Village Africa

January 2017

• Baby Philipo named after Phil Eastham.  Phil volunteered for Village Africa and visits on a regular basis.  The baby’s parents are Tomas Hosea and Lenada Tomas.

• St Wilfrid’s Men’s Group sent a donation as Village Africa was one of its chosen charities for 2016.  Thank you to all members for their generosity.
• Queen’s Inclosure Primary School receives an assembly from Caroline Johnston, Village Africa’s Director.  The presentation portrayed the life of a child in the village.

December 2016

• Waterlooville Baptist Church’s Toy in a Bag Appeal saw gifts donated to 126 young pupils in Yamba Primary School.  A big thank you to all who contributed.

• The Brazenall family makes donations to Village Africa in lieu of Christmas presents to one another.  Thank you to them for their thoughtfulness and kindness.
• Two tables and chairs for teachers made for Kweulasi Primary School.  Thanks to Zoe Carss Education Trust for the funding.

• Queen’s Inclosure Primary School in Waterlooville donates proceeds from its Christmas performances.  Many thanks to all involved.
• Sixty two new desks donated to Milingano Primary School this year. Many thanks to all who contributed to the Village Africa Desk Appeal.

• Series of farming seminars organised by Village Africa in Kwembalazi and Yamba. Kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids in the USA. Topics include maize, banana, trees, chickens, cows and goats.

• Village Africa’s building team completes 6 school toilets and 3 water tanks for Kishimai Primary School. The handover ceremony will take place after the holidays. This is a new school started by the community so that the children no longer have to climb 3 hours up the steep mountain for lessons.

• Beanie raises money for Village Africa by giving up alcohol for a year. A big thank to him and also to his family and friends who sponsored him for the last 3 months. Beanie (Sean McBean) was a Village Africa building volunteer in Yamba.

• Village Africa Calendars for sale – Only £10 each (including P&P if UK). Please order by Sunday 27th November 2016 to catch the print run in time for posting overseas and within the UK. Please email info@villageafrica.org.uk with the number of calendars you would like and give the delivery address. Payments can be made online by debit or credit card at https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/villageafrica.

• Our Christmas cards are back! 
  This year we have two designs, available in packs of 10 at £5 each (including p&p).
  Design A is 15cm square and B is A6 size. Both are blank inside for your own lovely Christmas messages.
To order, please email the quantity you’d like, specifying the design and a delivery address to info@villageafrica.org.uk.
 Payments can be made online at https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/villageafrica or by cheque to ‘Village Africa’ sent to Village Africa, 126 Hambledon Road, Waterlooville, Hants, PO7 6XA. Please do not gift aid as this is not allowed on charity merchandise.

• The Village Africa Christmas auction on facebook is now up and running again for this year! New lots will be posted throughout the month so keep checking back to make sure you don’t miss out. Please bid by commenting under the relevant picture. Bidding will close at 9pm on 30th November, when the highest bidder wins. Postage is covered by the starting price. Good luck.
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/vaauction

November 2016

• Phil Eastham catching up with friends in Milingano.  Phil volunteered for the charity and make regular visits.

• School uniforms distributed to primary school pupils in Simba Club, Village Africa’s child sponsorship scheme.  The uniforms and sweaters were made by men and women in the village.  A big thank you to all the sponsors.

• Wickford C of E Infant School continues its link with Yamba Primary School. Caroline Johnston, Village Africa’s Director, spent a day at the Wickford school updating the teachers and pupils.

October 2016

• Baby boy born in hospital after an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance. His name is Lenard and he is pictured here with his mother Erine Elias. A very big thank you to all Village Africa donors who made this trip possible.

• Excellent primary school leavers’ exam results again in Milingano, Kweulasi and Yamba primary schools. 53 out of 54 passed in Milingano, 45 out of 48 in Kweulasi and 21 out of 26 in Yamba.Milingano was the 2nd placed school in Bumbuli Council. Kweulasi was 6th and Yamba was 26th. Milingano was the 9th placed school in the region out of 412 and 220th nationally out of 8109. The pupils worked hard and the head teachers and teachers are doing an amazing job. Thank you to all Village Africa volunteers and supporters who have also helped these pupils to achieve these fantastic results. 

