Busega Scotland was happy to add capital to the Igombe Women’s Group vicoba scheme. The closest Scottish equivalent to a vicoba is a credit union. The women in the Igombe group have received business grants from Busega Scotland, as part of our Family Support Project. They pay modest amounts from their profits into the vicoba and then lend money to each other, to develop their enterprises or to meet unexpected family costs. Interest is charged on the loans and this is eventually shared out by members as a boost to incomes.
Busega Scotland had examined the operation of the group and found it to be working well (see news item on 051216 ‘Capital investment at Igombe’). As a result, John attended the women’s meeting at Igombe to present £130 to chairwoman, Stella Ndallo. This was added to the £43 already saved into the vicoba. Julieth Godwin, Assistant Project Leader, explained in detail the agreement reached between Busega Scotland and the group’s leaders.
The women are interested in establishing a co-operative business but are at in the early stages of thinking this through. It would be good if Busega Scotland could provide support, if a satisfactory business plan can be developed.
Sunday 18th December. Three children were being baptised, including Jenabel, the daughter of Emiliana (Gadlord and Jane Deuli’s firstborn). Emmy had asked us if we would be willing to be Jenabel’s godparents and we were delighted to accept.
Our second Family Support Project is underway in Chole. It is a partnership with the Chole Women’s Group and a Tanzanian NGO, called CODEHAF. The planning has taken a while, with CODEHAF supporting the women in a communal garden, growing cash crops. Busega Scotland is financing a vicoba (credit union), that will provide loans for
In the near future it will also become a classroom, when we appoint our ‘Saturday teacher’ to help improve the educational attainment of the children. In order to ensure that classes take place in a bright and cheerful environment the building has been painted inside and out.
A long overdue job. In the late afternoon the paint arrived and all the children helped with the offloading. Matron has chosen the colours, keeping Christine and John out of the ‘firing line’ if the colour scheme doesn’t meet with everyone’s approval! Latest reports say that the fundi is getting on well and we should be able to inspect the finished work on our next visit.
Christine was on health and safety red alert. After the entertainment came the food. Rice, beans, goat and vegetable. How the children can at. They all come from families affected by HIV and food is not plentiful in their lives. The Shaloom project does a great job in educational and social support. There were two staff and about 250 children attended the event. Amazing! Equally impressive was the cooking done on a wood fire.
Earlier this year Busega Scotland provided curriculum text books for all the primary and secondary pupils at Mayega. How delighted we were, on this visit, to find slightly grubby and dog-eared copies in the library cupboard, as evidence of books well read. Inspired by this, Christine, and our educational consultant Sebahene, raided the many book shops in Mwanza, searching for story books in English and Kiswahili. ‘Raid’ is the correct word, as they bought up the entire stock of reading books in the town’s main book store! Children everywhere love reading but book costs, and a lack of libraries, limits opportunities in Tanzania. We are trying to change that in a small way at Mayega. On a positive note, there is a thriving newspaper sector with sellers everywhere. John and Christine enjoy 
Sunday morning with their copy of the Tanzanian Guardian!
The sight of children using paints in Scotland is a common one from a very early age. Even if that means more paint on the child than on the paper and coloured water all over the carpet! These creative opportunities are not the experience of most children in Tanzania and certainly not, up until now, at the Mayega Children’s Centre. After the minimum of tuition by Christine off the children went, creating colourful patterns and trying their best to stay within the lines! 
The thirst for such activities is very striking – be that painting, crochet or drawing. The talent and creativity is there and it is one of the great sadness’s of Africa that such potential is not fully realised. We are determined to do something about that at Mayega and the children are certainly up for it!
After being lovingly packed into a suitcase by Christine, the Berkey water purifier has been safely installed at Mayega. It is miraculous the way the muddy lake water (it is particularly bad at this time of year due to the rains) is filtered into sparkling drinking water. The children still have to fill buckets from the lake, with risks of bilharzia, hippos and crocs, but progress is being made on a piped water supply.
