28.1.22 Educational progress

The great news is that Tangu has passed Form 4 national examinations and will be allocated a Form 5 place to study at A level. She is the first Mayega Children’s Centre young person to achieve this major step. Tangu was 5th equal out of the 146 pupils in her year who sat the Form 4 exams. Christine has released funds for a celebration party!
It is a real testament to the educational support provided at the Centre, involving Teacher Reni, Patron Emma and our trustee, Jenny Wallen. We always hoped that attainment would improve as younger children came through the programme, influenced by an enhanced educational culture and a growing belief in being able to succeed at school.
The photo shows Tangu with Golden, the son of our Assistant Project Leader, Julieth Godwin. Tangu was assisting Julieth undertake family assessments for our third women’s group in Mayega village.

23.12.21 Christmas outings

Each Christmas, the Mayega children travel the 10 miles or so to the market town of Lamadi to shop for some special clothes. Shopping at this time of the year can be as time consuming in Busega as it is here. There is no Tanzanian online so it is the traditional foot slog to find what you like and what fits. It is so important that the purchases are made by the children themselves, with the guidance of staff. Having money in your hand to budget and spend is a life skill for all children but particularly at Mayega, when this is not part of day to day experience. As well as shopping for ‘best clothes’, a trip had previously been made for play clothes and soon it will be off to Lamadi again for ‘back to school’ uniforms etc.. The school year starts in January. The children enjoy their trips to town as major social events and they love to dress up.

8.12.22 Busega visits

Mayega Children’s Centre is well known and has a good profile in Busega District. This means we often get visits from other organisations keen to see the Centre and meet the children and staff. The last visit was from PCCB or the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau. Fear not  this was not an investigation but a social call at the invitation of the District Commissioner! The visitors brought gifts in the form of 25kg sugar, 40kg rice,10l of cooking oil, 4 dozen soft drinks and 2 buckets of detergent. Very welcome and very well received. The PCCB staff spoke to the children about honesty and integrity.
Our Project Leader Gadlord Deuli was invited to a seminar at the Busega council offices in Nyashimo to discuss the contribution made by local children’s services and the regulatory requirements of the Tanzanian government in their delivery. The seminar was organised by the District Commissioner and one of the main speakers was Kubagwa Madadila, the District Social Welfare Officer, and our main contact in the council.

29.11.21 Has to be done!

Africa can seem exotic and exciting but life there can be like anywhere else! ‘There’ in this respect is Mayega Children’s Centre.
The toilet in the girl’s dormitory got broken and it had to be fixed.
Confidential files need to be stored and a cupboard was made.
When the rains come, the garden gets going.
We are very fortunate to have Mr Deus Mtoba who helps us, when needed, to do repairs and odd jobs. He is very skilled and we have known him for a long time.
The garden is DIY, with staff and children joining in. Aubergines and spinach are going well at the moment.

22.11.21 Graduation

Two young people who left Mayega Children’s Centre two years ago have completed national certificate courses at Nyakato Vocational Training Centre in Mwanza . Malesa, seen in the photograph receiving his leaving certificate, is a welder and Jeremiah is an electrician. The certificates were presented by a representative of a Finnish pentecostal church who support the college. The boys will receive six months of accommodation, practical and financial support from Busega Scotland while they look for jobs. This is no easy task given the rate of youth unemployment but they have marketable skills. We wish them well and will help as much as we can in the transition to work and independence.

10.11.21 Kusafiri Newsletter 5

The journey around Lake Victoria began in May and continued
through until the end of October. We set ourselves some goals
To walk the full length of the lakeshore – 4368 miles
To receive sponsorship averaging £1 per mile
Make it an inclusive event with as many folks as possible joining in
How did we get on? The newsletter will reveal all!
But first a little bit about Mayega.
Mayega Village
This was start and end point of our virtual journey.
What is Mayega like? It is unremarkable and worthy of note at the
same time. The village is in a very rural location in northern Tanzania
on the road to the Kenyan border. It is like many other linear villages
along the tarmac and doesn’t even have a road sign announcing your
arrival!
But it was founded in 1974 as part of Julius Nyerere’s villagisation
programme. This was 10 years after independence and the first
president wanted to bring economic prosperity and welfare services
to rural areas. He believed that this could not be achieved with
thousands of small, scattered settlements and began a programme
of consolidating villages and moving families into larger settlements.
This was the birth of Mayega as we know it today.

The national programme failed but Mayega grew into 7 sub villages
with a population of about 2,500 people in around 500 households.
The village has a primary school, dispensary, and the office of the
village executive officer, representing local government. There is a
village council made up of a chairperson from each of the sub
villages.
The village had a piped water supply in later part of last century, but
this had fallen into disrepair. The work of Busega Scotland and
partners, notably Busega District Council and Rotary, re-established
and developed a piped water system from 2018 and earlier this year
the government rural electrification programme brought mains
electricity.
The Mayega area is very dry despite being on the shore of Lake
Victoria and fishing and subsistence farming are the mainstays of the
local economy. Both are hazardous pursuits, hippo and crocodile
attacks and storms on the lake and unreliable rains, sometimes too
little and then too much. Cop 26 may not know it, but climate change
is and will surely impact further on the fragile life of Mayega.

