8.10.25 Special Saturdays

 

Once a month, staff and children at Mayega Children’s Centre get together for a day of fun and celebrations.

Most obviously, birthdays are celebrated, games are played, singing and dancing, and debates and discussions on important topics.

Our manager, Neema, pointed out the importance:

‘Our Family Day is another strategy that the Centre uses to make children feel important. It is done every last Saturday of each month. This is where staff members do sports and games with children, having talent shows, but also celebrating birthdays of the particular month, and recognise and provide incentives to those who done well in doing home chores, sports and academic. This helps to have active and positive friendly relationship between the two groups’.

Family Days are clearly having a positive effect in developing Mayega’s sense of family and in building up the confidence and esteem of the children.

8.10.25 Source to sea

For five days in September, Paul, Cenzo, John, Maura, Anne, Mark, Andy, Marion, Mike and Zoe tackled some or all of the Annandale Way. The walk is in Dumfries and Galloway and starts at the Devil’s Beef Tub near Moffat and ends at the Solway Coast. It was a particularly wet week, but the sun shone on the last day. The highlight – a golden eagle, mobbed by buzzards, flying above Annandale Head.

Hats off to Cenzo and John who completed the 56-mile route. If you would like to sponsor our team, please do so using the Donate Now page on the website.

26.7.25 Welcome, Mwalimu!

 

At the beginning of July Mayega Children’s Centre welcomed Abel Yona as the new teacher. He is the successor to Mwalimu Reni, who left to take up a post at a government secondary school. Mr Abel has a degree in science with education from the University of Dar es Salaam.
The children know Mr Abel very well. He has worked at the local secondary and primary schools over the last seven years. This was as a volunteer teacher. It is quite common in Tanzanian schools for parents to fund additional teachers who are not on a school’s payroll.
One of the early challenges for Mr Abel will be to develop individual learning plans for the children based on their needs across the curriculum. This will build on work done by Jenny Wallen to strengthen educational planning, assessment and reporting. Jenny is a trustee and an education specialist with many years experience.
We wish Mr Abel well. He is joining us with the Centre having a strong learning culture and high attainment.

19.6.25 Off The starting blocks

June was a great time for Kikongo and Inuka women’s groups.
Thirty three women at Kikongo had been assessed by Julieth and supported into starting their group on 10th June. This is a significant milestone.
After three further months of good performance, they will receive a first Busega Scotland grant into their vicoba (group bank or credit union). Good performance means members attending meetings, making payments regularly into the vicoba, and starting to use business loans.
The women at Inuka have ‘passed’ these tests and received their first grant on 11th June. The grant converted to about £350. The Inuka group is made up of 34 members.
Busega Scotland is delighted at the progress of both groups.

18.6.25 Talented young people

There was plenty to celebrate at Mayega Children’s Centre on 7th June.
We had received confirmation that two of our Form 4 students had been allocated further education places by the Government. Ibrahim will study A level at Mbweniteta Secondary School in Dar es Salaam (History, Kiswahili and English) and ‘big’ Emma (Emmanuel) will go to Tukuyu Teachers College near the Zambian border to study Chemistry and Mathematics. Well done to both of them.
In addition, Form 6 students Elizabeth and Johana have been selected for 3 months national service in the army on the basis of their character and academic ability. Congratulations – this is an honour for them.
Also, it was the last visit to the Centre from our Scottish visitors – so, of course, party time! Sports, singing, dancing and a meal. Mixed emotions all around.

