Big Busega Parties has cracked Antarctica!
An article in John and Christine’s local newspaper, the Northern Scot, led to Charlotte Nicol joining in the project. Charlotte works on a ship that visits Antarctica and she and her colleagues celebrated in a way that will amaze the Mayega children! Charlotte takes up the story:
‘We hiked to the top point of a hill, and on the way down couldn’t resist a quick dive into the snow! Then back onto the ship for a warm tea to thaw ourselves out.

We’ve had a crazy time with the waves, crossing a place called ‘Drake’s Passage’ today, and the whole ship is on a level 5 safety lockdown – we can’t stand or walk straight and everything flying about our cabins’.
So, no party on board ship!

Stade is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany, some 45 km west of Hamburg. It is home to two of Christine and John’s closest friends – Liz and Friedhelm Voges. Friedhelm is a great cook, and the couple invited six friends over to celebrate 5 years of Busega Scotland.

Uniquely, Friedhelm baked a Tanzanian flag cake (and Liz is holding up the German flag). We also had a lovely message from our friends in Germany:
‘We are very impressed by your projects. Everyone sends their best wishes – for the big Mayega party and for everything else Busega Scotland does in Tanzania’.
We know that the Mayega children (and adults) will be thrilled to see their flag. What a super, creative and tasty idea.

Volunteer and Busega Scotland Trustee , Jenny Wallen , was introduced to the Mayega Primary School children by headteacher , Ernest Damiano. Jenny will be working with the staff and children to implement a new English reading programme that was donated by Lhanbryde Primary School in Scotland.

Happy Birthday from  the Patterson Family celebrating at a Cancun Mexican Restaurant in Crossville .

Restaurant staff joined in wishing the Mayega children a great celebration!

Happy Birthday ! 🎉🎈Although we can’t be there in person we are delighted to see the wonderful progress that has been made at Mayega and we shall be thinking of all our friends in Tanzania. Enjoy the celebrations. Love from Robin and Debbie  xx   (from a wind tunnel near Bedford)

– Asante Sana!

Busega Scotland’s roving ambassador, Peter Hagenbuch, has been partying in the US while there on a business trip. Brown’s Chapel, in Crossville, heard about our 5-year celebrations and sent their congratulations to us from Tennessee in fine style.

This was followed by a Pow Wow, near Nashville. A Pow Wow being a gathering of Red Indian tribes for dancing, craft sales and to provide information about themselves. Representatives from the Choctaw tribe learnt about Busega Scotland and agreed to provide us with the most colourful picture so far (it is sure to intrigue the children at Mayega).

Many thanks to Peter for his unstinting support, and to our new American friends for their good wishes.

The date of the Big Mayega Party has been set for Saturday 16th November. The event will celebrate 5 years of Busega Scotland and the work at the Children’s Centre. It will be the culmination of the Busega Parties Project, that we expect to cover all seven continents and up to twenty countries.

The Mayega Party Planning Team consists of Christine and Busega Scotland staff; Pastor Gadlord Deuli (Project Leader), Julieth Godwin (Assistant Project Leader) and Kabula Peter (Secretary). Important items were discussed. The guest list, party games and, of course, the food to be served!
Young Golden, Julieth’s son ,  was supposed to chair the meeting but soon after it started he fell soundly asleep! Some meetings are really boring!

Happy Birthday Busega!

Best wishes from Paul, Vanessa, Jessica and Hugo. We live in Bedford, England, which has a huge river running through it with geese and swans. We have heard a lot about the great work Busega does through Paul’s Aunt Jenny. Hope you have a wonderful Mayega party.

Mayega Children’s Centre sends Greetings to the De Palma and Fairman families in Toronto and to Phil and Jannetta Vandenberg ,Canadian  Friends of Mayega Children’s Centre ,working in Mwanza. Have a great day.

Sheila McLarnon was on a spiritul retreat in North Wales where she gave a talk about Busega Scotland . Sheila has been a supporter of Busega Scotland since our beginnings! She visited the Mayega Children’s Centre for the first time earlier this year.

The photograph is of some sisters and the  extended family of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary .  The group support  justice and peace work in the UK and throughout the world. The lady giving the thumbs up is a nun who spent many years working in Africa.

They send Happy Birthday Greetings to Mayega.