What We Do
Bukumbi Diary - February 2009
Friday 6th February
A week of highs and lows at Bukumbi and the schools this week. A young lad called Deus now has returned to school into Form 3. He was at the local government school and he had fallen behind on his payments for fees and had tried so hard to get the money- even helping our work team in December to get water. We have now supported him back into school to finish his last 2 years of education.
Another boy, Kaini, has now started a carpentry course at a local primary school. We left him on Wednesday in his new uniform, looking a bit nervous but happy!
Kibibi, our new Community Development worker, has been spending time with some of the community finding out about their needs and getting to know them and talking about options other that begging in Mwanza town.
I was upset this week to find out that one of the girls in the last year of primary school, who is only 14 years old, is 6 months pregnant, this means that she will have to leave school. Kibibi and I spoke to her family who are supportive and will help her with the baby so hopefully in the future she may be able to return to school. (FM)
Friday 13th February
Yesterday I had the great pleasure of visiting some of the young people that we are supporting in their vocational education. Sister Anna and I went to Mwanza Home Craft Centre just outside of Mwanza town to visit Bahati Hamisi and Frank Elias. Bahati is studying mechanics and Frank carpentry. When we arrived the whole school was in assembly but I could see Bahati’s smiling face from a distance! The boys took us to their room to show us where they are staying and cooking together and then each to their workshops. Both boys seem very happy and are working well!
Off we went then to visit a young lady called Susana Mpemba. She is 15 years 
old and studying at a local run church centre. She is learning to become a tailor. We went first to where she is staying and happened to walk in at lunch time- ugali and beans!! Susana is staying with 2 other young women who are looking after each other, cooking and studying together. They were very proud to take us to the school and show us what they had been working on.
These young people really want to learn and when asked what Susana liked about sewing she said that “I like to learn about sewing as it will help me with life”. It was great to see Bahati, Frank and Susana in their new environments and they took great pride in showing us around. (FM)
Thursday 19th February
On Tuesday this week we took Louise, our new Volunteer, to Bukumbi to see the renovations that have already taken place at Mpapua dormitory. The roof has been rubbed down and made safe, the mesh and the new window frames are in place, Bukumbi blue paint has made its first appearance and the ramp is starting to take place (see picture).
Vumi, the young albino girl with Skin Cancer is not well again and needs to return to Dar es Salaam for more treatment. We are aiming to get her there next week.
There is a new member of the community – a 20 year old girl with a small albino baby. She been placed at the camp as a place of safety because when she was in her village people were trying to take her baby at night. Only this week another albino was killed in Tanzania, a girl of 14 years for the use of body parts by some witch doctors. This has unsettled the albino community at BCC; they feel it is safer for them to be in the centre than out in the villages.
Another young boy is off to school now that he has his shirt! Pascali, who is 15, has moved back to the area with his grandfather and wants to go back to school! (FM)
Wednesday 25th February
Sometimes visiting Bukumbi is a stark reminder of how some people can still laugh in the face of adversity. Like many of the community living at BCC, Masabuda has had a life full of trials, but the sorrow for her is more than most have to bear. With 3 husbands and 7 children you would think that she would be surrounded by family, but 2 of her husbands and all of her children have passed away, the remaining husband left her after chasing her and their 2 young children out of the home first. She looks down and adjusts her kanga (wrap) as she quietly tells her story, ending by saying that she has no-one left to care for her, which is why to her it is so important that at BCC she is surrounded by friends.
Another resident, Susana, told me how her first husband ran off with their 4 children saying that the dowry he paid to marry her meant that the children belonged to him! Despite being completely blind she carries out her daily chores efficiently and meticulously, she says that her life got better 4 years ago when she met her present husband, also a resident at BCC, she enjoys looking after him and their home. (AW)
Thursday 26th February
Today I met with Jameelat Lyimo, from the Tanzania Leprosy Relief Association, she is a health educator/promoter and tutor, and has been going around all the 48 TLRA local groups training them in wound management and small business enterprise. The 2 day workshop at BCC was attended by 32 TLRA members from 3 local groups (Ukerewe/Buhingo/Bukumbi).
At the end of the workshop she offers a grant of 300,000tsh to each local group to fund small businesses. The money is given to the TLRA local chairman and an account opened, the small groups then get together and suggest small businesses they would like to set up and the money is allocated. The grants involve local partners to assist in training, supervision and accountability, in this case Mr Bundala and our own Kibibi. This is a great opportunity for successful applicants to make their first steps towards becoming more independent. (AW)