October 2019 cont (1)

Handing out tennis balls

My tennis ball!

Rebecca is very brave and goes in to pat 'Rebecca' sow!

Delivering baby blankets,teddies, bed sheets and funds to St Luke's Clinic

A decade later - A time of celebrations- Oct 2019

Ten years have passed since my first visit to Tanzania and they have been such a blessing to me, my family and many friends who have shared in the experience of this wonderful country and its people.

Our October 2019 visit was a time of celebrations and in some ways sadness.  We were handing over the ownership of the  three main projects (schools, bore-hole & piglet breeding)  to the people of Chitemo and Nyhinila villages.  As I have mentioned before it was so important that the villages became self-supporting and independent.  My sadness was like a mother giving freedom to the child she had nurtured for many years.  

My relationship with Chitemo, Nyhinila and Mpwapwa Diocese has not come to an end but has reached another chapter and will continue as we have become not only firm friends but family. None of our projects would have been achievable without the support of  the Bishop of Mpwapwa, Bishop Jacob Chimeledya, the Diocesan staff, the commitment of the villagers, family, friends, individuals and many organisations.  Importantly the strong faith, dedication and foundation of prayer generated by those intimately involved  has under pinned all that has been achieved.

The past ten years have been life changing for so many people particularly myself and my family.  I have been privileged to work with God's people who have opened my eyes and heart to their strength in faith and trust in the Lord and I  have also been honoured to become a Canon of All Saints' Cathedral Mpwapwa.  

Memories of  October 2019

Suitcases packed with items to be distributed

Our  lovely driver and 'Son number 1' Rajabu with myserlf, husband Trevor and daughter Rebecca.

Rajabu has been our driver and kept us safe for the past 9 years.

The long journey of 12 hours from Dar es Salaam to Mpwapwa begins!

It has been many hours since we left England and Rebecca has given in to a needy doze!

It is wonderful to be back to the colour, the sounds and smells of Tanzania

Chichi Lodge,Mpwapwa, accommodation has greatly improved over the years. A far cry fro years of the most simple of rooms with only buckets of water used for washing and flushing  the loo!

5 star Breakfast day 1 - pancakes,oranges, bananas, tea or coffee. Wonderful

Day 2 arriving at Chitemo village

So happy to be back

Catching up with Pastor Festo and his wife Sarah

The start of the day must be singing

Many hours discussing the future

The many village representatives, committee members, teachers are present

What is going on in there?

We must have some games and songs

Time for 'pipis' sweets for the children

Members of the Diocesan Office

                                                                                

Agape cafe for lunch with many flies!

Time to visit the schools

Chitemo school the children are waiting welcoming us with songs

Chitemo school - both schools have been re-painted inside and out.

Great fun chasing balloons and creating clouds of dust!

We visit the pigsties at both villages- production is going well

July 2019 A summary of the past - 10 YEARS SINCE I FIRST VISITED TANZANIA

When I  first visited Tanzania in June 2009  little did I know what lay ahead.  It was to be a one off visit and now here am  celebrating my 10th year. It is difficult to express the profound effect  that this country and its people has had on me, my life,my family and many others.   I have heard it said that once you visit Africa and the people you have to return. Its gets under your skin.  Is it the vastness of the country the difference in customs, culture, colour of our skins that so attracts?  Who can say.  For me it has been an amazing education that no books, films or the spoken work could ever have had the same influence.  I am not a brave person and just flying is to be avoided but every year, once and even twice I have undertaken the long flights and after the first 4 years not direct to Dar es Salaam.  Then there has been the grueling journey in the land-cruiser, mostly cross country with no tarmacadam for 10 hours until reaching our destination, Mpwapwa town.  Many people have joined me on my visits and all have returned.  My family have always been very supportive and in the beginning were a bit shocked at my desire to keep returning to Tanzania.  My daughter Rebecca  and my husband Trevor had no wish to visit but you can never tell what is round the corner! I think my enthusiasm sharing of experiences and the 100's of photographs made some impact.    

