2020 November Newsletter – Mto wa Mbu new loans and Maize Porridge
WTWT NEWSLETTER November 2020
Dear Loyal Supporters
After a difficult year with Covid-19 and lockdowns in Tanzania as well as the UK, we are pleased to have been able to restart our health education and loan training programmes. Our existing VICOBA loan groups were able to continue their businesses, bringing vital food to the community and income to the borrowers’ families.
Health
Thankfully there have not been many cases of Covid-19 as far as we are aware in the area where we work. From February our staff taught about Covid-19 and preventative measures that should be taken: safe distancing, hand washing, mask wearing and avoiding gatherings. When gatherings were stopped by the Tanzanian government in March our in-person classes stopped. Teaching was then done via social media, using creative Maasai dramas shared on mobile phones. Our staff also travelled around the villages with speakers to teach from about Covid from the safe distance of the land rover.
Our general health education classes have now restarted including education about the harmful effects of FGM and child marriage, both of which are reducing in the area, but more education and community discussion is needed.
Loans
We are delighted that WMI (Women’s Microfinance Initiative) have given us a further grant this year to extend our loan programme to Mto wa Mbu and Esilalei wards and to support our adult and health education for the new loan recipients. Huge thanks again to this wonderful organisation for their ongoing support. Training in Mto has now begun and we have taken on a new female member of staff, Sinyati Ngamuriaki, from the local area to supervise and support the new VICOBA groups. Sinyati has recently completed her university course in Rural Development Planning.
Sinyati Ngamuriaki
Education
WTWT now fund a total of 45 secondary school students, including the 15 girls who came to us in January to avoid child marriage. We also fund the building of preschools, this year in Ngoile, and maize porridge provision for the children attending.
Children receiving maize porridge
We are hugely grateful for all your financial support and your encouragement of our work. Without you we could not do any of this.
As always, our flights and administration are paid by ourselves, so all of your donations go directly to the community projects.
With much love and thanks
Rachel and WTWT trustees here in the UK and staff in Tanzania:
Rachel, David and Daniel Blackmore, Tim Shewbridge, Ruth Cornish, Suchita Raja, Viv Pangalos and Helen Williams in the UK
Ponja Tayai, Embapa Oloishiro, Mbario Lemomo, Peesoi Runguna, Grace Tapwaa, Sunguyo Sindiyo and Sandei Kinjanjui in Tanzania.
If any more of you would like to make a donation or set up a standing order, we would be extremely grateful, as would the people in Ngorongoro.
Our bank account is: ‘Weston Turville Wells for Tanzania’ at Lloyds TSB, account number: 00087400, sort code 30-90-38. Cheques can be made payable to ‘WTWT’ and posted to our address.
Weston Turville Wells for Tanzania (WTWT)
Registered UK charity No: 1125141
Registered office: Old Crown, West End, Weston Turville, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP22 5TT
Email: racheljblackmore@gmail.com
Phone: +447792 475094
Weston Turville Wells for Tanzania (WTWT)
