Hope for Tanzania

Tanzania Visit 2009

A team of eight people visited Tanzania in 2009. Much was accomplished during the visit but, more importantly, deep friendships were started with many people. Roger took a lot of video footage which is being used to promote the work of Hope for Tanzania. Peter visited a clinic which offers outpatient consultations and is being set up for minor operations. Profits from the operations will be used to subsidise medical treatment for people living in poverty.

The developments at Tuishime School were truly encouraging. Since our last visit, it has doubled in size with significant improvements in the quality of staff and teaching. The new headteacher has great talents and developing leadership qualities and is keen for the Christian focus of the school to grow. Already the school has a good reputation with parents and the authorities so we hope that class VII exams in September 2010 will bring more success. A continuing and deep rooted problem is the non-payment of school fees which is holding back the School in a number of ways.

The children were a delight showing great enthusiasm for their schooling. They were very respectful, joyful and keen to get involved in the activities that were offered. Those children that borrowed books from the library read avidly and were thirsty for knowledge. Life for many of the children is tough, as evidenced by our visits to their homes, but they are keen to learn and their parents are full of appreciation for the teaching they receive.

Team members gave instruction to selected teachers on the reconditioned laptops we bought with us. In the first instance the computers will be used for administrative tasks and design of teaching worksheets. Kim built desks for 60 children, painted classrooms and made other improvements. The building of a new classroom progressed rapidly and was almost complete when we left. Dick analysed the school accounts and gave training in financial aspects. Cherry and Joel designed an art piece which the children painted and decorated with seeds.

We visited the District Educational Officer to discuss the Tuishime School and secure his continued interest in its development. All the parents of sponsored children were visited with many telling us stories of extreme hardship and human tragedy. The background information we gathered has been passed on to sponsors. Visits were made to micro-business projects and discussions held about setting up a micro-loan scheme.

We also visited different orphanages to see what help they needed. Team members preached and spoke in different churches, which was a real encouragement to us and church members. We again visited the birth village of Moses, our Maasai friend. Our reception was much warmer this time and we were asked if we could help the village. I believe that we have been given a great opportunity to pray for and help the spiritual and physical needs of these people.

We met many wonderful people including Grace Mbise, an evangelist whom we support, and the Shaos, a couple with a thirst for God and a deep desire to help others. We also met a number of students who we are now supporting through the Futures Programme. It was an honour to be invited into the homes of many people and to receive tremendous love and generosity from them. From much poverty comes love and great generosity.

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