The work of Busega Scotland has been officially recognised by local and central government in Tanzania. In the evening before leaving Mwanza, John and Christine were presented with a framed Appreciation Note signed by Anderson N. Kabuko, the Executive Director of Busega District Council, and the Hon. Tano S. Mwela, District Commissioner for Busega, who is the President’s local representative.

The certificate was presented by Ernesto Damiano, the Headteacher of Mayega Primary School and a very prominent supporter and  partner of Busega Scotland. So determined was Ernesto to make the presentation he arrived in Mwanza at 9.15pm, on public transport from Busega District Council Headquarters in Nyashimo, a distance of about 70 miles! The certificate says:

‘We appreciate the help of Busega Scotland in improving Social Services at Mayega Village in the Busega District Council Area’.

John and Christine are keen to point out that the improvements are a result of teamwork between the charity and our many Tanzanian colleagues. However, the certificate does represent the close links and excellent working relationships that have been established, just as it should be.

Ernesto also had a gift for Christine and John from Mayega Primary School; a piece of colourful African cloth that can be made into a matching blouse and shirt on the Carneys next visit to Tanzania. Busega Scotland has been facilitating links between the Mayega school and Lhanbryde Primary School in Moray.

John and Christine left for home feeling very happy indeed!

Members of the Rotary Club of Mwanza made a visit to Mayega Children’s Centre on 20^th May, to see for themselves what the Centre offers the children. John, Christine and Arnold Barrow have attended a number of the Club’s meetings over the last year or so, at the New Mwanza Hotel on Tuesday evenings. These visits have built up relationships, and developed the understanding of what Busega Scotland is and what the Mayega does.

Rotary then floated the idea of the visit, to hopefully inspire the Club to become committed to supporting the Centre. The four travelling members received a very warm welcome from children and staff and a guided tour from Christine. The impact? The Rotarians were impressed by the caring environment and the vitality of the children, but realised much still needs to be done to further improve Mayega’s facilities.

We are delighted to say that at a follow-up meeting on 22^nd May, Mwanza Rotary Club committed to helping the Centre for the foreseeable future. They are interested in our plans to improve sanitation and have already sounded out contacts to donate materials. Getting things in place will take a little time, but we thank our new colleagues most sincerely and it is so heartening to be getting even more support from the Tanzanian community.

John and Christine have made new friends at the Rotary Club of Igoma, on the outskirts of Mwanza. We have visited twice and been made very welcome indeed. Igoma are a relatively young club, formed in 2015, being all Tanzanian members – 10 women and 5 men. They have worked with an American and a Canadian Rotary Club, and have managed an international Rotary Global Grant.

Igoma have undertaken water and education projects. Most of the members are teachers but have at least one engineer, medical and business persons. Their major project at the moment is to provide shaded seating around a shipping container of books from Canada, that forms a local library.

John and Christine joined the Club for a tree planting at Shamaliwa Primary School. The original school had 3,000 pupils so has been split in half and the new site has little shade. Rotarians and pupils planted the trees, provided by a Tanzanian charity.

Elgin Rotary/Busega Scotland may need a Global Grant partner for the next stage of the Mayega Water Project (toilets at Mayega Primary School and sanitation facilities in the village). Igoma Rotary have offered themselves as local partners and John will discuss the offer with the Rotary Club of Elgin in the coming weeks. It is great to have the support of an enthusiastic group of Tanzanian people.

Finding Jiko,

This is not the latest Hollywood blockbuster but a very inclusive process in trying to select a stove for Mayega Children’s Centre!

Busega Scotland is working with Busega District Council and the Rotary Club of Elgin, Scotland to prepare a funding application for a kitchen to be constructed at the Centre. In addition, the funds requested will allow 5 new standpipes to be installed at Mayega village. All seven sub-villages would then be served with piped water, as well as the village’s dispensary.

Busega Scotland wishes to express its thanks to colleagues at Busega District Council and Elgin Rotary Club. The Council has laid the pipes, bringing the mains supply to Mayega and has led in the design and costing of the new work. Elgin Rotary is submitting the grant application. The Mayega Water Project is a great example of effective collaboration and cooperation.

But back to the kijiko. The design is a fuel efficient stove, lined with firebricks and fitted with a chimney to take the wood smoke out of the kitchen. There are a couple of designs. Leya (Matron) and Victoria (Cook) visited Mwanza to see a stove in action, hear about its ease of use and help us decide together if it is right for Mayega Children’s Centre.

The outcome was positive and Victoria took back a small mboga (vegetable) stove to try out. The main stove will have two made to measure pots will that sit inside the stove, which adds to the fuel efficiency. One will be for wari (rice) or ugari (maize porridge) and the other for maharagi (beans).

The stove will be manufactured by a small business based at a SIDO workshop on the outskirts of Mwanza. Its a bit like a small industrial estate.

SIDO stands for Small Industries Development Organisation .

A special mention to the Rotary Club of Forres, near to John and Christine’s home village, who have donated £300 towards the cost of the stove. Many thanks for this very kind and helpful contribution.

John and Christine heard on Saturday morning that Busega Scotland’s Family Support supervisor in Igombe had been involved in an accident on his motorbike. Mr Kagezi was admitted to the main Bugando Hospital in Mwanza, where it was discovered that he had broken both the tibia and fibula in his right leg. He was then transferred home and John has been to see him. As well as the broken bones, there is a wound in his right shin and he is getting daily visits from his local Igombe hospital. We wish Mr Kagezi well as he starts his sick leave and hope for a speedy recovery.

