What We Do
Bukumbi Diary - April 2009
Wednesday 15th April 2009
Over the last two weeks eleven members of the Bukumbi community have been busy making various craft items to sell to the volunteers from Henry Schein (UK) who are currently renovating the last of the large dormitory buildings.
Bridge2Aid gave small loans of around £4 per person and assisted with buying the raw materials in bulk from Mwanza town. People have been making small handbags and bowls, sweeping brushes and hanging basket holders as well as embroidering place mats.
Today we held our sale with each person sitting by their craft items proud to hand them over in return for some hard cash! There were smiles all over from those selling and buying, with the ladies all clapping and whooping afterwards at the small profit they had made. We then gave them the opportunity to pay back all or part of their loans from Bridge2Aid and told them the good news that any crafts made with the left over materials was now 100% profit. (AW)
16th April 2009
Two years ago we started renovating the large residential dormitories at Bukumbi, and today we handed over the last of these, Mpupua, back to the residents.
The team of eleven volunteers from Henry Schein (UK) have been enthusiastic and energetic as together with Fay, Louise and other Bridge2Aid staff they cleaned, scrubbed and painted the dormitory. The final result today was a weather proof, safe and clean building with electricity, and beds made up with new mattresses, sheets and brightly coloured blankets (provided by Sister Anna).
When the community went into their new home for the first time you could hear gasps of amazement and shrieks of joy as each of them entered their rooms. Agnes, an Albino resident, laughed at her daughter Margaret (2yrs - pictured) as she bounced excitedly on her bed giggling. I met with Helena and Sundi who were admiring the bright shower curtains in the new bathrooms, Helena said they were so nice they were more like bedrooms than bathrooms! (AW)