The hard work of many people in Scotland and Busega District is bringing piped water to the various communities of Mayega. It is heartening to see the way that the simple act of people working together can bring transformative change. No more hazardous, laborious and time consuming walks to Lake Victoria, to bring back unclean water in buckets and plastic containers. Remember how it was:

‘The oldest four hundred children in the primary school had to bring a bottle of water for the toilets. If children wished to drink during the day, they needed to carry their own supply. Children walk up to 7 km to get to school.
Sometimes the supply for the toilets ran out and children were sent to the lake, interrupting their learning (a round trip of about an hour).
The risks of collecting water from Lake Victoria; Bilharzia is endemic, and attacks from hippos and crocodiles are possible.’

No wonder there was excitement when Busega Scotland volunteers, Arnold and Valerie Barrow, visited one of the newly constructed standpipes. The couple have an important role in providing an accountability link between the Mayega Water Project and the Rotary Club of Elgin, who have raised funds for the work. Hats off to all concerned.

The latest six women have joined the Bujingwa Women’s Group in the small town of Igombe. Busega Scotland’s Supervisor, Alphonce Kagezi, and Assistant Project leader, Julieth Godwin, had the pleasure of introducing the new women to the group. The ladies received a grant of about £45 each to develop or open new businesses and another £45 is paid into the group’s vicoba (credit union) on their behalf. This acts as a low interest lending bank for group members, to grow their businesses and meet family emergencies. Since January 2018, the existing group of 17 women have increased their Busega Scotland funding of £150 to £550, through their hard work and saving.
The Bujingwa Group is Busega Scotland’s fourth women’s group, supporting over one hundred women in total. The Family Support Project’s funds are targeted at women in particular difficulties, as single parents or widows, with low income (perhaps only £25 per month) and generally large families. Sometimes, it is grandparents who care for the children, due to the loss of parents from AIDS and other illnesses. The modest help from our project can help prevent family breakdown and destitution.
Regular readers of our news posts will recognise Mr Kagezi, or as we affectionately know him – the King of Igombe. Last year, he was knocked off his motor bike and seriously injured. A marvellous recovery has got him back on his feet, even though his mobility is still a bit limited. All power to the King!

The kitchen project at Mayega Children’s Centre is well underway. The foundations are in and walls being built. The kitchen will be straightforward – sink, work surface and stove. It will replace the old ‘kitchen’ – a corrugated iron shed with open fire. This is simply unacceptable and our cook, Victoria, said, understandably, that her back wasn’t coping well with cooking for everyone on the floor!
The stove is being made in Mwanza at Madame Fausta’s metal fabricating workshop. It is a large steel cylinder with a firebox at the base. It is lined with fire bricks, and the pan fits snuggly into it. The cooker burns wood more efficiently than an open fire, and the pans can cook rice or maize porridge for about 30 people. Victoria is looking forward to a little easier life!
The photograph shows Busega Scotland volunteer, Valerie Barrow, and Project Leader, Rev Canon Gadlord Deuli, inspecting progress with the stove. It will have a chimney attached to when it is installed at the Centre.

John had the pleasure of receiving cheques from the St James’s Place Charitable Foundation and the Rotary Club of Elgin, to further the work of Busega Scotland.
The Foundation has donated £1000 to the Moving-on Project. This will allow our six mechanics graduates to attend a driving course and significantly increase their chances of employment. The cheque was presented by Andy Lees, who has a Partner Practice of St James’s Place Wealth Management. He is also a trustee of Busega Scotland.

The Rotary cheque will progress the Mayega Water Project, with the construction of a kitchen at the Children’s Centre and further standpipes in the village. The donation, of over £5000, included contributions from Elgin Rotary Club and Rotary District 1010. The presentation was made by Elgin Rotary president George Duthie, with their International Committee chairman Ash Major in attendance.
The students have started their driving lessons and some of the Rotary money has already been spent on materials for the construction projects. The site work will commence in the next week and completion is planned for mid-February.
Busega Scotland thanks the donating organisations for the faith they have shown in Busega Scotland and for their support of vulnerable people in Tanzania.

Volunteers Arnold and Valerie Barrow are about to embark on their sixteenth visit to Africa and fifth trip to Tanzania on behalf of Busega Scotland. I think we can safely say that the continent has got into their blood. The Barrows will use all their experience carrying out a work plan addressing current issues and priorities at Mayega Children’s Centre and in the Moving-on Project.
The work at Mayega is well defined around water and construction. Also, one job that the Barrows have made their own is the first of the year’s bulk food shop. Non-perishable goods are bought in Mwanza and transported to the Children’s Centre, providing supplies for four months.
We have six mechanics graduates in Mwanza learning to drive and who will need to find employment shortly. Arnold and Valerie will be supporting this new phase in the young people’s lives. There are also a couple of young ladies in Moving-on, with whom the Barrows will explore future plans and career opportunities.
Valerie is particularly good at getting alongside people. Valerie writes, ‘Packing is nearly complete and as usual we will be taking a range of craft materials to use with the children. We are pleased with the educational progress being achieved by Mayega children but there is still much scope to encourage them in constructive and creative leisure time activities. We are now very much looking forward to renewing our contact with children, young people and staff and greatly value the promise of prayer support by many fiends as we aim to make just a little impact on the lives of these young people’
Arnold adds, ‘As in previous years, we have agreed with John and Christine Carney a full work programme which we are committed to achieve over the next month. Family members, friends, neighbours and members of Stowmarket Salvation Army Corps have once again been extraordinarily generous in providing financial support for our work with over £3,000 have been donated this year. We treasure the trust shown in us to use the resources wisely and will be providing written feedback to every supporter, accounting for the monies donated and setting out what we have been able to achieve’.
John & Christine wish our loyal volunteers another enjoyable and successful visit.
Safari njema.

In an article on 21 December we announced that the Mayega Water Project had been awarded a grant of over five thousand pounds from the Rotary Club of Elgin and Rotary District 1010. This is to allow construction of a kitchen at the Children’s Centre and increase the number of standpipes in the village. The water group members have been hard at it buying materials for construction to start. There must be a ‘shout out’ to group co-ordinator Ernesto Damiano (also Headteacher of Mayega Primary School), District Water Engineer Yamlinga Mohamed and Engineers Tumbo, Senzota and Gagala for their outstanding commitment to the project and to the community. The bricks for the kitchen are being made at the Centre and construction is due to start in about one week’s time. Arnold Barrow will act as the on site ‘client representative’ for Rotary and Busega Scotland. He will provide progress reports on the kitchen and installation of the standpipes. This bit needs to be progressed quickly, as digging trenches (by hand) for the water pipes will get progressively more difficult during the dry season.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

It’s back to school time in Mayega with the new school year starting off in January. Like everywhere else, it is important to look your best when you meet your school chums again. The pupils from the Children’s Centre have been to the local town of Lamadi to buy their shoes and uniforms. The boys and girls enjoy the change of scenery and bus ride to and from.
Saturday teaching has re-started with Seba going weekly and Julieth twice a month. Seba concentrates on the older pupils and Julieth the younger ones. The main purposes are to improve English language skills and promote a learning culture. Volunteers Arnold and Valerie Barrow will be in Mayega later this month and they are very committed improving the educational and social life of the Centre. This will be their 5th visit as Busega Scotland volunteers.