What We Do
Bukumbi Diary- March 2010
4th March
Last wee
k we went on a magical mystery tour to visit Mary Saidi in her Secondary school. Unfortunatly no map showed where the school was so we trusted in Charles to get us there! Mary has had a tough last six months with her mother dying and it was great to see her at school and smilng, she looked like a different person! We chatted for a short while before she had to rush off for her examinations. Her teachers are very pleased with her.
Rachel and I this week went on a fact finding missi
on to look at how we could develop the income generation programme into brick making. We visited the Mwanza Rural Housiong project who specialise in sustainable brick making, using the husks from rice and maize to fire the bricks. It is a simple and effective way for people to make money and support people in buidling their own homes. We hope in the furture that people from Bukumbi will be able to make their own bricks. (FD)
18th March
The last two weeks have flown by and have consisted of visits to the students in secondary and vocational education. The boys, Bahati, Frank and Felix in vocational college. Felix has started carpentry this year and has made a good start! Bahati and Frank are also doing very well and Frank was proudly showing off the door he had made!
The girls, Susana and Naomi are studying sewing in a nearby 
college. Susana is in her second year and is a great tailor. She is now going to make a pair of trousers for Bahati. I was extremly proud of Naomi who, when we visited in February was learning to use a pair of scissors, and this week she was making a school skirt and is even going to make a skirt for herself! What a difference a month makes!
Lamecki and William who are in secondary school are continung to study well. We had a long journey to visit them but only had one flat tyre and thanks to Innocent he managed to change it whilst on the Ferry!
26th March
The challenge this week was the road to Bukumbi! The rainy season is well and truely with us. The new road that is being built out to Bukumbi is now starting to get a layer of tar but the old road that we are still using could not withsatnd the amount of water from the rain and the river and literally was washed away! Lorries were being pushed up slopes from getting stuck in the mud and numerous cars and daladalas were also stuck. Thank goodness Charles was driving!
Vumi has returned from Dar es Salaam and has been told that she needs to return again in 3 months for another operation. Kibibi met with the income generation commitee whilst Rachel, Charles and I worked through the last of the plans for the renovation of the Community Block. Not long now until the team arrive. (FD)