It is well known that Africa and its people are not blessed with the many facilities we take for granted.  Water and food are often a great challenge and all the daily commodities and amenities that we enjoy.  I was made very aware of this during my first visit particularly the many orphan children who have few opportunities to improve their very survival.  Two villages in particular, Chitemo and Nyhinila remained in my memory on my return in 2009 because of the many orphan children, 300 in fact.  Many countries in the content of Africa have little or no infrastructure for those who have physical disabilities or are orphans.  Somehow whether they are adult or children they just have to survive often on their own or rely on the charity of village members.  Thankfully Chitemo and Nyhinila had the influence of the Christian church and were trying to help the orphan children.  Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in Africa and these two villages reflected this, particularly the smaller one Nyhinila.  The villagers had nothing more than the little mud brick houses they had built and a little land to grown there crops so that they would have food.  Chitemo had a water bore-hole, the people of Nyhinila had to walk 7 kilometers to Nyhinila to access water. A daily challenge. 

When I first visited many of the adults and certainly all the children had never seen a white person before.  They were wary of me and the many children ran away crying.  However, these people are so resilient, used to dealing with anything life has thrown at them so I was not much of a challenge and in no time their curiosity got the better of them and they wanted to come closer and find out about this strange person with white skin and blond hair.  By the end of the day the children all sang to me in Swahili and when I had it translated they thanked me for visiting them and prayed that I would return.  When I heard this I was very moved and also saddened as  this was a one off visit.  

On my return to the UK after much thought I contacted all the large charities to see if there was anything they could do to help these villages but with little success. My answer was to return 10 months later and this was the beginning of the 10 year relationship that led in 2014 to forming my charity SEEDS4tanzania.  My son became our Patron and donated our first £5000 to get us going.  Rebecca, daughter took on the role of secretary/accounts and after our first trustee left to form another charity we were joined by Jacqui a lady who 5 years ago said to me after I had done a presentation on the charity, 'is there something I could help you with'.  Little did she know what the future held for her.  My husband Trevor became the 'Goffer'  it speaks for its self!  Rebecca and Trevor were very happy to help with feet firmly planted in England but they gave in and Rebecca had joined visits for the past 6 years and for Trevor this year will be his 3rd visit.  Jacqui has been out twice and is already planning 2021! 2017 my grandson Oliver then (18) joined the visit and the following year his brother William (17).  Both grandson during their visits were honoured to be baptised into the local Gogo tribe and given Gogo names.  Oliver Mzengo which means builder and William Sehewa (blessing). We have always self-funded our visits which has been a big commitment for all involved. 

Back to SEEDS.  After 4 years of visits and talking with the people and getting their trust it was decided that the best way forward was to enable the building of  a pre-school in Chitemo.  This led to a second school in Nyhinila.  We fully equipped the schools, had 5 villagers trained as primary school teachers and in the past 5 years we have added a  water-borehole in Nyhanila (majority of the funds donated by a previous Trustee who with friends jumped out of a aeroplane) .  SEEDS have also helped fund adults who have wanted to attend university,  funded  schooling  for children from other areas  and many other smaller projects.  Since the opening of the village schools we have funded their maintenance, teachers teaching materials and allowances for the teacher.  However, it has always been our aim that by 2020 our two villages would become self-supporting and independent.  To enable this to happen we had to find a way for the villages to generate the funds required to maintain the schools and pay their teachers.  It was decided after much discussion with the villagers that   piglet breeding and the sale of piglets would produce the funds needed.  We built pigstys in the villages,had villagers trained in pig breeding, supplied the sows,boars and pig feed and after a rocky start two years ago piglet production was underway.  Money is already accumulating in a specific bank account.  At the beginning of October we shall be in our villages to celebration and mark the coming of their independence and taking on the responsibilities of the Schools, water-bore hole and piglet project. Although we shall have handed over our three main projects we are continuing to support the schooling for Maasai orphans and our relationship with Chitemo and Nyhinila will never end as we have not only become firm friends but also family.

Chitemo school has 158 children Nyinila 82 space is running out more classrooms are needed

The water-bore hole we provided in 2014 is life saving particularly when there has been little rain. This year 2019  the rainy season has been very poor which has decimated the harvest of crops and there will be a serious shortage of home grown food.  Grain to buy will be very expensive.

Transporting Trevor the boar on a motorbike from Nyhinila to Chitemo to do his duty!

The fruit of Trevor's and sows get-together!

Maasai orphans who will attend school

Rucksacks at the ready

SEEDS4tanzania

Schooling Education Empowerment Development Sustainability

A big thank you to the many organisations and individuals who have supported us in so many different way. A big thank you to my family for all the support and encouragement.

