2016 August Newsletter – Businesses from Loans and Health Centre Improvements

WTWT NEWSLETTER                                      August 2016

 

Dear Loyal Supporters

Helen Williams, WTWT trustee, and I visited the projects we are supporting in Tanzania this July. Our main aim was to meet the women who have had WTWT/WMI loans and hear of their experiences running their businesses and the difference it has made to their lives.

It was very moving hearing their stories. They all say their confidence has increased since having their loans and that they no longer worry about where the next meal for their children is coming from:

 

“My name is Masoi Olenauni and I live in Irkeepusi village-Ngorongoro District. I and my husband are blessed with 8 children. Three of children depend on us for their daily needs and both of them are in school. We love seeing them going to school because we both parents did not have formal education.

Our family is big because our husband married five of us. Every wife has her own house and children and therefore works hard to raise her family when husband can’t afford to supply necessary demands.

We had enough cows when I married Olenauni but the number of herd started to drop slowly as he continues marrying more women. I was happy seeing him add more women as its part of our society culture. As the number of cows drops, the harder for husband to supply of family needs therefore every women carries own burden to keep the family alive.

I requested loan from WTWT last three years and got it. It’s after financial literacy lectures offered by WTWT through WMI women from Uganda that I started selling second hand clothes and maize which helped to raise and feed my family after gaining profit. WTWT and WMI continued giving annual returnable loans and I was appointed as women group leader since 2013. The position boosted my confidence and therefore I am determined now to pave the way for other new followers.

My fellow women are moving forward in their business and many requests more loans as they gained business experience and movement freedom from their husbands or dependants.

I thank my fellow women for working hard and for re-paying back loan money at said time. I would like as well to thank Rachel Blackmore and all those who are making this happen. Be blessed!”

 

 Teachers’ Accommodation

The Barn Dance money raised in March is now in action completing the teachers’ accommodation in Nainokanoka Primary School, enabling class sizes to halve from over 100 to nearer to 50 pupils. We hope to have pictures soon.

 

Community Health Education Programme (CHEP) classes

Helen and I attended another of the CHEP classes, this time on the subject of contraception. There had been previous classes on this subject and we could hear from the participants’ contributions that they were aware of many methods of contraception. Their concern was more about having better access to availability of the contraception, which they are discussing with the medical staff. They continue to be very enthusiastic about these classes.

 

Health Centre

 

Joy of joys was meeting baby Saruni, first child of Kirambu and his wife and first baby to be born in the new Health Centre facilities. Kirambu is one of the CHEP class teachers.

 

Dr Shemaghembe and the nurse midwives were excited to show Helen and I the improvements to the Nainokanoka Health Centre on this visit. When we visited in February very few women were delivering in the Health Centre. They said this was because it was cold (the villages we work in are in the Ngorongoro highlands, where temperatures are often very low, especially at night) and there were no facilities to be able to make a hot drink or prepare food. The doctor also reported that he was not able to offer important tests for the women attending for antenatal care because of lack of resources and there were no plumbed in sinks for staff or patients to wash their hands.

 

In March we received a generous donation from Val Glass, who had heard about our work and wanted to fund the new birthing room, including the bed, a heater and cooking facilities. She also funded laboratory tests and furniture and a water pipe system with 6 plumbed in sinks, a shower and 2 toilets. Thank you so much Val!

 

It was amazing to see how quickly and well Val’s money had been put into action. Dr Shemaghembe was so proud to show us everything. Staff and patients’ families can now even prepare hot drinks and food.

 

We saw the new haemoglobin and syphilis testing equipment and looked at the records of these tests on patients over the last months. Around 25% of the women and their husbands are testing positive for syphilis. They are now able to receive treatment and prevent the congenital abnormalities such as miscarriage, saddle nose and stillbirth, which were previously common.

 

Dr Shemaghembe with some of the new testing equipment

 

 

Most of the pregnant women in the area are anaemic, due to lack of food, surviving on watery maize porridge for much of the year, when the cows are not producing milk. They are not allowed to grow vegetables in the Conservation Area where they all live, and few can afford to purchase them from the town. Now women are given iron medication during pregnancy, as most are now attending for antenatal care. The CHEP class participants are discussing setting up a fund for pregnant women, so that they are able to buy nourishing food during pregnancy.

 

Our next event to raise funds for these people is:

 

WTWT QUIZ

Saturday October 15th from 7 – 11pm

 Weston Turville Village Hall

100% of money raised goes directly to the projects.

Ticket price £15.00 (If paying by cheque, make payable to WTWT) 

 

Price includes a meal with a vegetarian and a gluten free option

There will be a bar to help us to raise more money for the cause.

Tel: Rachel on 01296 614751 or text 07792475094 for tickets

 

Tables are for between 4 and 10 people, but we can put you together with others, so any number is great.

Do get a team together and get in touch!

 

 

We are hugely grateful for all your financial support and your encouragement of our work. Without you we could not do any of this.

As always, our flights, expenses and administration are paid by ourselves, so all of your donations go directly to the community projects.

If any more of you would like to make a donation or set up a standing order, we would be extremely grateful, as would the people in Ngorongoro.

Our bank account is: ‘Weston Turville Wells for Tanzania’ at Lloyds TSB, account number: 00087400, sort code 30-90-38. Cheques can be made payable to ‘WTWT’ and posted to our address.

Rachel Blackmore

Weston Turville Wells for Tanzania (WTWT)

Registered UK charity No: 1125141

Registered office: Old Crown, West End, Weston Turville, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP22 5TT

Email: racheljblackmore@gmail.com

www.wellsfortanzania.com

Phone: +441296 614751 (land line) or +447792 475094 (mobile)

 

With much love and thanks

Rachel and WTWT trustees here in the UK and staff in Tanzania:

Rachel, David and Daniel Blackmore, Michael Hasler, Ruth Cornish, Suchita Raja, Viv Pangalos, Helen Williams, Laangakwa Twati, Embapa Oloishiro, Esupat Oloulu, Peesoi Runguna