Did we complete the journey Kusafiri Nyanza?
First, a roll of honour and tribute to the 17 people who took part.
Surely, we met our participation goal!
Most was by walking, but one person did cycle also. Some folks made
a phenomenal effort with incredible distances covered, and we thank
everyone for doing all that they could.
Over 1000 miles – Judy and Peter
Over 500 miles – Jenny, Margaret, and Chris
Over 200 miles – Friedhelm, Cenzo, and John
1 to 3 days on John Muir Way – Jordyn, Anne, Marion, Andy, Mark,
Luca, Ronaldo, Maura, and Mike. The total distance covered was an
incredible 5364 miles or about 1.25 times around the lake.
We did it – hongera sana – many congratulations.

Our travellers have been ‘aw ways’ and we asked Chris Petrie and
Jenny Wallen a little bit about their walking. Yes, they did both walk
500 miles.
My name is Chris and I retired from my job in health and social care
almost 2 years ago to spend more time with my family. Currently I
look after my youngest grandchildren to enable my daughter to
return to work.
Family is so important to me, and children are the future, and I feel so
lucky to be able to contribute in some way to their lives. I am
conscious that not all children are as fortunate as mine to have
access to much of what we take for granted such as safe housing and
access to education. I feel in some small way supporting Busega
Scotland to raise much needed funds through this walk is both
rewarding and good for my personal wellbeing.
Most of my walks have been done with family and friends and I am so
lucky that I live in a diverse area in which to enjoy the scenery and
wildlife around me. Walks of interest have been on the beach at
Lossiemouth where I was lucky to see the P8 Poseidon coming into
land. Torrieston woods and the wetlands are other favourites, we
often see deer and birds while walking round the area
I am Jenny Wallen, long term friend of John and Christine and fellow

Garmouth resident. I became a trustee of Busega Scotland a few
years ago. I have visited Mayega Children’s Centre twice.
I took part in Kusafiri Nyanza mainly to help raise some funds. I
walked around my local area of Garmouth, including a few longer
walks along the Moray Coastal Trail (Cullen, Sunnyside Beach,
Covesea, Lossiemouth and Hopeman being my favourite routes).
I went up to the north-west coast and walked around the Smoo Bay
area. Spectacular area and amazing geology, the rocky history of the
planet all around. I went to North Berwick and Dunbar and walked
along the coast with two old travelling friends, so lots of reminiscing
of youthful adventures. I walked around Edinburgh, and up Arthur’s
Seat, again. It was mobbed at the top, for good reason. It’s such a
fantastic view.
All four of my main walking areas relate the earth’s geology
graphically. I hope our species can avoid a climate catastrophe, but if
we can’t I think our planet is robust enough to mend itself.
Did we make our sponsorship goal?
To travel 4368 miles seemed a tall order back in May but raising£4368 for Mayega Children’s Centre was an even more daunting
challenge. But we needn’t have worried as our travellers and their
supporters came up trumps. We have raised not £1 per mile but an
incredible £1.28 per mile and a grand total of £5609.
A heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed.
Let us return to the lake and plot our journey in detail through the
following link https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1Cpzzzpxf-D-sS3OazW_v01F7jrHCotVs&ll=- 1.086505134587416%2C32.62274726562502&z=8

and then end with a quote from Tanzania’s first president, who is still
revered by his people today, and goes by title ‘Mwalimu’ or
‘Teacher’. He was a graduate of the University of Edinburgh in 1952.
A man is developing himself when he grows, or earns, enough to
provide decent conditions for himself and his family; he is not being
developed if someone gives him these things.
fAt Mayega Children’s Centre we aim to create that capacity for self-reliance in both the girls and the boys

 

 

 

28.5.21 Successful placements

Malesa and Jeremiah left Mayega Children’s Centre a year and a half ago to begin national certificate courses at Nyakato College in Mwanza. Quite a challenge for two young men who had just completed school and moved from a small rural village to the big city. They have done well in their studies; Malesa in welding and Jeremiah in electrical installation. They are now in their second year and have just completed field placements.
Malesa worked at the Songoro boatyard in Mwanza repairing fishing boats and other vessels from Lake Victoria. A tough job in hot conditions, wearing protective clothing. Jeremiah was working outside in Busega District attaching electrical wires to posts as part of a government programme to connect isolated communities to the national grid. He was placed with TANESCO, the Tanzania Electrical Supply Corporation.
Congratulations to both for their hard work and commitment to making a future for themselves.

5.5.21 Kiltwalk

25th April was a beautiful spring day when Cenzo Main, Pete Anderson, Dave Cameron and John Carney completed 13.7 miles for their half marathon Kiltwalk. The route was close to the lower reaches of the River Spey, near to the Carneys home village of Garmouth. A truly beautiful part of the world and a great day was had by all.
The photos show: Pete and Dave after receiving their shuka sashes. This is the highest walking accolade bestowed by Busega Scotland! The about halfway tea break. Drinks at the finish, followed by pizza and apricot cake prepared by Christine Carney (now you know what the motivation was!). And finally, John with his cherished Kiltwalk medal!
Many, many thanks go to all who contributed to the magnificent sponsorship of £3360. When the Hunter Foundation added their 50% contribution of £1679 (a unique feature of the Kiltwalk) the total reached £5039. Absolutely fantastic!
Overall, the Kiltwalk raised £6,105,000 for 1015 Scottish charities. The really beautiful characteristic of the Hunter Foundation’s support is that their support goes to charities ordinary people care about and is not philanthropy directed to the preferred good causes of the rich and influential. The Kiltwalk is grassroots.