Bridge 2 Aid : 'Restoring Smiles - Changing Lives'

Bukumbi Diary - April 2007

30 April - Easter Team

On April 1^st 16 weary volunteers arrived at Mwanza airport, having travelled the long journey from the UK. It was great to meet them at the airport and to see their faces as their bags got passed through a hole in the wall which is the arrival lounge! We went on to where they were staying in town and then headed off for a candlelit dinner (because the power went off) at a local restaurant.

The next day we spent the day ‘orientating’ the team to B2A and our work here in Mwanza, and then in the afternoon headed out to Bukumbi where they were to spend the next 2 weeks working hard!

We arrived at Kalwande which was the hostel just a 10 minute walk away from Bukumbi Care Centre and were greeted by Father Kizito and Mr Dennis. The hostel was basic but clean and proved to be a great location for the team during their stay. After finding rooms and having a look around we headed off to Bukumbi Care Centre (BCC). On our arrival we were met by the manager and we took the team around the whole centre. 3 of the team had been to Bukumbi before but for all the other this was their first chance to see where they were going to be working. We walked through the women’s block which has so far had no work done to it, the rooms are dark and dirty, with doors that don’t shut and have holes in where the mice live and from there took them to the men’s block ‘Sijaona’ which was the block we were going to be working in. Some work had already been completed such as roofing, new ceiling boards and new windows so it didn’t look too bad. The men who live in the block had moved out into some temporary accommodation in the ‘dining room’ so the building was completely empty. It was great for the team to see what was ahead of them and on the surface it didn’t look too bad.

The next day the grafting began as we split into our work teams and started what now seemed a slightly larger task of cleaning the walls and floors of the block. There was no hot water juts big tubs of cold dirt lake water that 2 ladies walked and collected for us each day, so the cleaning took longer than if we had had nice clean hot water! After 2 days of scrubbing and rinsing the walls and floors began to look much cleaner and the team were still enthusiastic and keen to get some paint on the walls. By day 3 we had some paint on the walls and it was amazing how it transformed the rooms, it was a great landmark in the progress. Day 4 was only half a day as the team went off on safari for a well earned rest. By this point we had managed to get a first coat on most of the rooms and the place was looking great.

Some of the men who live in the block, particularly Clement had come through several times whilst we were cleaning and were so pleased to see the paint on the walls, It was great that they were interested in what was going on in their home.

Alongside the renovation work we ran a playscheme for the kids, each of the 3 days had seen more than 100 kids come along for 2 hours of fun and games, The activities included arts and craft, sports, part games and the kids loved it. Many of them would never had played these kinds of games before and  for some of them it was the first time they had held a pencil or cut with a pair of scissors. This was a great experience for the team and seeing the faces of the kids was so rewarding. The older members of the community sat outside their buildings watching the kids having fun, one day Andie was chatting to them to make sure they didn’t mind all the noise and they said how much they enjoyed seeing the kids having fun together.

Week two started early on the Monday morning as we left Mwanza and headed back for Bukumbi. This was it – the final week and only 3 days of work because on Thursday we were having an official opening so it all had to be done by Wednesday night. So the work teams set to it and did a great job. Monday focused on getting as much painting done as possible and cupboard doors being fitted. Tuesday was a chaotic but great day with fundis (local workmen) and volunteers in every room and every space possible. Whilst the rooms were having final coats of paint added to them, beds were being washed and scrubbed and new doors were being hung and at the same times frames having to be straightened as the doors didn’t fit! – it was crazy but lots of fun. The team were exhausted by the end of the day but so much had been achieved. Now we knew we just had one final day to get the work finished. So Wednesday was all hands on deck and most of the work got finished by lunchtime, the afternoon was spent doing finishing touches, making sure the beds were all in the right places, making them up with new sheets and blankets, hanging mosquito nets and ‘touching up’ the paint work. By the end of the day on Wednesday we had done it – Thursday morning just needed a final clean and sweep then we were done!

Whilst all the work had been going on inside Rik (a volunteer) and Fulgence (the main Fundi) had been building a new ramp outside the main entrance to the building. The old one was a hazard so it was great to see the new one built with proper hand rails. 2 of the gentlemen in this block are blind and other having difficulty walking so for them to have a safe ramp to use was brilliant.

Wednesday was also the last day of the kids work and at the end of the session each child was given a small party bag; it consisted of a pen, exercise book, pencil, packet of sweets and a small plastic toy. You would have thought we’d given these kids the world! They were so happy and so grateful to receive it and for the rest of the afternoon you could hear kids playing on their plastic whistles and generally being so excited to have received a gift.

At debrief (which we did at the end of each day) their was a real sense of achievement and so there should have been – the ‘Sijaona’ block looked great. Thursday meant saying goodbyes and welcoming the men back into their homes, it was going to be a day of mixed emotions.

Before the official ceremony we did one final clean through the building and any finishing touches, Marie placed flowers in each room and we hung shower curtains! The kids teams had been making a large sign that said KARIBUNI – which means welcome and this was hung outside for all to see and to welcome all the guest and community to the celebration.  Before we welcomed the VIPs into the building we wanted to give it back to the men who lived there, so we gathered them together and thanked them for allowing us to be there and for being so welcoming over the two weeks. As they came into the building it was just amazing to see their smiles and the thanks they gave us, each one sat on their beds and looked so proud to be living here. That was a really special moment for everyone. The celebration started with a small church service and the volunteers sung beautifully in the service and were sung to also by the community. Then we headed down to Sijaona block to meet the District Education Officer who was acting District Commissioner for the day and speeches were held and then the official ribbon cut. It was a great moment as we handed the building back to the community and the government. As the VIPS walked through the building there was a real sense of contentment and also achievement, this work that had been relatively simple had made such a huge difference to the lives of these 17 men.

After the official opening we gathered together for a celebratory meal, which in true Tanzanian style was an hour late! The volunteers enjoyed serving the community the meal and being amongst them. Then it came time to leave – some of the volunteers had one final walk through the building, others said goodbye to friends they had made during their visit, and we headed out of Bukumbi Care Centre as a team for one last time.

Now 4 weeks after the team arrived the place is looking good! One of the men Paulo has taken on the responsibility of cleaning and alongside the manager we are working with them to provide assistance from the staff at Bukumbi to maintain the cleanliness. The men are proud of their building and are taking in pride in looking after it. They are so pleased to have cupboards and somewhere to store their belongings; no longer do they have piles of things next to and under their beds. Each bed has a proper mattress and mosquito nets that are not full of holes.

Our plan is to start work on the women’s block very soon. We are gathering quotes and work plans at the moment and hope that the main structural work will be complete by mid June.

B2A cannot thank the volunteers enough for all the energy, hard work and compassion that went into the changes made at Sijaona. It has been a great starting point for us gain momentum and we will keep you posted with all the news of the work at Bukumbi and the lives of the community there.