devaluing of the pound against the Tanzanian Shilling. A few months ago the exchange rate was as much as 2,500Tsh to the pound. Now it has fallen as low as 1,800Tsh to the pound. In reality this means that whereas the average monthly cost of keeping a child at Bethany was approx. £38 we now need to send £51 to buy the same number of Tanzanian shillings. We are hoping that the rate improves very soon but if not we will have to consider calling a halt to the building work and use that money to maintain the everyday expenses as well as cutting back on non essential items
November trip:
Graham Pountain and Jemma Turner (nurse) arrived safely on Nov. 6th. Jemma joined our other long term volunteers and as well as looking after the health of all at Bethany she is helping with all the other activities. Graham brought a replacement solar charger which has been installed and seems to be working OK. On an average day it appears to charge the battery with 10Kwh of charge which will allow us to use about half this amount everyday (about 5-6kwh’s). This means that we no longer have to run our generator for 1 hour in the morning and 3 hours at night (saving diesel).
Arrival of more long term volunteers: Dave and Vicky Shaw arrived safely on September 5th and have been joined by Karen Ross in October and Jemma Turner in November. They are all working as a team under Dave Shaw’s leadership. Daniel and the Tanzanian team are using their various skills to enrich the children’s Bethany experience. Now that we have 4 UK volunteers at Bethany our photographic record of events has become much more prolific as can be seen from the number of Photo’s available for viewing (over 1,700 for this month alone). Please click on the headings at the top of the page
Students in England: China, Emma and Jesca appear to be doing well on their two year level 3 course studying Child Care at Accrington and Rossendale College. They are looking forward to starting various assignments after Christmas. Elaine Earnshaw is taking them through a GCSE maths course which they hope to take in June next year. They are also learning English and IT skills at college. They have found it difficult to settle in to life in England (especially the weather) and are home sick from time to time. They have enjoyed visiting various schools and churches representing Bethany to talk about their former lives before Bethany and whilst at Bethany. They usually sing a couple of songs and demonstrate how water is carried (on their heads). If you are interested in such a short presentation please email me. for pics: UK Students
Inappropriate Behaviour:
We are pleased to tell you that we have not received any reports of inappropriate behaviour since the last update.
Older Children (leavers):
Angelina Cosmos is working part time for both Forever Angels and also for an English couple. She appears to be very happy and contented with life looking forward to doing a secretarial course some time in the future if the opportunity arises
Rehema Kasimu and Eva Joseph are still at Isamilo International School where they teach English curriculum in English using English methods. They have both had a pay increase and we are hoping they will soon be self sufficient and start repaying their loans they needed to set themselves up. We visited the school to check things were going OK and the girls came back to Bethany for a weekend for a break (holiday) and to tell us how they were doing. Rehema has received money promised to her which should be sufficient for a course of driving lessons and test - we hope she will be successful.
Mwita, Labanai and Frank are also doing well. They visited for the weekend and told us about their jobs. We also visited their boss in Mwanza a Mr. Bryson who seems very genuine and who has promised to look at the possibility of giving Frank a job as soon as more work is available. Again we have outstanding loans which the boys will start to repay very soon. Labani will receive driving lesson money as will Evarist once their loans have been repaid
Immakulatha: We visited Amy at Forever Angels who is presently looking after Imma (now 6 months pregnant). Amy tells us Imma is still not telling the truth with regard to the identity of the father. Imma herself had complained to Daniel and Eliada about the treatment she had received from the others girls when she came for a break to Bethany. They explained how disappointed they were with her. Hopefully Imma will be able to provide for herself with Amy’s help once the baby is born. No other pregnancies to report.
Mwanaidi, Neema and Hollo: All appear to be doing well and are contributing part of their wages to support their brothers and sisters back at Bethany.
Sophia, Fatuma and Minza: Minza has been at Bethany for nearly ten years (since she was 5yrs). She is an capable girl who we feel along with Fatuma and Sophia would benefit from studying in the UK. All three completed primary education and Sophia in particular is very academic. These three are to move into the Multi purpose building with our UK volunteers where they will receive an intensive 12 months English, Maths and IT course.
Other standard 7 Leavers:
Boys: Bujimbu Zacharia will hope will pass to go to the local secondary school.
Emmanuel Charles, John Juma, Joseph Pius, Kulwa Mussa, Tabaji Chezela, Peter Chezela, Labazu Daniel, Daniel Juma, Ramadani Thobias are all going to VETA for vocational training in various trades.
Girls: Mpelwa Juma we hope will pass to go to the local secondary school:
Pendo Malale is already receiving training at Forever Angels (she has take the place of Minza)
Jesca Juma, Ghati (Pendo) Wambura and Ghati Daudi would like to train as nurses but they have been refused acceptance at Mkula training hospital due to them being orphans (unsuitable people).
