Bukumbi History
Thirty years ago the streets of Mwanza were ‘cleansed’ and those seen as unsightly or with disabilities who were living on the streets were moved to BCC. The centre was built in 1980 to provide a place where the community could be housed together as a joint project by the Government and an aid organisation. It was originally thought that the Maskini would stay at Bukumbi, but as time has passed they have needed to return to the town for work in the form of begging, because it was the place they knew best. Bukumbi is now largely a transient community with some people staying there all of the time, and others travelling to and from Mwanza.
The people here are very dependant and they have become reliant on others to provide for them. B2A are working to reverse this situation and see a community who know what it means to have independence, caring and providing for themselves and each other, no matter what their appearance, disability or disease.
The Social Welfare department have a regular commitment to Bukumbi which is meant to provide all their basic needs and medical care. Every 3 months £1,500 (3 million Tshillings) is spent to provide this whole community with their ‘basic needs’. This is never enough and after about 6 weeks the supplies have run out. The basic supplies have also had to be adjusted and the norm is to provide only staple food such as flour, rice and beans, they are often unable to provide salt, sugar, cooking oil or soap. Currently, Bridge2Aid donates a shipment of food to the residents every month to supplement the food provided by the Regional Welfare Office.