June 2009 The start of my journey with Chitemo and Nyhinila 

April 2019 further update

Maasai orphan project

SEEDS are funding 25 Maasai orphans to enable them to attend school.   We also supply funds for food to be distributed to Maasai villages where there is great poverty.  The villages are in the area of Kiteto a long drive from where we have our other projects and the Maasai are very poor with few facilities if any.  When we visited three years ago for the first time we were the first white people the adults and children had met. The visit was challenging for all involved, the local people, ourselves and particularly the children.  However,  it did not take long for all concerned to communicate and become friends.  Although English had to be translated into Swahili and then into Maasai and back again.  Visits since have been looked forward to by all and we shall return  in October. As always the education of children is so important and without our help the children would not be able to attend school and progress in their lives. 

Some of the Maasai orphans who now attend school.

Transporting grain and cooking oil to the villages - not an easy task.

Grain and oil has been distributed to the villages by Rev Baraka.  I have known Rev Baraka for 9 years we met when he was studying at the  St Phillips Theological College in Mpwapwa Diocese.  He is an Anglican Maasai Priest and it is through him and his heart for his people that SEEDS came to support his work.  We send out funds quarterly to cover food and the children's schooling but Rev Baraka knows that this is not sustainable and will have to become self funding in the future.   He now has land to cultivate crops and also a goat herd.  It is hoped that these will produce the funds that are required to  help with food shortage and  I am hoping that we shall also find individuals who are willing to sponsor a child's schooling which amounts to £60 to cover uniform, books and stationery.

My grateful thanks as always for support that is given to SEEDS for  our projects.

ASANTE SANA

April 2019 Update

 Piglet breeding project

Nyhinila village has been producing piglets on a regular basis but Chitemo has not been so productive.  It has been a challenging time but we have overcome the problems with our experienced vet/project  manager and the help of a piglet worker from Nyhinila being willing to oversee the project in both villages. 

We have only one boar, Trevor, who is in the Nyhinila pig unit.  He has certainly been most active servicing the sows of Nyhinila and Chitemo.  Chitemo is 7 kilometers from Nyhinila, so how does he do this?  Well he certainly does not walk from one village to another! No he rides a motorbike (pikipiki)!!!!

'Trevor' on the motorbike

'Yolande' sow at Nyhinila with piglets

, 

He is a very big boy!

Yohanna our vet and Mussa transport 'Trevor'  who the workers named after my husband, a bit embarrassing sometimes!  There is no other transport and as there do not seem to be the words 

'can't do' in Tanzania, the motor bike has been the answer.  You may be saying why not have a boar in both villages.  We did have one in Chitemo to start with but he did not seem very productive so he was sold and it was decided to use Trevor until  problems with the piglet breeding at Chitemo were resolved.  I hope we shall soon be able to give him a rest and purchase a second boar.

'Yolande' sow at Nyhinila recently gave birth to 18 piglets and 11 have survived.  Yohanna's dedication and experience not only saved piglets but also Yolande who was very unwell after producing so many piglets.  All is now well and the piglets will soon be available for sale.

The sows in Chitemo are now pregnant and we hope to hear the good news that healthy piglets have been produced.

SEEDS continues to support the project financially, pig feed for 2019, vet fees for 2019 and more,  so that the funds they receive during this time from selling piglets can be saved for maintaining the schools and teachers when they take over the responsibility January 2020. The piglet breeding will then continue to give the villages the funds they require for their schools.

SEEDS has funded the pig feed for the year 2019

Chitemo and Nyhinila Pre-schools

The schools continue to progress well with the teachers engaging the children aged 3 to 7 years in reading, writing, sums and English.  Once the children reach the required level in these subjects they move to government primary schools.  Our children always have a head start in all subjects and are able to help the primary school children.  There continues to be challenges with supplying books for the new curriculum set by the government.  The supplies are always slow in coming through for non government schools.  However, our  teachers are helped enormously as we supply them with all the teaching materials they require to enable them to progress with the subjects they teach.  In fact they have much more than would be supplied in a government school.   At the present time Chitemo school has 104 children registered and   Nyhinila the smaller village has 82.   SEEDS continues to pay the teachers allowances and supply teaching materials until the villages take over the responsibility in January 2020.

Bore-Hole

The bore-hole in Nyhinila continues to work well and used by the communities in Nyhinila and Chitemo. It will become even more essential as the year moves on when other water supplies have dried up. The villagers continue to use the water filters we have provided which has reduced water related sickness particularly in the children.