We have almost finished our time in Tanzania. Interviews continue for another day. We started the week with 2500 needing to be done at the end of Friday we have 389 left to do. What a privilege it is to hear the stories of so many families. We have laughed and cried together. There are 16 different locations which hold feeding programmes, all different. Some in remote villages others in cramped town areas. The needs are high and life is a daily challenge. Sponsorship helps to fill some gaps and amongst other things helps children and families know they are not forgotten. Why not join us and #sponsorachild https://www.grassroots.org.uk/sponsor-a-child-today/
Today was a full day. We went off to Nyibuko for more interviewing. As usual the children were writing letters or drawing pictures for their sponsors. Then it was back to the Grassroots centre where within minutes of arriving there was a massive downpour which made it impossible to hear each other, under the tin roof, and flooded the streets outside. The local people and hospital have been without water since Monday due to damage done in a storm earlier in the week. Then we went to Pambogo School to deliver a new photo copying machine. The children were very excited but I’m not so sure they will be on Saturday when they will have tests photocopied out for them. @ Mbeya
Day 7: Breakfast at 7.30am…tomato toast today…a short time of prayer and worship in the small church at the Karibuni Centre and then at 9am we set off for Ndala. The first hour of the journey is on good roads. The second hour is not! If you want an off road experience head for the mountains around Tukuyu & Ndala! Hairpin after hairpin…steep ups and downs…so much dust from the lorries in front that you can’t see them, let alone where you are going. It was quite a trip! I was lucky enough to be in the front…it was worse for Sue and John and translators in the back.
Ndala is in a beautiful area…surrounded by tea and banana plantations and very fertile land growing maize, potatoes, carrots and beans. It sounds idyllic but the beauty of the surroundings masks the poverty of the people. Such need here…and such appreciation for the support that Grassroots provides. They treated us to a wonderful meal of chips, rice, chicken and soup…no doubt a real sacrifice. Fortified, we returned to the landcruiser for the 2 1/2 hour back using the spectacularly bumpy ‘short cut’.
The other half of the team have been in Mwanjelwa today. It stayed dry for us in Ndala but another torrential downpour affected the Mwanjelwa and Airport area.
https://www.facebook.com/pricerelli/videos/10162185598195237/?t=12
The journey was long and so dusty at times you couldn’t see in front of you. The journey was worth it as we arrived at Ndala to a wonderful welcome of singing and dancing from the children. Today Teddy helped out taking photographs and he was shown how to pick tea from the many tea plants that grow there. On the way home we stopped to buy some delicious bananas. This is one of the main crops along with tea and potatoes. @ Ndala