 

18.6.25 Group excitement

Our Scottish visitors Andy, Anne, Maura and Mark visited women’s groups in Kalwande, Lugezini, Inuka, and Mayega. These were very special moments for our friends and for group members as well.
Greetings were exchanged, and most flamboyantly by the women, with ululation, singing, and dancing. Universally, group leaders said how much being a member has benefitted the women, both financially (through the vicoba or group savings bank) and socially through the solidarity of the members.
The visits were arranged by our project co-ordinator, Julieth. The visitors expressed their admiration for her work and for the women’s progress. Maura and Mark have taken responsibility within Busega Scotland for raising funds for the groups and the plan is to start three new ones every year (involving approximately 100 women).
In a troubled world where so many people ask ‘what can I do to make a difference?’, the groups are a prime example of what person to person support can achieve. We can’t change the world but we can make a difference – that being the essence of Busega Scotland.

18.6.25 Commissioned by trustees

John and Christine’s visit to Tanzania had a somewhat different focus this year. There was the usual staff development work and training but Busega Scotland trustees asked that the following be inspected.
The administration of the Family Support Project (women’s groups)
At Mayega Children’s Centre:
Record keeping
Implementation of new job descriptions and working practices
Financial administration
Reports have been prepared and will be presented at the next meeting of Busega Scotland trustees. Inspection is part of the Future Shape plan to increase operational responsibility at the Centre, and for this to be monitored and scrutinised by John and Christine, on behalf of trustees..
There will be full article on the 2025 inspection in the next edition of our newsletter, Nyumba Moja.
One of the recent changes at the Mayega is to make working practices more flexible. The photos show Caregiver Michael, who has special responsibility for security at the Centre, also working in the garden with one of the boys. All staff have welcomed this flexible approach and it has been backed-up by training to emphasise it’s importance.

18.6.25 Blending knowledge

Busega Scotland welcomed experienced social workers, Maura, Mark, Anne, and Andy to Tanzania in June. To experience the wonderful country and as a working visit.
A highlight was the training carried out for staff at Mayega Children’s Centre. It blended child care knowledge and experience from two continents and working cultures. There was much sharing and mutual learning plus fun and laughter. Language is no barrier when there is a common cause!
A diverse range of topics was covered including team working, models of care and self-evaluation. John and Christine had previously offered refresher training on safeguarding and responding to risk.
It is no exaggeration to say that our visitors were mightily impressed by what they saw at Mayega. The understanding of staff towards the needs of the children, the positive interactions, and the contentment of the children, being highlights.
There will be more about the visit to the Centre in the next edition of our newsletter, Nyumba Moja.

18.6.25 All things come to him that waits

This may not be a Tanzanian proverb but it’ll do! It emphasises patience and perseverance.
22nd May was a special day at Mayega Children’s Centre. There was a visit from the village land committee and a representative from the local court service. There was nothing wrong. The court had first use of land adjacent to Centre that we had applied to use.
A letter confirming a transfer had been received at the Centre but the visitors were tasked with confirming the land boundary. After a follow-up meeting of the village council, the bit we need was finally granted.
It’s an extension of the existing garden that will allow the building of a separate boys dormitory, and to re-purpose their original space as a dining /function room. The girls dormitory will also be upgraded. Importantly, it allows the boys and girls dormitories to be in separate buildings.
It has been a long time waiting for the land allocation but after several false starts it is over the line. All Busega Scotland needs to do now is to raise the capital for the project (that will also include a small orchard). Patience and perseverance, we think, will need to be renewed.

 

17.5.25 Combining expertise

A group of self-funding volunteers from Scotland are due to visit Mayega Children’s Centre in June. The child care social work experience possessed by the group is enormous.
In the photograph, that was not taken in Africa (!), are Andy, Mark, Anne and Maura. Andy and Anne being senior managers at City of Edinburgh Council, and Mark and Maura, professor and lecturer at Dundee University. Mark’s specialty is residential child care.
A lot of preparatory work has been undertaken with Mayega to refine the visitors remit and relevance, as they aim to develop the capabilities of the staff at the Centre. That is underpinned by Neema and Asteria being Tanzanian social work graduates.
The quality and depth of the discussions will be so rewarding for all concerned, as they mix their knowledge, skills and experiences gained from two different social work cultures. More red letter days for Mayega!