Bridge2Aid

We started out on Wednesday with a full car of myself and Kibibi and Steffi, Maria and Sophia who were coming to Bukumbi to run another music session with the community. At the centre we played the children we having a great time in the playgroup and some were even learning the alphabet! Steffi ran a very successful music session with singing and dancing. However when we went to leave the car travelled 10 metres and stopped! A while later, the men from the garage came to our rescue, but unfortunately they had to tow the car back to Mwanza. Big thanks to them for helping us!

Yesterday with Mama Misana the Regional Social Welfare Officer, we visited the half built houses of people who would like in the future to move out of the centre as part of the reintegration programme. One lady, Monica, was very proud to show us the house that she has started building and how she hopes one day to live there and farm on the surrounding land.

Posted by faydavid.

Last week I was in Dar es Salaam and I was able to visit Vumi who is at Ocean Road Cancer Institute at the moment for treatment. She left Bukumbi in May to go to another hospital for a check up and then referred her back to Ocean Road where she was told she needed an operation.  Vumi had a biopsy from part of her cheek and lip and at the beginning of August we were told that she had to stay there for another 6 months. 

Vumi was surprised and happy to see us and we had a good chat in the garden at the hospital ensuring that we were in the shade and Vumi’s face was shield from the sun.  Vumi is in good spirits but missing her sister Pili terribly. Vumi has had radiotherapy and now chemotherapy.  She said that sometimes the drugs make her feel very bad and she does not want to eat but can manage to eat porridge sometimes. She says that the hospital is good but very busy with many patients. I was really pleased to meet with Vumi’s doctor and so that we can receive weekly updates on her progress.

Posted by faydavid.

This week Emma Caseley our locum dentist joined us  for a busy visit to Bukumbi. She saw the brick making group, the sewing group and played with the children in the playgroup. We did meet a young girl called Anastasia who was not at school because she had hurt her arm falling from a tree, two weeks previously and had not been to a doctor. It looked very swollen and she was unable to move it so we took her to see Dr Julius who recommended that it should be x- rayed. So Anastasia and her mother came with us to town to go to the hospital. Thankfully John Simba was with us and managed to get seen in less than 3 hours, which is extremely fast here! Lucky the arm was not broken and now she is starting to get better!

On Thursday we had a visit to Forever Angels, a baby home run by one of our friends which provided amazing care to over 50 children under the age of 5. Forever Angles has a pre-school for the children and we took Ndolimana and Neema who run the play group at Bukumbi so they could get new ideas and see different ways to work with the children at the centre. They had a great time and came away eager to get back to Bukumbi so that they could try new things!

Posted by faydavid.

For those of you who have ever travelled to Bukumbi on the long, dusty and bumpy road, will understand our excitement when we turned the corner and the new tarmac road was finally open! The journey to Bukumbi is now much shorter and easier!  It also means that the areas around Bukumbi will change as more people start using the new link.

It was lovely this week to firstly meet with the student who are finishing primary school this year and talk to them about what they would like to do next year. This was followed up with meeting s with their parents to ensure they were happy with the children going onto further education. The students were very happy and know that they need to continue to work hard to get the grades that they need.

Posted by faydavid.

It’s a while since I took my own children to visit Bukumbi and today they were amazed by the changes they saw.  As we turned the corner and the saw the playground they gasped, then as they saw the renovated living quarters and people busy in the community building they remarked that Bukumbi is now a very different place.  They got stuck into the activities straightaway, Jake enjoyed playing with the nursery children, Imani worked on making jewellery with Eunice and Neema made friends with Tecla.  I was proud of how the children got on with the community, but immensely proud of all that the Bridge2Aid team has achieved at Bukumbi and was once again reminded of the complete transformation that has taken place. (AW)

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On Monday the playgroup began and the children are having a great time. There are a few teething problems but we are working with Ndolimana and Neema to give them more ideas for activities and games. Children usually do not get the chance to just play so we are almost teaching them how to play and share things. Rachel and I have tried the Okey kokey which was great fun and the children have been learning new songs.

The brick making group is progressing with the group getting quotes for the start up of the project and people are showing great interest.

The Standard 7 children who will finish primary school at the end of this year received their mock examination results and all of them passed with great marks. We also visited Clement Dickson (pictured)  who is at Bukumbi Primary school, he used to be very naughty and would mess around a lot but I was so happy to hear that he has become head prefect! A great honour for him and he is studying very well.

On a sad note Abel who is one of the boys that we have helped out with some of his school fees as he has no parents,  has had to leave where he was staying with a friend as there is no room for him, and therefore has nowhere to stay. Abel is a fantastic young man and it broke our hearts to see him so distressed and hungry. He has achieved very good marks at school but faces such big problems. We hope that we will be able to help him in the future so that he has somewhere to stay and that he can complete his studies.

Posted by faydavid.

Yesterday was an extremely busy day at Bukumbi. Firstly we took out all the toys and play equipment ready to start the play group on Monday. Rachel worked with Neema and Ndolimana from the centre  to show them the equipment and make the name badges for the children.

Also there was a visit from one of our friends, Steffi who does Music therapy and she  bought some muscial instruments for the community. It was great fun to watch the community singing and dancing. Some of the more elderly gentlemen who do not usually move around much were having a great time.

The GLRA (German Leprosy Relief Assocoiation) who work closley with the governement in the whole of Tanzania came to visit and give us support in our work at Bukumbi. Roland and Burchard were pleased to see the income generation groups and an active community. It was a great day!

Posted by faydavid.

June has flown by! Thanks to the hard work of Baz, Sid, Warren, David, Simon and Chek the play area is a fantatsic sight when we drive into Bukumbi. The  team worked very hard  putting in the new play equipment and coming up with great games with tyres. Each time we visit there are always children playing and having fun!

It was great to be able to take our visitors Jan and Jim out to Kigongo school to visit the classroom that has been renovated. Jan has helped us secure the funds for this and another classroom so it was great for her to see the finished article.

The income generation groups are still working well and the first meeting for people interested in brick making took place. We are also in the process of starting a small playgroup for the younger children, something to look forward to this month.

Posted by faydavid.

The month of June brings the children back into Bukumbi because the schools close.  The students who are sponsorsed came back and  were eager to show me their reports. Lamecki has acheived 1st place again in his class and William’s English had improved greatly! The girls Mary, Susana and Naomi were telling me about the things they have learnt and that they are enjoying school!

They play equipment has been delivered to the centre and is waiting for the team to arrive on Monday to install. The children are waiting in anticipation, watching  as the preapations are made for a new play area.

Posted by faydavid.

It’s great to see the BCC is an active place of learning, with many people involved in the income generation groups.  Today it was my turn to learn something new, how to make tobacco!  I sat and listened carefully as the gentleman told me in detail when to pick the leaves, how to dry them, what to mix with them before the second drying, and when they are then ready wrap in packets and sell for 14p each.  Although the smell of the tobacco was quiet pleasant, it’s not a business I will embark upon myself.  Still, it takes allsorts!  (AW)

Posted by faydavid.