• Tom Dickin from the UK makes his sixth visit to Yamba. He originally came as a Village Africa teaching volunteer and is keenly following the progress of his former pupils. Yamba still loves visitors!

• Water and sanitation – Yamba Primary School throws a party to celebrate the gift of 3 water tanks and 6 school toilets. This project was very kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids in the USA and constructed by Village Africa’s building team.

• Village Africa’s Director, Caroline Johnston, was guest of honour at the Milingano Primary School graduation ceremony. It was a very well attended and joyful occasion. 54 pupils completed primary school and Milingano was the top school in Bumbuli Council in the Standard VII mock exam.

• New books for Yamba Primary School. Mary Bryning held a fundraising lunch – a simple meal of soup, bread and cheese. She invited lots of friends and they donated generously. A big thank you to Mary and her friends.
  We have bought Science, Maths, Kiswahili and English textbooks for Standards II (age 8) and Geography, Civics and Kiswahili for Standard III (age 9). The books are beautifully produced, with lots of colourful illustrations relevant to life in Tanzania.

• Village Africa donates three book cupboards to Kweulasi Primary School. Another is under construction. They were kindly funded by the Zoe Carss Education Trust.
  Photo – John Shekuamba (Village Africa Assistant Director) presents the cupboards to Cuthbeth Lophin Assery (Head teacher)

 

September 2016

• Used mobile phones – Thank you to those who recently donated mobile phones for Village Africa staff. More are always needed, so please think of us whenever you change your phone. Please give them to Caroline Johnston or send them to Village Africa’s UK office.
  Photo – Edmund Senkunde, one of Village Africa’s ambulance drivers

• Vaccinating dogs and cats against rabies. Peter Shemweta (right) assists the government agricultural officer Justin Makaga (left) to vaccinate animals in Yamba and Kwembalazi. Dogs are used as guard dogs and cats deter rats from eating stored maize.
  Peter’s visits are organised by Village Africa and funded by Kids Helping Kids.

• Sean Campbell successfully runs the Bristol half marathon to raise money to sponsor Baby Sean who is named after him. Thank you to Sean and to all his friends and family who contributed.

• Village Africa donates 966 books to Milingano Primary School. They are for Standards II – VII and topics include Maths, Science, Technology, Kiswahili, English, History, Geography, Civics, General Studies and Sport. For each set of pupil textbooks, there is a teacher’s guide. The books match the Tanzanian syllabus so the students now have an even better chance of passing their national exams. Many thanks to all supporters who contributed to the Village Africa School Textbook Appeal.

Photo call – John Shekuamba (Village Africa’s Assistant Director) hands books to the Milingano Primary School Head teacher and pupil representatives

 

• Yamba tailor, Talita Vicent, measuring Simba Club girls for new school uniforms. Simba Club is Village Africa’s child sponsorship scheme.

• Teachers’ books – A handful of teachers’ guides donated to Kweulasi Primary School. They have just become available in the bookshop and match the pupils’ textbooks given previously. Thank you to the Zoe Carss Education Trust for all the funding.
  Photo – Cuthbeth Lophin Assery (Head teacher) on the left and John Shekuamba (Village Africa Assistant Director) on the right.
• New penpals – Yamba Primary School pupils prepare to write to students at Chapel Allerton Primary School in Leeds, UK. This is a fun way for them to learn about another culture, use English and practise their handwriting.

August 2016

• Malaria seminar – Village Africa nurse, Hilda Shemzigwa, giving a seminar to Standard VII pupils at Yamba Primary School. Thank you to Village Africa donors who made this possible by funding the salaries of our nurses.

• Village Africa’s ambulance service – Baby girl born after an emergency trip. The baby is called Amina Ayubu and the proud parents are Zakia Ayubu (mother) and Ayubu Nasoro (father). They live outside Milingano on the way to Yamba. Thank you to all Village Africa donors for their assistance. Vyaadahikana (‘It is possible’)

• Librarian – Regina Michael is currently looking after Village Africa’s library. It is open four times a week. It has a copy of all primary and secondary school textbooks and Kiswahili and English story books. Thank you to Village Africa supporters who have made this possible.

• Mibukwe Secondary School girls receive heart necklaces from Kids Helping Kids in the USA. All the recipients are in Simba Club (Village Africa’s student sponsorship scheme). The ceramic necklaces were made by American schoolgirls to raise money and some of the hearts were sent to Tanzania.

