June 2022
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Sad news – Monsignor Baruti (formerly Father Baruti) has died. He will be greatly missed by all at Village Africa. He was our Co-founder and advised until his sudden death on 13 June 2022.
Many condolences (Poleni sana) to all his family, friends, colleagues and everyone who knew him. This is a very big loss for us all.
big loss for us all.
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Run in the 2022 ASICS London 10K – Sunday 10 July 2022. Exciting event – famous location – great atmosphere! Charity places available now. Please email us on info@villageafrica.org.uk if you wish to take part for Village Africa and raise much needed funds to help the villagers in Yamba and Milingano. We can then book you a place before they get snapped up.
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Rebecca Stagg took on the Lake District Triple Challenge on 11 June 2022 in aid of Village Africa. A fun event in very beautiful English countryside (trekking, cycling and kayaking). Many thanks to Rebecca and all who so kindly donated. To donate too, please see
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Rebecca was a Yamba Primary School teaching volunteer and returned to see many of her pupils who had passed their exams and gone on to Mibukwe Secondary School.
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May 2022
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Baby Tom Omary born after an emergency trip from Yamba to Milingano in Village Africa’s ambulance.
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He is named after Tom Dickin who was a Village Africa teaching volunteer in Yamba.
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The baby is pictured here with his mother Winifrida Hokelai.
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Yamba pupils replying to their penfriends at Kingfisher Primary School in the UK. The children love having friends overseas. They learn about a different culture and practise their English, handwriting and drawing in an authentic way.
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April 2022
Six school toilets and three water tanks for Kwetonge Primary School built by Village Africa and kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids in the USA.
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Baby girl born in hospital after an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance. Her name is Regina Imanuel and she is pictured here with her mother Lucia Richard.
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A big thank you to Village Africa supporters who have made donations and enabled this journey to go ahead. It is a 3-hour trip on rough terrain in a 4-wheel drive vehicle to reach a hospital.
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Simba Club pupils with their new watches and bars of soap. Thank you to all Village Africa student sponsors for their amazing on-going help.
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New jack for Village Africa’s ambulance service. Punctures are frequent. Thank you to all who donate to Village Africa and help keep this life-saving mountain ambulance service going day and night.
March 2022
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Two classrooms built by Village Africa for Kishimai Primary School. Thank you to the Zoe Carss Education Trust for generously funding this construction project. We hope the teachers and pupils will enjoy their new learning environment.
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st foning environment.Sean Campbell completes his 1000 sit-ups in March 2022 challenge in aid of Village Africa. Sean was a Village Africa building volunteer so experienced how hard village life is in Yamba. Mathias and Sophia named their baby after him and ‘Baby’ Sean is now at school. Part of the money will help Baby Sean’s education and the rest will go to Village Africa’s ambulance service. Many thanks to all who donated.
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Congratulations to Detiva Joseph who has passed her Design, Sewing and Cloth Technology course. It was a 2-year course at Huduma Vocational Training Centre in Dar es Salaam. It is registered with VETA (Vocational Education and Training Authority). Topics included tailoring, field practice, mathematics, English and communication skills, engineering science, technical drawing, life skills, computer application and entrepreneurship. Detiva is now in Yamba working on her family’s farm to earn money for a sewing machine.
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A very big thank you to her Village Africa Simba Club sponsor in Australia who supported her education for many years.
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Belts given to primary school boys in Village Africa’s Simba Club. Two uniforms per year are made locally for the children. Sponsorship also includes other education and health essentials. Thank you to all the sponsors for their kindness.
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Coconut tree accident – Ramadhan Musa fell, was badly injured and was rushed to hospital in Village Africa’s ambulance. Although the situation looked very serious, fortunately Ramadhan has recovered. Thank you to Village Africa donors who meant this emergency trip was possible. Your kindness is greatly appreciated by the villagers in Yamba, Milingano and Makanya.
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February 2022
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Congratulations to Raymond Msumari who has passed his BA in Education, St Augustine University of Tanzania in Mwanza. Raymond studied at Yamba Primary School, Mibukwe Secondary School (Form 1-4) and then Mwanga Secondary School (Form 5-6).
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Thank you to his Village Africa Simba Club sponsors in the UK for their amazing support. Together with help from his family, it enabled Raymond to reach his potential and fulfil his dream.
