SEEDS4Tanzania – “We are hoping that through education the children will develop skills that will benefit them and empower them to move forward in their lives, communities and country.”
Four years ago I travelled for the first time to Tanzania, East Africa. Amongst my many travels around the Diocese of Mpwapwa, I visited the villages of Chitemo and Nyhinila. I was welcomed by a large group of singing children, approximately 300, tots to 7 years of age. I later found out that they were orphans. Their parents had died mainly from Aids, dysentery, malaria or childbirth. Africa can be a cruel country when it comes to orphans or those with physical or mental disabilities because there is no infrastructure to deal with them. In many areas of Africa orphans will have a tough life often left to fend for themselves from a very young age. However, in these two villages the church has taken it upon itself to care for these children asking the villagers who themselves are very poor, to give them a home and four times a year at a special service donate what they can towards their care. The children have nothing to call their own, few clothes, no toys, and no school facilities apart from what volunteers are able to do for them. Their activities are always held outdoors the only shade being a tree.
SEEDS4Tanzania wants to change this.
When I left Chitemo that year I took a picture of the orphans under that tree and it has remained on my laptop as a screensaver and in my heart. After much thought and discussion with Chitemo and Nyhinila I felt I had to do something for them. I believe that if they are to have a future it will be through education. Education will hopefully give them the skills that will enable them to move forward in their lives and contribute to their communities, moving them out of poverty and dependency. At 7 the children attend government school which may have 100 children to a class with one teacher and no other facilities other than a blackboard. If the children have the opportunity of developing the basics in the three R’s between the ages of 3 and 7 years of age they will hopefully be in a stronger position to deal with the challenges of their next school. The pre-school will also be used on Saturdays by the community for various activities such as developing craft skills, mother and baby groups, scout and guide groups for older children, the opportunities are endless.
During my last visit in October 2011 I was taken to 50 acres of land which lies in between the two villages and was donated by the government. This will be the ideal location to build the pre-school. The villagers have understood that they must take ownership of this project and with the church continuing to act as overseer they have organised a project committee, building committee and opened a bank account. The villagers will do all the hard work building the units classroom units and toilet facilities. SEEDS4Tanzania will fund the training of women from the villagers as pre-school teacher and fund items such as cement, roof structures and the necessary school equipment. The teachers will be remunerated through the supplying of animals. These will provide the opportunity for the teachers to become self-sufficient and independent.
This is a long term project with many challenges ahead but with your support these young children will have the future they deserve. SEEDS4Tanzania believes it will happen; we need you to help it happen.
ASANTA SANA – THANK YOU
Rev Canon Yolande Marcussen
Chairman
Schooling,Education,Empowerment,Development,Sustainability4Tanzania
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