• Pneumonia seminar – Village Africa’s nurse (Mama Ade) arrives to give the talk. It is very cold in Yamba this year and pneumonia is the second most common ailment in the area (after malaria).
  The charity is running a year long series of monthly health seminars for the community.

• Stained glass – The Wickford Church of England School in Essex, UK sends a friendship plaque to Yamba Primary School. The colours of the Tanzanian flag are on the left, the UK flag colours are on the right and the Wickford school’s initials are in the centre. It is pictured here with three of the kindergarten pupils.

• Saturday Club – Girls watching an interactive Kiswahili DVD about health kindly provided by Thare Machi Education (a UK charity).
  Village Africa is running a club for girls in Yamba led by Magda Baruti. It teaches life skills (particularly hygiene and first aid) and there are lots of fun activities like singing, dancing, drawing and sport too. The club is for Std IV and V girls (10-11 years) in the morning and Std VI and VII girls (12-13 years) in the afternoon. Magda comes from Yamba and is now a teacher funded by Village Africa.

• New builder – Village Africa welcomes Richard Anthoni onto its permanent staff. He has previously worked for us on a temporary basis at Kweulasi, Kwembalazi and Yamba primary schools.

• Cosmas Shekinyuma has left Yamba to become a farm manager. Village Africa wishes him all the best in his new job.
• Baby Bettina – named after Bettina Blass who was a Village Africa volunteer. The proud parents are Peter Sebastian (Sheshe) who is Village Africa’s head builder and his wife Sophia. Many congratulations on the new arrival.

 

 

July 2016

• Freshly painted school – Village Africa has painted Yamba Primary School to mark the charity’s 10th birthday. It painted six classrooms inside and out and all the toilets to make a cleaner and pleasant working environment for the teachers and pupils.
  Thank you to those who contributed to our birthday appeal. To donate or fundraise, please see the following link. The appeal will stay open until 2 May 2017 (the end of this birthday year). https://mydonate.bt.com/events/villageafrica10thbirthdayfundraisingappeal

• Milingano – blankets and hoes distributed to Simba Club pupils at Milingano Primary School. Thanks to their sponsors for making this possible. More sponsors are needed. To support a child, please see https://villageafrica.org.uk/donate/sponsor-a-child/
  (left to right Haridi, Juma, Paris and Aloisia)

• Baby Karen named after Tom Dickin’s mother. Tom was a Village Africa teaching volunteer in Yamba. The baby’s proud parents are Lucas Richard and Anna Lucas.

June 2016

Village Africa 10th Birthday Fundraising Appeal

• We’ve had an amazing 10 years thanks to the support of so many people. We’ve achieved so much but there is still lots to do. Please help us to continue our life saving health and important education work. Assist us to keep the ambulance service, health post and health seminars going and to provide classrooms, school toilets, desks and books. Please donate or fundraise for Village Africa. We need your help! We are using ‘ten’ as our fundraising theme. Can you run 10K, collect 10ps, sell 10 cupcakes, have 10 friends to lunch or think of your own ’10’ idea to raise money and celebrate our 10th birthday? https://mydonate.bt.com/events/villageafrica10thbirthdayfundraisingappeal

• Village Africa celebrated its 10th birthday with Caroline and some of the UK team in London.  Thank you to all supporters who came along.

• Local MP thanks Village Africa for its work. January Makamba, Bumbuli’s MP sends a thank you card and gifts in appreciation of all Village Africa has done to help. He is also Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office for Union Affairs and Environment.
  The gifts, pictured here with our Project Leader, Caroline Johnston, are two pieces of African cloth, a fruit basket and a chapati board and rolling pin.
  A big thank you to all our supporters.

• Wickford C of E Infants School continues its link with Village Africa. Here is its foyer display about Tanzania and the charity. Note the Tanzanian flag background.
  Rebecca Tarplett who teaches at the school was a volunteer teacher in Yamba.
  Caroline Johnston, our Project Leader, visited the school this month to give an assembly.

 

May 2016

• Bumba Primary School receives 6 school toilets and 3 water tanks built by Village Africa and generously donated by Kids Helping Kids in the USA.

• Final bricks being made for two classrooms for Kwembalazi Primary School. The Village Africa builders are almost at the lintel stage.

