We are pleased to advise that that the Busega Scotland Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for 2018/19 were approved at our annual general meeting on 14th January. The reporting period of 1st December to 30th November is determined by our regulator, the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator (OSCR). The Busega Scotland annual return was submitted on 17th January and checked by OSCR on 6th February. This concluded the reporting arrangements for 2018/19 and a copy the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts are available on this website at
https://busegascotland.co.uk/annual-accounts/

Busega Scotland’s Family Support Project normally supports women’s groups but we are working with one individual family. This is a collaboration that includes Tanzanian colleagues and some generous individuals in the United States. The family live in a separate room, adjacent to a house owned by a wonderful lady called Pendo.

She, along with a Montessori-trained colleague Sebastian, and our very own Julieth, are the support team, ably assisted by Julieth’s baby, Golden. When Golden arrives at Buswelu he is immediately whisked away by the girls, Lydia and Ester, who love showing him off to their friends. Julieth recounts, with a resigned shrug, the times she has to delay her departure home while Golden is retrieved from his admirers!

Over the last while there has been a big push at Mayega to improve the environment for the children. Much maintenance work has been carried out and everyone has embraced the tree planting. The passionfruit hedge is producing beautiful flowers and fruit. Another 50 seedlings have arrived for planting out, as the ‘green revolution’ continues.

Our colleagues from the fisheries department delivered 70kg of confiscated fish from illegal fishing (free of charge). This was gutted and laid out on the woodstore roof for drying.Our December arrivals, Daudi and Margaret are settling in well, and were joined recently by Yasini. Already, he seems reassured by the welcome he has received. The staff and children are excellent at this.

Late last year the electrics in the Centre were made ready for mains electricity. There are encouraging signs that the connection will soon be made as poles have been erected and wires hung. Then all we will have to do is pay the bills!

It is always a matter of great excitement when the lorry leaves Mwanza and then arrives at Mayega, with essential supplies for the next 4 months. Coming from a society where the next bit of shopping is only a trip to the supermarket away, it is perhaps hard to appreciate the importance of a well stocked storeroom at the Children’s Centre.

The children come from backgrounds where the next meal cannot be guaranteed and hunger was an ever present risk. Indeed, new children at Mayega are often seen to eat excessive quantities of food, until they become confident and secure in the knowledge that their needs will be met. On the last trip there were chairs and mattresses to replace broken and worn out items. We are also pleased to report that the lorry was successfully dug out of the Mayega sand.