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Congratulations to Francis Marko who has passed his BA in Social Sciences at Mwenge Catholic University in Moshi (Kilimanjaro Region). Francis studied at Yamba Primary School, Mibukwe Secondary School in Milingano and then Shambalai High School in Lushoto.
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A big thank you to his Village Africa Simba Club sponsors in Germany and the UK who supported him to reach this goal.
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Second distribution of flour and beans to all Mweni-Yamba villagers following another very generous donation from a UK business woman. She also kindly donated two water tanks for Village Africa.
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Yamba Primary School pupils write to their friends at Wickford Church of England School in the UK.
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January 2022
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Good luck to Innocent Charles who has started at the Law School of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam. He is attending a one year course which includes practical training.
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Last year Innocent graduated with a Bachelor of Law at Mzumbe University (Mbeya campus) after 3 years of study. Innocent went to Yamba Primary School and passed Form 6 (A levels) at Tabora Boys.
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Many thanks to his Village Africa Simba Club sponsors in the UK for their continued sponsorship.
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Congratulations to Zaina Mohamed who was First in Mathematics in Lushoto District in the Standard VII primary school leavers’ national exam. Zaina went to Kwembalazi Primary School and has just started secondary school. Kwembalazi is a sub-village of Yamba.
December 2021
Seeds, maize flour and beans generously donated by a UK business woman for all villagers in Mweni-Yamba village, following recent crop failures.x
Waterlooville Baptist Church chooses Village Africa as one of its two Christmas charities. Thank you to everyone who kindly contributed. The large gift will help us to continue our work into 2022.
Thank you to the Brazenall family members for their donations to Village Africa in lieu of Christmas presents to each other.
Village Africa Christmas auction on Facebook was a great success. Thank you to Bee Taylor for organising it and to everyone who made a bid.
Sweaters and hats sent to Tanzania from the UK for babies. Many thanks to those who knitted and posted them.
November 2021
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A warm welcome for Caroline Johnston, Village Africa’s Director, as she returns to Tanzania after an extended stay in the UK due to Covid.
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Caroline was received by the new District Commissioner (DC) of Lushoto, members of his team and the villagers in Milingano. She was then driven up the mountain to Yamba where she was greeted by Yamba men, women and children. The pupils had prepared songs and a traditional Sambaa dance.
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Village Africa takes part in Giving Tuesday (30 Nov 2021) for the second year running. Giving Tuesday is one wonderful day in the year where so many people around the world fund raise or donate to charities close to their heart.
October 2021
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Village Africa’s ambulance service – Baby boy born after an emergency trip from Milingano to Bombo Hospital in Tanga. He is called Michael Hamidu and is pictured here with his mother Patricia Godfrey. A big thank you to Village Africa donors who made this urgent trip possible. Your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated.
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September 2021
Four more Yamba students have qualified for university and wish to pursue this dream. There are two boys and two girls. Village Africa is looking for sponsors at £20, £25, £50 or £100 per month and will put together a number of sponsors where necessary to enable the students to take up university places in October 2021.
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Yamba students have smashed all expectations since Village Africa started working in the village in 2006. Sixteen have now qualified for university (of whom 2 have graduated and 10 are currently studying). We are so proud of them and want them to reach their full potential and go on to help their families, community and country.
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Please email us at info@villageafrica.org.uk if you can help in this way. Times are hard in the world due to the pandemic so all assistance is appreciated more than ever.
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Crop failures in Yamba and Milingano – Sadly, the rains did not come when expected and bean crops in Yamba have failed twice in a row and maize in Yamba and Milingano has been lost. This is very dispiriting for the villagers who are subsistence farmers and it is causing much hardship.
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Malaria – Lucia Peter was seriously ill with malaria. She took an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance from Yamba to Milingano Dispensary where she received treatment. Lucia was too weak to walk 2 hours down the steep mountain to the nearest medical facility and medicine. Rapid treatment is so important if you get malaria.x
Thank you to all our supporters who made this urgent trip possible.
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Yamba pupils receive their first letter and artwork from St Breward Primary School in Cornwall, UK and enjoy writing a reply. Thank you to Hannah Simpson who works at St Breward and who was a Village Africa volunteer in Tanzania for starting this link. We hope both schools will benefit from this new friendship and learn lots about each other and schooling and life in the different countries.
