Saturday 19 January 2019

April 2018 to date


















SCHOOLS - Chitemo and Nyhinila villages




Where it all began with these children in 2009 - no schools - no hope for the future

Thankfully the schools have continued to run as smoothly as is possible in such rural villages and are being well maintained. They remain fully equipped and supplied with teaching materials through the funding from SEEDS.  The 5 teachers we trained are working well together.   The children who attend school receive morning porridge to sustain them, this can be their only meal of the day. Attendance has averaged 100 pupils per school and in 2018 137 pupils reached the standard to be enrolled in the local Primary School.  It is good to hear that our children are advanced in their reading, writing and sums when they attend Primary School compared to pupils of similar age.    The head teacher at Nyhinila was on maternity leave for three months during 2018 which left the remaining teacher challenged to undertake all the teaching with little other help.  The schools are in need of additional desks and chairs for the teachers as they only have one of each per school.   A local carpenter  is being sought to make these and SEEDS will look to fund them.  The children are also encouraged to have some play time and we have supplied outdoor equipment of swing, slides, roundabouts and seesaws.

SEEDS  continues to maintain the schools  and pay the teachers.  This will continue until the end of  2019 when the schools will become self-funding.  It was encouraging to see that the teachers are now looking into ways to generate funds for the schools.  They have collected Baobab seeds (a form of vitamin C) to sell and grow sun flowers to make oil from the seeds for their own use and to sell.  The funds have also provided the millet to make the children's porridge and paid for some small repairs.




Desks are still in one piece!
Knitted ponchos for the children
Outdoor games

Porridge time



Parachute game a favourite



William helping to unwrap sweets




School toilets


Delivery of school teaching materials

















Lesson time
Playtime!


WATER BORE-HOLE - Nyhinila


The  installation of a bore-hole in Nyhinila village  in 2014 has changed the lives of the people who previously had to walk 7 kilometers to Chitemo village to access water.  Since its installation there have been challenges but these seem to have been addressed and water is in good supply.  The money that is paid to draw water is being banked and will be used for maintenance and the purchase of fuel for the generator and pay the workers.  During 2018 the bore-hole committee have built a toilet for those who work at the bore-hole and those drawing water.  Also a building is now available for the bore-hole workers to cook their food and  troughs have been built for animals to access.  I am delighted that these additions to the  bore-hole have been a committee initiative rather than contacting SEEDS for help.  This is progress indeed towards the villages becoming self-sufficient and self funding.

The beginning - First water October 2014


Animal water trough 2018
Kitchen 2018
Animal water trough 2018
Toilet 2018
Building for generator and pump 2018

























People waiting to fill their water containers




WATER FILTERS

We have moved another step forward with the provision of water.  To help prevent water related diseases we have supplied the villages with water filters.  These are attached to water butts and after passing through the filters the water is clean and safe to drink.  Over the past 2 years we have delivered 155 water filters which have been distributed amongst the people.  One filter can be used by 100 people and will last up to 10 years as long as the filter is cleaned regularly, which is a very simple operation.

Water filter


PIGLET BREEDING PROJECT.

After a very shaky start in 2017 due to the swine fever and thereafter the very slow production of piglets I am delighted to say piglet production is moving forward with leaps and bounds.  We trained 5 villagers in animal husbandry specifically pig breeding and our vet Yohana oversees their progress. Two of our first sows and one boar were sold as they were not producing piglets, new sows purchased and Trevor our existing boar from Nyhinila has been working hard servicing the sows of both villages.  During our October 2018 visit we were able to see a number of piglets in Nyhinila and Chitemo were waiting for  piglets to be born at any time.  The piglets are sold once they are weaned at two months and word has already spread that the breed of pigs is of good quality so piglets are sold as soon as they are born.  We have to thank the piglet workers and our vet Yohana for their commitment to the success of the project.  The funds received for the piglets are being banked and these will go towards the maintenance of the schools and paying the teachers.  The aim of SEEDS has always been to enable the villages to  take ownership of the three projects and the piglet breeding will be  the means to maintain the schools and pay the teachers.  We are hoping that by the end of 2019 we shall be able to celebrate the independence of the villages.


