1.10.16 A new flag for the Children’s Centre

mayega-flagThere is a flag!

Earlier this month the Children’s Centre received a visit from the newly appointed Commissioner for Busega District. The Commissioner is the president’s local representative and he was very positive about the care of the children but noticed that a Tanzanian national flag was nowhere to be seen. Very simple answer to that – there wasn’t one!

In stepped our Tanzania partners – Busega Chidren’s Development Services Assistance (BCDSA Tz) – who donated one.  It is now safely on its pole and shrubs have been planted around it. The flag is particularly attractive. Its colours are symbolic of Tanzania. The yellow of the sun, the blue of the sky, the green of the countryside and the black of the people. We are sure that we now have a happy and supportive Commissioner.

29.9.16 Women’s Aid supporting Tanzanian women

Busega Scotland had an unexpected visitor to the Lossiemouth charity shop. Joan Munro, from  Moray Womens Aid called by to deliver a cheque for £100, to support our work in Tanzania. Joan commented on the relative certainty her organisation has over funding, when compared to Busega Scotland projects. She added that ‘it is good (for Moray Women’s Aid) to help groups that are less fortunate’.
Given the focus of the work of Women’s Aid and of our Family Support Project, we will use the donation to help the new Family Support Project in Chole. This will help women in the village start horticultural businesses, to support their families. Our former apprentice, Julieth Godwin, will work with the Chole Women’s Group in a temporary post as Assistant Project Leader. It is important to ‘grow your own members of staff’ and Julieth did very well in her apprenticeship.
Joan said Busega Scotland should ‘keep up the good work’ and we will certainly do that, working closely with our colleagues in Tanzania. Teamwork is at the core of what we do.
Many thanks to Moray Women’s Aid for their kind donation.

24.9.16 Mwanza Students making good progress

ester-and-kabula-term-3-2016Ester( left) and Kabula at home in Mwanza.

The girls are continuing their studies after passing their latest exams. Kabula is nearing the end of her secretarial course and we hope she will be successful in finding a job in the new year. It will not be easy without a family to speak up for her but she will receive support from Busega Scotland’s project leader, Rev Gadlord Deuli.

Ester has just started her final year of primary teaching and is looking forward to  going out on teaching practice.

The girls are thankful for the opportunities they are receiving with thanks to Busega Scotland supporters.

22.9.16 The Glen Moray Male Voice Choir

Nicola Milne and Andy Lees, Busega Scotland Trustees, were delighted to attend a cheque presentation evening with the Glen Moray Male Voice Choir, at Bishopmill School Elgin.

Nicola thankfully  accepted a cheque for £500 to support the work in Tanzania. Three other charities also received support. Thank you to all the singers.

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20.9.16 Royal response – Help Feed Mayega appeal

royal-hotelBusega Scotland has approached hotels in Moray to see if they are able to ‘Help Feed Mayega’. The initiative is in its early days but we have had a magnificent response from Alan Main, proprietor of the Royal Hotel in Elgin.

Bed & Breakfast

The request is for hotels to consider meeting the costs of basic foodstuffs for the Children’s Centre.

Christine is able to quantify the cost  of rice, maize, beans, fruit and vegetables etc. and Alan has met the cost of all the food at Mayega for a month. It is such kindness that gives us confidence and inspires our work. Alan said he was impressed by the work of Busega Scotland and how we are able to quantify costs and direct funds accordingly.

We would like to see if the initiative can be extended to other places. If readers know of any hotels, or food-related businesses, that may be interested in ‘Help Feed Mayega’, then please let us know. We can then work together in making an approach. It would be good to broaden the search.

 

18.9.16 Hard work and determination

dsc01203‘We are not walkers’, was the message delivered by Therese and Linda, when they signed up to take part in ‘Walk Moray for Busega’. Some training, and a lot of determination, saw them complete the ten miles from Burghead to Lossiemouth. Walkers or not, Linda and Therese proved themselves ace fundraisers and they handed over £105 sponsorship to Busega Scotland, at the Alba Place open day on Sunday 18th September. Many thanks to all who supported Therese and Linda, and to the ladies themselves. Well done.
Footnote: there will be an article about Busega Scotland’s developing partnership with Alba Place in the next issue of our news letter.

17.9.16 Garmouth Hotel Quiz Night

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Busega Scotland held its first event in John and Christine’s home village of Garmouth, when the Garmouth Hotel, http://garmouthhotel.co.uk/ hosted a Quiz Night on 17th September.  How well we were supported, and how well Busega Scotland was rewarded.  Sixty quizzers took part and the event raised £311. Superb.  Thanks must also go to Grant and Jody at the hotel, who staged the event for us free of charge and organised the PA system.
A familiar face was in the winning team (oh, why did he not look at the camera!) – Colin Sanders, a Busega Scotland trustee, and previous winner of ‘heads and tails’ at the Drouthy. We are thinking we may need to ban him from the next Quiz Night, to avoid Busega Scotland being accused of ‘favouring their own’. Congratulations to Mike, Hilly and Jill who made up the ‘Unreserved’ team and I’m sure answered most of the questions!

Finally, thanks to Jenny and Rob Wallen for their sterling work in staging the event and to Lewis Wiles, our Question Master. All three are Garmouth residents.

 

17.9.16 Introducing our front line staff

 

Busega Scotland is proud to introduce our Tanzanian colleagues, through photographs and biographies on the ‘Tanzanian Staff Team’ website page.

 https://busegascotland.co.uk/staff-team/

Tribute must be paid to the work of all persons associated with Busega Scotland, wherever they may be. Services have developed positively over the last two years and we have very exciting plans for development. This is all being undertaken within our ethos of partnership, respect, self-determination, self-help and sustainability.p1040991

 

 

16.9.16 Turning Point – Walking and Supporting

mary-at-turning-point

 

Less than a month ago Christine and John took up an invitation from Scott Meredith, Service Manager with Turning Point in Elgin, to speak to the charity’s staff team. Turning Point provides support services to adults with learning difficulties.
Incredibly, one of Turning Point’s real characters, key worker Mary Laird, fitted in four walks with ‘Walk Moray for Busega’, alongside her work shifts. Mary totalled 46 miles. Even more incredible was the response of her colleagues, who made a massive contribution to the £270 sponsorship achieved by Mary. Many thanks to Mary and all her sponsors.
We would also like to pay tribute to Mary’s impact on her fellow walkers. Always upbeat, smiling and chatty, Mary was dubbed ‘Mary the Motivator’, as she encouraged everyone to go their extra miles. What a character, what a supporter of Busega Scotland!

 

 

14.9.16 Welcome on board

jenny3Busega Scotland formally welcomes Jenny Wallen as the latest recruit to the Board of Trustees. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in Education that will strengthen and guide us as we seek to support youngsters in Tanzania. Please visit the “Meet the Trustees” page to find out more about Jenny

22.01.22 Meet the Trustees