Busega Scotland has been very active over the last week in its Scottish heartland of Moray. It never ceases to amaze us how willing people are to help projects based in a country some seven thousand miles away. But help they want to do.
In John and Christine’s home village, a lady up the street knocked on the door to say she had ‘a few jigsaws’ if we could sell them for our funds. When we went to collect a ‘few’ turned out to be thirty-eight (!) and these are destined for the charity shop in September. They will fetch a good price as jigsaws are very much in demand. A very big thank you goes to Mrs Marnoch.
Networking is an important part of what Busega Scotland does to tap into the goodwill that abounds. TSI Moray is a voluntary sector ‘hub’ based in Elgin and on 23rd March it held its annual ‘Joining the Dots’ conference. Christine and John went along to set-up a stand for Busega Scotland. Great contacts were made, with the possibility of future joint working with other organisations. The workshop sessions on funding applications and marketing were also very useful.
Hairy Beasts
Moray is the home of a new and rare species, the ‘hairy bottle’. It has now been found in two locations – the Station Hotel in Burghead and in Community Care at the Moray Council. The only photographic evidence shows trustee Mike McClafferty with Davy Hill, the landlord of the hotel, and the hairy creature. He/She was so popular that customers paid £56 in an attempt to win the little darling, and the bottle of whisky attached to it. Thanks go to Steven Dean, who donated the ‘water of life’, and to Davy and Kirsty Hill at the Station Hotel .
It was revealed at the Quiz Night that John Campbell had won Community Care’s specimen. Only the bottle now remains and probably not too much inside it! Thanks to trustee Joyce Lorimer for donating the whisky and making it hairy. Hairy Bottolologists say no stem cells are required, just an attractive bottle (whisky or otherwise), some string, address labels and sellotape. If you can get a bottle and want to have a go, raising £50 for Busega Scotland, without a hairy beast being harmed in anyway, then please contact Christine and John for details.
Amazon may be planning to deliver our parcels by drones but in Tanzania more traditional methods win out! Jane, Ester and Kabula, our Mwanza students, were the happy recipients of new mattresses and bought them down in the town. No question of incurring transport costs, just pop them up on your head and off you go. When you have spent many years carrying buckets of water from Lake Victoria to the Mayega Children’s Centre it looks like carrying a mattress is a breeze. Well done girls and sweet dreams!
For the first time there was an exciting tie at the end of last Friday’s quiz at the Drouthy Cobbler, Elgin. After a play off, it was team, Whatever? who came out on top by just one point. Many congratulations to them and commiserations to the “Shy Teds!
The evening was enjoyed by all, with a great buzz and serious but light hearted competition. Many thanks to all who attended, and to Busega Scotand trustees and supporters whose hard work made the evening possible.
Tanzania 29 is now available to read on our Newsletter page. If you would like to receive an email copy then please contact us and we can add you to the mailing list.
The Women’s Guild of the United Free Church of Scotland in Lossiemouth warmly welcomed John and Christine Carney today to hear about the work of Busega Scotland. John and Christine were delighted to meet Jean, who had spent time in Tanzania in 1982. Living in Bagamoyo , north of Dar es Salaam, Jean’s husband was involved in training the local fishermen. The world really is a small community. The Speyside Belles also welcomed John and Christine to their regular meeting in Garmouth last week . They showed their African knowledge with a Tanzanian trivia quiz starting off the evening. We thank both groups for the opportunity to share news of Busega Scotland.
Little did I know when my son met the lovely Ellen Carney that I would eventually become the CEO of the Busega hen project! It is hard to resist the enthusiasm and drive of John and Christine! Really though, I have been delighted to be involved.