John also met members of Igombe’s second Busega Scotland women’s group, called Tusaidiane (in English ‘ to help each other’). The group currently has 11 members and 7 were present, with the absentees at a funeral. The group has so far received £95 capital into their vicoba (credit union or informal bank)  from Busega Scotland and the women have been taking loans to grow their businesses and for family expenditure. The loans have varied from £2 to £14, with an average of about £8. In addition, the women contribute small amounts to the vicoba every week and have so far saved £80 between them. When this is added to the capital and loan interest their savings are growing well.

6 more women will join the group in June and as well as receiving the normal grant of £45 each, a total of £50 will be added on their behalf to the vicoba capital. This model allows women to establish their businesses initially, and then take loans to grow them further. The current Tusaidiane members sell fish, fruit, firewood, gravel and charcoal.

Julieth Godwin, Busega Scotland’s Assistant Project Leader, supports the group with training, which has so far concentrated on health issues – malaria, cholera, HIV, clean water and basic hygiene. The women are keen to learn and to develop their curriculum further.

John and Christine made a visit to the Children’s Centre on Saturday and received the usual kind reception. There is a very good family atmosphere, with the new children (they have been there quite a while now) having integrated well.

The youngsters are familiar with their Saturday routine and soon broke up into their school groups – the little ones with Julieth and the older ones with Seba. No children milling about and wasting time – all focused and engaged.

The most noticeable change at the Centre is the garden. Now fenced and in production. There are many types of vegetables in different stages of maturity. Mchicha is already being served at dinner – it is like spinach and much liked by the children. There are also cucumbers, tomatoes. aubergines, beans, maize and sugar cane on the way.

The soil has definitely benefited from planting leguminous jack beans and a top dressing of cow manure but, of course, the availability of piped water is the clincher. The next step is to get a hose pipe to make watering easier – the garden is 25 by 15m. Julieth made an interesting observation; how much taller, greener and healthier our maize looks compared to our neighbours. Our garden soil is being regenerated, as the land in Mayega has generally been overworked.

As well as working with the staff in the garden, the children will now have netball and volleyball to look forward to. Combined posts have been made locally, and are weighed down by cement in a car tyre!

Small steps are being taken at Mayega but progress is certainly being made.

We are sad to have learned that one of Mwanza’s great characters passed away on Wednesday 2^nd May. Baba John was a security guard at the Shaloom compound, where John and Christine stay while in Tanzania. He retired last year.

Never without a smile on his face, Baba he was incredibly friendly and helpful. He and our John gloried in sharing the same name – not just John but Baba also (meaning Father).

One small anecdote shows the kind and considerate man he was. A couple of years ago, at about 11pm, a car smashed through the gates of the Shaloom compound, demolishing part of the wall in the process. In the noise and commotion Baba took charge and ushered John and Christine back into the house, he told us to close the curtains and lock the door. Baba stood guard, armed with his panga, on our front step. At that stage nobody knew what was going on and only later did it emerge that it was a drink driving incident. Baba was taking no chances.

We will miss Baba and are happy to have known him. As is traditional, he will be buried in his home village in Mara Region, near the Kenyan border.

RIP Baba John.

Morning Tea break

John was delighted on Saturday morning when Lukondya and Dotto called round to say hello. They are motor vehicle mechanics students from Kalwande College.

The boys are in Mwanza on placement at the Ministry of Transport garage. Dotto is in his final year and Lukondya is on his first placement, in the second year of his course. He gets rave reviews from the college for his enthusiasm and he was very keen, some years ago, to help with the concreting of the fence back at Mayega. Very practical.

In a thoroughly British way, the boys and John had tea – Kilimanjaro English Breakfast, as a matter of fact. No Dundee Cake or Eccles

Kilimanjaro Tea

Cakes, unfortunately, but they did have chilli banana crisps as their ‘fly piece’.

Dotto and Lukondya are very keen to see aunty and were reassured that Christine will be arriving soon. They want John and Christine to visit them at their placement, as all the students do. John thoroughly enjoyed the visit and the lads were a picture of health and vitality. They were heading off for a day in town, as young chaps do a on Saturday everywhere.

The young people who leave Mayega Children’s Centre are a hardworking bunch. Here we have a glimpse into the lives of Kabula, Enosi and Hassan.

Kabula is currently working for Busega Scotland as its office secretary and general assistant. She supports our Project Leader and Assistant Project Leader in their duties. We have an office in a small room adjacent to the house John and Christine occupy when they are in Mwanza.

Kabula graduated with a Diploma in Secretarial Studies. She has worked in an internet café and as Secretary to the Bishop of the Mwanza Diocese of the Charismatic Episcopal Church of Tanzania. These positions were short-term and working with Busega Scotland will increase Kabula’s experience and use of English. Kabula said her job at the moment ‘she likes and she is happy to be working here’.

Enosi and Hassan are third year students studying at Kalwande College. They will graduate later this year with a Diploma in Motor Vehicle Mechanics, after completing their field placements and examinations. They are at the Nile Perch Garage in Mwanza and are two of six Moving-on students on placement at this time. We will catch up with the other four over the next couple of weeks and bring you their stories.