• Ambulance route – Yamba men maintain the 6km road on Wednesdays and Saturdays to keep the road open so that Village Africa’s ambulance can pass with seriously ill patients day or night in all weathers.

April 2016

• Solar power – Village Africa’s office now has a solar panel with bulbs and sockets thanks to Waterlooville Baptist Church. The congregation wanted to improve life for Caroline. The building doubles up as Caroline’s living accommodation. This is an amazing gift – thank you!

Photo – Simon the technician from Tanga installing the solar power.

• Baby Caroline named after Village Africa’s Director Caroline Johnston (Makihiyo). This is a big honour for Caroline and the charity. The newborn is pictured here with her mother Hepines. The baby’s father is Antoni Paul.

March 2016

• Milingano bridge newly constructed by the Tanzanian government. This should allow Village Africa’s ambulance to reach hospital in all weather conditions, day or night.

• Village Africa’s ambulance – Twins born in hospital after an emergency trip from Milingano. The mother is called Upendo Herbert and the babies’ names are Shadrack and Abedinego. Thank you to the Village Africa donors who made this journey possible and helped to save 3 lives!

• Friendship – Yamba pupils write to their friends at Chapel Allerton Primary School in Leeds, UK.

• Motorbike accident – Mathayo back in Milingano. He needed an emergency trip to hospital in Village Africa’s ambulance after his recent accident. Thank you to all who contribute to our ambulance service. The villagers greatly appreciate this help.

• Baby Karen named after Karen Nivala who was a Village Africa teaching volunteer and has visited Yamba many times. The baby is two months old and was baptised on Easter Monday. Her parents are Joseph Michael and Flora Joseph.

• Agnes safely home in Milingano after an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance and being admitted to hospital. She was seriously ill with malaria. Thank you to all Village Africa donors. Our ambulance service helped to save her life.

• Simba Club primary school pupils are measured for an extra school uniform.

February 2016

• Village Africa starts building six school toilets and three water tanks for Bumba Primary School (above Mashewa where the buses stop). This work is kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids, a charity in the USA.
• Dr Ian Bradley makes a social visit to Yamba and catches up with our nurses, Hilda (left) and Mama Ade (right).

• Yamba pupils send penfriend correspondence to their new friends at Wickford Church of England Infant School in the UK.

• Secondhand spectacles distributed in Milingano. Thank you to those who sent them from Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

January 2016

• Foundations laid for two new classrooms at Kwembalazi Primary School by Village Africa’s building team. The classrooms are being funded by the Zoe Carss Education Trust.

• Village Africa funds Magda Baruti and Skola Maiko to teach kindergarten in Yamba.
• Joanna Leigh’s family and friends kindly donate loose change they have been collecting for the charity.

December 2015

• New Kiswahili storybooks given to Village Africa’s community library in Yamba.

• Children in Yamba write letters to their penpals at Chapel Allerton Primary School in Leeds, UK.
• Yamba Primary School pupils receive handmade Christmas cards from Lynncroft Primary School students in the UK. The English school completed a rainbow walk to raise money for Village Africa’s work.

• The charity sells Christmas cards, a CD of church music and a calendar to mark its ten year anniversary in 2016. It also runs a Christmas auction on Facebook.

• The Brazenall family members make a joint donation to Village Africa in lieu of Christmas gifts to each other.
• Maiko Paulo works in the Tanzanian office during his school holidays.

November 2015

• Doug, Becky, Joli and Angel, guided by John Samweli and Sheki, successfully complete the arduous 100km trek from Tanga to Yamba to raise money for Village Africa’s ambulance service.

• Moe Brazenall, our Child Sponsorship Coordinator, visits Yamba for the third time.

• Tom Dickin visits Yamba again to catch up with old friends and see the students he used to teach.

• Magda Baruti passes her 2 year Montessori Teacher Training course in Lushoto.

October 2015

• Eight more desks given to Milingano Primary School.

• Wickford C of E Infant School sends a school teddy and sweatshirt to Yamba Primary School as part of their link.

• Two book cupboards are presented to Yamba Primary School.

September 2015

• Kids Helping Kids visits for a week to see the building and farming work it has funded and which was delivered by Village Africa. Salie Rossen, Director, handed over six school toilets and three water tanks to Kwemisambia Primary School.