Rwechungura: Has just finished his first 12 week course on computer studies and passed with all grade A’s. We are pleased he has worked hard and we have agreed for him to go on a further 4 week advanced course. Unfortunately Rwechu has a few problems character-wise which we hope will be ironed out over the longer term.
Kwekwe ( Moses) Shibandiko: We have arranged for him to go on an electricians course again at VETA with the other Standard 7 leavers.
Evarist Shaban: Trained in England and is the only older boy on site and will leave as soon as we find him a job (possibly with Mr. Bryson)
Secondary school children:
Boys: Phabian Juma, Hamza Issa, Nyamarige Mussa, and Elijah Benard are all doing well especially Hamza who is consistently coming top with our other boys close behind. We are hoping that Bujimbu Zacharia will join them with this years intake (if he passes).
Girls: Rehema Joseph and Sumai Makoye are doing well especially Rehema who has been at Bethany for 8 years and has a very kindly manner who is liked by most of the other girls
Bore-holes:
No further developments
New Children: We have some new children and their details will be updated very soon
Children: All doing well.
Choir: Still enjoying practicing hard and looking forward to visiting England again next year if funds permit.
Building work progress: Two major projects. To firstly double the size of the dining room and then to build a new boys dormitory.
New boys dormitory: No Progress. As you may already know we have the drawings for the new boys dorm. It will hold a maximum of 148 boys which will double our accommodation capability from 130/140 to over double that number. The plans show two toilet blocks and one shower block, 7 dormitories and 2 smaller rooms for older boys/ storage. David our Treasurer has estimated the cost to be about £80,000 which we haven’t got so we will build as funds allow. Click here to see the plans (Click here for pics of our present boys dorm).
Dining room and Kitchen: Demolition is now complete and the building work has now started. A temporary dining room has been constructed. Click here to see the pics
Children’s health: No problems at present.
Children’s behaviour: No problems at present now that some of the older boys have left.
Monthly Supporters / Enquirers Meetings: The dates for the next 5 meetings which are all on Sundays at 2pm are: 4th Jan, 1st Feb, 1st March 2009. They are held at Christ Church Hall, Christ Church Street, Roughlee Road, Christ Church Square, Accrington Lancashire. BB5 2LU. Everyone welcome. (click here for details)
Pen pals group web site: This group continues to write to our children with letters of encouragement. We are always hopeful that some pen pals will one day become sponsors. Our visiting teams help write letters for the children. Click on the headings to see the photos:
Letters received,
Future Trips: See details on our home / index page.
Please email if you are at all interested
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Sponsorship - Finance: As ever - finance is an ongoing concern. For those still considering sponsoring or co-sponsoring please see our list of names for sponsorship. Click here
To learn more about sponsorship we have produced a 4 page Question and Answer sheet (click here).
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Money boxes: As you can see our total collected from the money boxes is over £10,326.29 as of 29/10/2008. Cathy Riley is still looking after the new money boxes, both issuing them, banking the proceeds and issuing receipts. If you want one email Bex and she will pass on your request to Cathy.
Satellite Internet: No further news. Still too expensive
Possible bore hole: See above
Mains Power: No news - still waiting but they say our job is next!!!!!!!!!!!
UK team changes: Please visit the home page for a link to details of our UK team members.
Tanzania team changes: Please visit the home page for details.
OTHER NEWS
And Finally: Thank you so much for being interested enough in our work to be reading this. Even more if by your donation you have made this work possible.
N.B. (Please note that this web site is accessible world wide and so we are very careful to only publish the bare facts as truthfully as possible. There are often circumstances upon which decisions have been made which we feel unable to publish. Please contact us directly if you need to know more)
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Support/Sponsorship Click here
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August Trip Photos (108 assorted pics), Festival of Song (38pics)
Students in England (19pics), Bethany students visit Hollins School (7pics)
November Trip.