Pig feed







Inside pigsty
Hungry piglets
Yohana Vet




































Rebecca with Ralph the runt of the litter!

























MOSQUITO NETS

Malaria continues to be a serious problem throughout Africa particularly with the young, pregnant mothers and the elderly.  We have supplied 600 mosquito nets that have been distributed amongst the most vulnerable children and adults in the villages.


Mosquito nets


PASTOR FESTO - A HOUSE FOR RETIREMENT

Pastor Festo the Anglican priest for the area has been an invaluable asset to overseeing the progress of our projects.  Apart from all his work as a Pastor to ensure the spiritual well being of the villagers and his responsibilities as a husband, father and grandfather he has committed a great deal of time to ensure our work in the villages has progressed as smoothly as possible.  He will retire in 5 - 6 years time and will not have a home of his own unless he builds one.  Pastors during their ministerial life have very little funding and are mainly self supporting through the crops they are able to grow and few animals they might have.  To repay him for all his commitment to our projects we are offering some funding to enable him to build a home.

Mud bricks being fired


The area where the house will be built
           
Small house for visitors

LAPTOPS/ TABLETS AND MOBILE PHONES

Every year when we visit we take out second-hand laptops/tablets and mobile phones.  The laptops are such a luxury particularly for individuals who are studying.

Pastor Amos receiving his tablet

ST LUKE'S MATERNITY AND GENERAL CLINIC

For the past 9 years we have been supporting the clinic taking out baby clothes/knitted teddies  to be given as a gift to mothers who have had or having a baby.  The  gift  of baby clothes is to encourage mothers  to have their babies in the safety of the clinic, rather than at home in a village. We also provide the clinic with spectacles that have been donated, water filters, pain killers and bed sheets.  The facilities of the clinic are very basic, medication is in short supply, the beds have no sheets.   The Doctor, nurses and midwives work long hours and past their retirement age to be able to keep this facility available.


A new mother who has received the baby clothes and soft toy teddy

MAASAI ORPHANS

In the area of Kiteto there are a number of Maasai villages.  The villagers are extremely poor and have little more than the mud brick houses they live in and land to grow crops.  It is a struggle to send children to school, particularly if they are orphans.  Also the Government schools can be many  kilometers away from the villages.  For the orphan children to attend school they have to be cared for by people in the villages nearest to the schools. These people have to be paid to look after and feed the children.  The children also require clothes and teaching materials to attend school.  Fortunately to not charge schooll fees.  For the past three years SEEDS have donated funds to enable 25 orphan children to be cared for and now to attend school.  Also funding has been given to Rev Baraka Ngobei who has made it his ministry to help these children.  The funds are used to rent accommodation for an office and store room for food.  He is also growing crops and keeping goats that will help with generating  funds. The villages are 2 to 3 hours travelling on very rough terrain from Chitemo and Nyhinila villages.  The only water supply is from the river and when that is dry it mean digging down some 30 feet to access water.  We have also supplied water filters.




Accessing water in the dry river bed




Delivering food to the villages


Maasai orphans

Ready for school



THE FUTURE OF SEEDS
When Chitemo and Nyhinila have taken  ownership of the three projects,  SEEDS will no longer have any controlling or financial commitment.  However, we will continue to enable  orphan children from areas other than Chitemo and  Nyhinila to attend school.   I am hoping to find sponsorship for these children  and to help those who wish to attend further education  possibly  moving onto University.   These young people are the future of their communities and their country.  All children deserve to have the opportunity of education, their future progress relies on this.   It is a privilege to enable children to use their gifts to improve the quality of their future lives.
A big thank you, ASANTE SANA,  to all the individuals, organisations, companies and church communities that have made this possible and continue to do so.




Schooling Education Empowerment Development and Sustainability