On Saturday 6th Dec.2008 we are having a fundraiser
2-4 pm. United Church, Jewry Street, Winchester.
There will be music, crafts for sale, showing of our documentary about building the Health Centre and a Raffle.
Money raised will go towards the Greening Project.
We look forward to seeing you there.
We will be holding our AGM on 29th Nov. 2008 at 10 Christchurch Rd. Winchester.
Agenda
Welcome by Stephen Todd
Apologies for absence
Minutes of the AGM 17th November 2007
Matters arising
Annual Report
Summary of Accounts
Election of Officers
A.O.B.
Closing remarks, Kitty Todd secretary.
Mid March saw the opening of the Health Centre. Mr. Kauzeni the ward councillor officiated as the M.P. Mr. Mwananzila couldn’t make it. There was a great gathering. It is up and running with just a handful of things that need finishing off. When the guttering is attached to the fascia board and pipes run into the water tanks, they will be water harvesting. The ceiling boards in the veranda waiting area will be painted white.
The drop toilets are constructed away from the pit, so they won’t be too smelly. All in all the health care provision for Kalalasi and the surrounding villages shall be greatly improved.
The sign at the front thanks SUDA and St. Peter’s Church in Winchester for their contribution.
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Click here for the health centre project page. For an account of the trip from Kitty, read on.
Mbeka, Rhea, Davinder and I, (Kitty) flew to Dar es Salaam on 24th August, arriving on the Saturday 25th. We stayed with Mbeka’s sister, Mama Willie and her husband Noah in Mbagala Kuu catching up with Parapanda, the Theatre group he used to work with and other friends on Sunday. Monday we shopped for Kalalasi; skipping rope, basket ball, generator and other essential items. Then on Tuesday we were up at crack of dawn for the bus. Mama Willie came with us to cook with her 4 year old niece, Adolfina who’s mum had died recently. She was going to stay with her grandmother.
With Rhea’s camera equipment, the video player Mbeka picked up second hand in Winchester, a big bag of clothes etc, we had 15 pieces of luggage.12 hours on the bus to Mbeya, then on to Sumbawanga next day. The night before we left for the village, Mama Willie went down with malaria, so we left her in hospital in Sumbawanga, bought mattresses, food etc. and headed off to Kalalasi.There we stayed in the new house the Headteacher was about to move in to.There was a dining table and chairs, sofa, easy chairs and coffee table, windows with glass in and some plastic chairs.A walled yard with outside hole in the floor toilet, shower room, bare kitchen and 2 storage sheds, one with 2 huge bags of charcoal.The teacher’s wife over the way cooked for us until Mama Wille came.
The Health Centre was coming on nicely. We’d sent money over the last few months for cement, window and door frames and furniture. The walls were up to roof level and the community were pitching in. Women carrying water and bricks, men with bullock sledges bringing sand and cement. We paid some key workmen: plasterers and the main roofer but the villagers made and fired the bricks and worked for free. Mr. Chole, the former village chairman acted as foreman. The women sang songs they had composed for us. Mbeka translated, one line that sticks in my mind was “Now we feel we are alive.”
Over the next couple of weeks we had two trips to Sumbawanga on the lorry that runs daily from Matai.If asked he picks up and drops off in Kalalasi.The road is really rough so it takes three hours to travel the 63 miles there, longer on the way back with people unloading purchases along the way.We cashed £4,000 worth of travellers cheques and bought in the materials needed to finish the project.We got to know the people at Jeggo hardware quite well.A team of men from the village came to help load up.By the time we left the roof was on, walls plastered and floors cemented. Rain water storage tanks were under construction and the furniture was in the storeroom nearby.
Now the verandas are finished, walls painted inside and out, water harvesting tanks are being finished. The only thing left to do are the toilets. They are waiting for money from the local govt. for that.
We raised just over £1000 at Westgate. It was a lively evening and the atmosphere with the African Market and variety of performers was brilliant. Many thanks to all the staff and pupils who helped out. We are really excited to have a link between Matai School and Westgate and the money will help with beds for the students there.
Meanwhile back in Kalalasi the foundations are finished for the Health Clinic, they are drying out for a few days then next week the walls will start going up. The doors and windows are on site and the district engineer has seen it and given them advice. He will continue to supervise the building.
Kapita the carpenter sent us this picture of the doors.
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If you’re in the Winchester area and would like to meet up with us all to help raise funds for a bio gas project in Kalalasi, we’d love to see you. Please let me know on 01962 861217 or email [kitty *at* sumbawanga *dot* org *dot* uk] if you plan to attend.
It will be held at 10 Christchurch Road, Winchester SO23 9SR. Bring something for the BBQ and a donation for funds. This is a chance to see everyone before we go to Kalalasi to help out with the final stages of building the Health Centre. Mbeka’s band Waraba will be playing and there will be food and drink, African crafts for sale and a raffle.
Children welcome.
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Supporting ‘Sumbawamga Development Action’ charity no: 1111900
At Westgate School, Cheriton Rd., Winchester
SATURDAY 24TH MARCH 2007
PERFORMANCE: 7.00 – 8.45 p.m.
TICKETS FOR EVENING PERFORMANCE: £5.00
An exciting range of performances from a variety of arts groups:
Before the performance and during the interval stalls will a rich array of affordable items on sale from Tanzania, Africa including cloths, masks, carvings and jewellery.
ALL FUNDS RAISED WILL GO TO HELP SCHOOLCHILDREN IN MATAI SECONDARY SCHOOL TANZANIA. THE WESTGATE SCHOOL HOPES TO FORGE AN ONGOING LINK WITH MATAI SCHOOL
cheques payable to SUDA, ENCLOSE SAE
Quite a number of things have gone on over the last several months; most notably, we have made excellent progress with our fundraising thanks to a Covenant With the Poor appeal through the Catholic Church. Through that appeal, we have raised a further £6000, which brings us very much in line with our goal of £8000 for the health center.
Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, it has not been possible for work on this project to begin this summer as we had at one stage hoped. However, we are now ready to begin comissioning the manufacture of doors and windows. We are confident that we will be able to ensure, when the time comes, that the building work can be done very quickly and efficiently.
We are planning another fundraising event in late November, and will be sending out invitations in due course.
Here is the new wordpress based website for the SUDA charity (yes, it’s official now – we are a registered charity, #1111900). This should make it easy to keep anyone who’s interested up to date on all of our activities. If you are so inclined, you can subscribe to rss newsfeeds, and be kept abreast of any changes.