Dave, Vicky and Karen (32pics), Children (42pics), Bethany Leavers (6pics),
Growing things (25pics), Building work (27pics)
Photos from the July 2008 trip (over 300)
Parachute Fun (11pics), Serengeti trip (25pics), Jesca’s village (38pics),
Various (10pics), Letters (48pics), Eva’s boys (12pics), Returned students (2pics),
Chores (33pics), Prospective students (7pics), Individual children (15pics),
Choir Practice (34pics), Groups (22pics), Volunteer teachers (12pics),
Volunteers (36pics)
Photos taken during the April - May trip 2008 (over 400)
Chores (64pics), Hippings School (6pics), Letters (51pics), Computers (10pics),
Assembly and Presentations (12pics), Choir Practice (109pics), Building work (30pics),
Volunteers (83pics), Girls at Forever Angels (2pics), Games (6pics), Groups (27 pics),
Individual Children (69pics), New girls (6pics)
Photos taken during the January -February trip (over 500)
Agriculture (54 pics), Dairy Cows (37 pics), Toddlers Dorms -refurbishment (39 pics),
UV Filter (8 pics), Small solar water heater tower (78 pics),
Large solar water heater tower (92 pics), Groups of Children ( 40pics ), Sunday Service (26pics),
Individual Children (99pics), Boys Portrait Pics ( 61pics), Girls Portrait Pics (62pics),
Standard 1 Children (9pics), Swinging Fun ( 20pics), January trip volunteers (38pics),
Letters received (31pics), Danger children at work ( 81pics), Views around the site (22pics),
Sunrise-sets (40 pics), David’s Pictures (69pics), Eliada and Daniel’s new baby (4 pics),
(Captions with names of children have been added by Eva, Jesca and Rehema)
Extract from ‘Amy’s News’ from the Forever Angels web -site
Photos from the September trip 2007 (over 500)
Mwanza Lion’s visit ( 3pics), David’s Pics ( 30pics), New Manager’s house (14pics)
Around the site (12pics), Beans and Rice! ( 16pics), Old Boys dorm (17pics),
Tint Tots dorm (13pics), Letter writing ( 28pics), Local school bore-hole (4pics)
At Play ( 19pics), Agriculture (23pics), New Multi-purpose building (16pics),
Education ( 6pics), Letters received ( 85pics), Groups of children (26pics)
Singing and Dancing ( 62pics), Individual children (81pics), Chores (59pics)
Ian Redfearn (15pics), Sunrise/sets (34pics), Best Photo’s (36pics)
Report: by Ian Redfearn
Latest News September 2007: Our 8 students have now just finished their first day at Accrington and Rossendale College. Here are the latest pictures:
Welcome for Students at Accrington and Rossendale College (65pics)
Day out to Lord’s House Farm (30 pics)
A walk in the countryside (72 pics)
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Photo’s from the July-August trips: (over 600pics)
Mkula Orphanage (3pics), Letter writing (43pics), Rounders (36pics),
Letter received (44pics), Skipping (23pics), Play (21pics), Football (8pics),
Crop growing (38pics), Groups of children (36pics), Lessons (13pics) Chores (64pics),
New Children (9pics), Individual Children (71pics), Singing Practice (45pics),
Building progress (26pics), Visitors (52pics), Views (39pics), Thumbnails (40pics),
Minibus (9pics), Accrington College students (8pics)
Photos from the May trip (800+)
New wedge-wood Shoes (16 pics), New children (11 pics), New bike (12 pics),
Volunteer joiners (120 pics), Chores (28 pics), Building work progress (29 pics),
Letters received (16 pics), Lessons (77 pics), Games (15pics), Play (25 pics),
Singing practice (126 pics), Groups of children (45 pics), Individual children (65 pics),
May visitors (65 pics), Village school (38 pics), Views (120 pics),
Last day at Bethany - all children with work done (67 pics)
Reports from May trip:
Report by John Brindle and Pat Bridge, Report by Victoria Delaney,
Education facilities (as of May 2007),
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Photos from the April trip (52): Assorted (52 pics)
Report from April Trip: by Heather Jeffery
Pictures from the March 2007 Trip (over 500)
Maize harvest (40 pics), New Children (8 pics), Letters received ( 51 pics),
Letter writing (17 pics), Individual children (50 pics), New multipurpose block (29 pics),
New volunteers accommodation (22 pics), Choir (58 pics), Children playing (20 pics),
Children at Work (24 pics), Food! (22 pics), Groups of children (22 pics),
Jemma and Roy (25 pics), Jemma’s (51 pics), Roy’s (66 pics),
Sky (47 pics)
Photos taken on the January 2007 trip (over 300)
Portrait Pics of girls (57pics), Portrait Pics of Boys (49pics), New Children (3pics)
Children at work (47pics), Groups Children (36pics), Individual Children (48pics)
Letters log-book (4pics), Accy College Students (8pics), New Exercise books (13pics)
Sunrise-sets (152 pics)
Photos taken before, during and after
the children’s visit to the UK (Sept 21st - Nov 6th) (many)
Thumb nail pics (27pics), Manchester Science Museum (47pics), Letters received (75pics)
Nyangeta’s new leg (6pics), Baby Ruth (22pics), Forever Angels (1 pic),
Groups of children (43 pics), Singing Practice (73 pics), Blackpool Zoo (142 pics),
Asda Accrington (9 pics), Fire Station - Accrington (50 pics), Ger-Hana (47pics)
Blackburn Rovers (24 pics), Gifts from America (7 pics), October 20th (36 pics),
Accrington College awards (15 pics), Bethany Hillside Nursery (19 pics),
Paul and Rebecca’s wedding (66 pics), September 28th (25 pics), Trutex Boxes arrive (4 pics)
St. Thomas’s Centre (43 pics), An English Playground (10 pics), Schools Work (92 pics)
B&Q visit (14pics), Ripon Cathedral (9pics), Central Gospel Mission, Nelson (27pics),
Local Primary School Tanz. (23 pics), Jemma’s Pics (23pics)
