8.10.25 Hat trick

Three new women’s groups have started in 2025. They are at Inuka, Kikongo and Igombe.

99 women are involved. This brings the total number of groups facilitated by Busega Scotland to 17 with over 500 women participating (our estimate is that more than 2000 children will be in those families and will have their life chances improved).

Kikongo is interesting. The village is at one end of the John Pombe Magafuli Bridge that was completed in December 2024. It takes traffic west from the city of Mwanza to the gold mining area of Geita. Crossing part of Lake Victoria, the bridge is named after the previous president of Tanzania who died in 2021. The bridge is the longest in East Africa and the sixth longest on the continent at 3,200 metres.

One young person was from Mayega Children’s Centre was involved in the construction.

8.10.25 Massive effort

Mayega Children’s Centre has been granted a new piece of land by Mayega village to increase the size of our compound. The new land measures 50 x 22m.

The first task was to secure the area by shifting some existing fencing and adding more. Then, without being asked, Patron Isaak and Security Guard Michael set about levelling old sweet potato ridges and using just hoes. What an effort! It took them a week but now the children have a sports field.

Part of the land is destined for a new dormitory, and a project team has been established to progress the project. We have the skills in place but have the challenge of finding finance. Meanwhile the children are enjoying their new-found play space.

8.10.25 Academic success

 

It was a tough year for seven Mayega Centre students. Four faced Form 4 national examinations and three their A-levels. Here is the Roll of Honour, as they all passed.

Agnes – accepted on a certificate course to become an early year’s teacher.

Big Emma – has started a diploma in science education.

Small Emma – has gained a certificate place in accounts and marketing.

Ibrahim – has started A-levels.

Johana – has a degree place studying computing.

Pascali – secured a degree course in environmental science and management.

Elizabeth – has the qualifications for a degree course and is awaiting a place.

The photos show Agnes starting her enrolment process and Johana on his final day of national service. He and Elizabeth were both selected for three months service. This is based on merit in personality and academic ability. Well done to both our ambassadors!

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.