• Caroline Johnston, Village Africa’s Director, was Guest of Honour at Milingano Primary School leavers’ graduation ceremony.

August 2015

• Jessica, Bee, Rachel, Catherine and Caroline trek from Tanga to Yamba in 5 days to raise money for Village Africa’s ambulance service.

• The road to Mzizma (Village Africa’s accommodation) in Yamba is complete. A big thank you to all the local volunteers who carried out this work by hand.
• Village Africa runs its first auction on Facebook.

July 2015

• Agricultural teacher, Peter Shemweta, returns to Kwembalazi and Yamba to vaccinate livestock.
• Jenifa Hokelei leaves Village Africa’s staff to do a vocational training course.

• A baby boy is born in hospital after an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance. His name is Kimea.

• Six school toilets and 3 water tanks handed over to Kwediwa Primary School. This work was kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids and built by Village Africa.

June 2015

• Congratulations to Innocent Charles who was first out of 159 students in the Form 4 midterm exams at Mbelei Secondary School. Innocent is from Yamba and is in Simba Club, Village Africa’s child sponsorship scheme. A big thank you to his sponsor and all who sponsor young people in the scheme.

• A big thank you to Cisco for sending T-shirts to Village Africa. The T-shirts were distributed to local volunteers and staff to encourage them in their efforts to improve their community. Special thanks to Lesley Henderson (past Village Africa volunteer) who now works at Cisco for organising this.

• Colourful blankets delivered to Simba Club, Village Africa’s child sponsorship scheme. It is cold in the mountains in July and August and pneumonia is a common disease there.

• Wickford Church of England School forms a link with Village Africa. Rebecca Tarplett (nee Lander) was in the first group of volunteers to Yamba and now works at the Wickford school. Caroline Johnston visited to meet the head teacher, teachers and pupils and to establish the link.
• Specsavers in Brunnsum in the Netherlands donates more secondhand spectacles to Village Africa. A big thank you to their customers and staff for their kindness.

May 2015

• New Directors – Village Africa appoints Em Southey and Bee Taylor as board members.  Em was the Volunteer Liaison Officer in Yamba after a time as a building volunteer. She has also successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the charity.  Bee was a teaching volunteer on her first visit to Yamba. On her second visit she completed many different tasks to help the community and the project.

 

 

• School bags given to Simba Club, Village Africa’s child sponsorship scheme. Some pupils walk 3 hours to school up the steep mountain from Mweni. They have to carry their exercise books and school stationery. It is often wet and muddy. Thanks to all the sponsors for their kindness.

• Cosham Rotary Club supports Village Africa again after a presentation by Caroline Johnston on progress made.
• Secondhand spectacles kindly sent by Bettina Blass in Germany who was a Yamba volunteer. Thank you to her friends for donating them.
• Road to Mzizma – Local volunteers start extending the road from Village Africa’s health post to Mzizma, our visitor accommodation. They are also widening and maintaining the road up to Yamba twice a week.

• School Assembly – Caroline Johnston, our Director, gives a talk at Queen’s Inclosure Primary School while she is in the UK.
• Village Africa greetings cards – Thanks to Linsey McGregor (past Village Africa teaching volunteer) for designing and selling our cards.
• Loose change – Joanna Leigh’s family and friends kindly collect their loose change for the charity. Joanna was in the first group of Village Africa volunteers.

April 2015

• National vaccinations for children given free of charge in Village Africa’s health by Milingano Dispensary nurses.

• School textbooks – All books needed for Standard VI and VII given to Kweulasi Primary School. A big thank you to the Zoe Carss Education Trust for this funding.

• Farming teacher – Peter Shemweta visited for another fortnight. He ran seminars on keeping pigs, goats and chickens and on crops including ginger for Yamba. He vaccinated animals, planted trees at Kwembalazi Primary School, inspected the trees planted in Yamba and planted a coconut seed given to Caroline by Kwediwa village. Thanks to Kids Helping Kids for sponsoring this programme.

• Penpal letters – Yamba Primary School pupils write to their friends at Chapel Allerton Primary School in the UK.
• Kwediwa Primary School – Village Africa starts the construction of 6 school toilets and 3 water tanks. We are grateful to Kids Helping Kids for this grant.