Children at work (32 pics), At Play - Tanz (14pics) Individual children (101 pics),
Water carrying (20 pics), Hapiness (2 pics), Manchester and Doha Airports (13 pics)
Arrival - Bethany (17 pics), Nairobi Airport 4hour wait (27 pics), Trampoline (18pics),
York visit (19pics)
Video footage:
Accrington College presentation (2.28mins - 28meg)
Photos taken on the July - August trip (over 800)
New outfits for the Bethany Choir (34pics), Doing the chores (16pics), Line dancing! (96pics)
English Lessons (34pics), Skipping and Games (25pics), Groups of Children (14pics)
Individual children (56pics), Donated percussion Instruments (9pics), Letters received (46pics)
Letters sent (3pics), Letter writing (67pics), New children (12pics), Return trip (52pics)
Singing practice (137pics), Sunrise - sunsets (70pics), Donated towels & clothes (11pics)
Trip -outbound (38pics), Views from the water tank (14pics), Visiting Teams (70pics)
Wildlife (20pics)
REPORTS by visiting group members: Cathy Riley, Rebecca Dyer, Karen Ross,
Photos taken on the July trip:
Letters received, (53pics), General interest (24pics)
Photos taken on the June-July Trip (over 750)
Dave at work (11pics), Amy Tew (15 pics), New girl - Pendo (4pics)
Building work (30pics), Rhona and Stanley Burns (12pics), English Exams (32pics)
Stanley and Rhona’s photos (63pics), July Volunteer’s children (17pics),
Children working (21pics), Children Playing (29pics) Individual Children (79pics),
Groups children (16pics), Waiting for the bus (38pics), Sleepinn arrival (50pics),
Sleepinn breakfast (24pics), Children with passports group A (12pics),
Children with passports group B (11pics), Children with passports group C (11pics),
Bus depot -1 (28pics), Bus depot -2 (20pics), Children and chips (17pics),
Letters received (43pics), Letter writing (33pics), Satellite Dish (11pics)
Children practicing dance and singing (95pics), Sunrise (34pics)
2min VIDEO ‘FUN DANCE PRACTICE’
click here to download (low qualilty), click here to download (medium qualilty)
Photos from the April trip (over 550 photos)
New Children (13pics), Children at work (31pics), ‘100th Child’ party (50pics)
Building work-new classrooms etc. (28pics), Letters received (34pics),
Letter writing (12pics), Joinery work (50pics), Plumbing work (26pics),
Teaching the children (English) (17pics), Children’s tooth care (9pics), Play (27pics),
Games (14pics), New seesaw (21pics), Singers (30pics), Visiting team (43pics),
Sponsored children (28pics), Groups of children (35pics), Individual children (50pics),
Members of the July Trip (4pics), Sunrise/sets (29pics)
Reports on the trip by: John Brindle, Wendy Whitaker
and from a previous trip July 2005 by Gary Nolan
Photos from the March Trip (over 360) click on the various headings
Airport (15pics), Building work (29pics), Famine relief (8pics), Food! (37pics),
Groups of children (57pics), Individual children (88pics), Letters received (35pics),
Letter writing (25pics), Melissa (7pics), New children (22pics), Sunrise/sets (46pics)
Children working the land (22pics)
Photos from the January 2006 Trip (over 300) click on the various headings
New children (8pics), The visiting team (65pics), Villagers (105pics)
Inividual children (108pics), Groups of children (19pics), Activities (9pics)
Dining room (17pics), Singing (45pics), Awards (9pics), Letters (70pics)
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Click on pictures to enlarge
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FUNDRAISING?
We have joined ‘JUSTGIVING’
which should be a great help for those thinking of raising money through sponsored events
(e.g. Marathons etc.)
Click here for more information
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Karen Ross and pre-school
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Plans for new boys dorm to accommodate 148 boys.
click here for larger plan
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89 children still need
sponsors/co-sponsors.
Here are some of them
Click here to go to our sponsorship page
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Countries wealth compared
For every £7 the Tanzanian government has to spend (GDP) on each person these are the figures for comparison
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Tanzania
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£7
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Kenya
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£12
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Uganda
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£17
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South Africa
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£121
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United Kingdom
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£309
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As you can see both Kenya and Uganda have nearly twice as much money to spend per person as Tanzania whilst the South African government has 17 times the amount to spend on it’s people.
The UK government has 44 times the amount to spend per person.
Click here to see the source of these figures.
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FREE DOWNLOADS
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Click here to download MP3
‘Our God is an awesome God’
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Click here to download Video
‘Our God is an awesome God’
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