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August 2021
Village Africa’s ambulance service – Edimund Petro needed an emergency trip from Yamba to Tumaini Health Centre in Tanga due to malaria. He was seriously ill but, thankfully, has now recovered. Many thanks to all Village Africa donors who made this journey possible. Edimund is a shopkeeper in the village. He is also a subsistence farmer.x
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Six school toilets and three water tanks completed for Sagara Primary School. Built by Village Africa and kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids in the USA. Good school toilets encourage good school attendance and teenage girls are less likely to drop out of school. Primary school pupils in Tanzania are 4 – 14 years old. Two of the tanks harvest water from the roof and the other can be filled by hand from the river if there is no rain. Thank you to Kids Helping Kids for its generosity in helping another school in a remote setting.
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Sad news – Aloisia Joseph has died. Aloisia was a tailor. She did sewing for Village Africa and was also a cook for the charity during the volunteer programme (2006-2012) when there were large groups of visitors. She was a member of the Yamba Knitting Group and taught the women how to use a sewing machine. She was always so cheerful, polite and welcoming. Aloisia moved away from Yamba a few years ago as she was finding the mountainous terrain too difficult but was buried in the village. Many condolences to her son, the rest of her family, her friends and the whole community. She will be greatly missed by us all.
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July 2021
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Village Africa’s Chair, Sarah Mayne, ran the ASICS London 10K on 25 July 2021 to raise much needed funds for us. Sarah was a Village Africa teaching volunteer in Milingano Primary School in 2006. She became a Board member and is now our Chair which is a voluntary position. She does hours of important and difficult work for the charity every year and has now run for us as well!
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Please check out her photos from her time in Milingano and sponsor her if you possibly can on this link https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SarahMayne4.
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Congratulations to Roman Peter who is now Head teacher at St Benedict Parochial School.
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Roman was a pupil at Yamba Primary School (so is well known to many of our teaching volunteers) and sponsored at university through our Simba Club.
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St Benedict Parochial School is in Lushoto. It has Pre-unity (Kindergarten), Standard I-VII and Pre-Form One. It is English medium so all classes (except Kiswhaili!) are taught in English.
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Roman has been the Head teacher for one year. He also teaches English and Social Studies to Class 7 and Pre-Form One which prepares pupils for secondary school.
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The school has an excellent reputation and was second out of 169 schools in the District in exams.
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Twins named after Babu Doug and Bibi Moe!
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Doug and Moe Brazenall volunteered in Yamba Primary School and then Village Africa’s office in the village. They now volunteer in the UK. Moe is Village Africa’s Child Sponsorship Coordinator (Simba Club) and her husband Doug regularly fund raises for the charity. He has twice trekked from Tanga to Yamba (110 kms).
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Congratulations to the parents of the twins Winifrida Mathias and Yakobo Malwa. The twins were born in Bombo Hospital Tanga on 19 June 2021 and live in Yamba.
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Farming – Two weeks of seminars and visits to farms to give advice were organised by Village Africa in June/July.
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Charles Emmanuel and Hamza Saidi, who have recently passed the 3-year VETA farming course at Kiwanda College, were pleased to share their knowledge of crops and livestock with locals. Peter Shemweta, who has taught agriculture for many years, guided and assisted them.
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The work was extremely well received by the farmers (both men and women) and was kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids. Kwemikame is where Kweulasi Primary School is located, between Milingano and Mashewa.
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Congratulations to Agatha James from Yamba who has passed Form 6 (A levels). What an achievement.
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Agatha went to Yamba Primary School, secondary school in Kilindi (Form 1-4) and did her A level course in Dodoma and then Mkingaleo near Maramba, Tanga Region.
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Thank you to her Village Africa Simba Club sponsor in Australia and her own family for supporting her.
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Exam success – Congratulations to Fredy Dominic from Yamba who has passed Form 6 (A levels).
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Fredy studied at Yamba Primary School, Mibukwe Secondary School in Milingano , Eckernforde Secondary School in Tanga (till Form 4) and then Engutoto Secondary School in Manyara Region for Form 5 and 6.
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Thank you to his Village Africa Simba Club sponsors in the UK and to his family for supporting him.
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We are very proud of his achievement.
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Congratulations to Jacqueline Charles who has passed her A levels (Form 6).
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Jacqueline went to Yamba Primary School, Mbelei Secondary School (near Soni, Lushoto) for Form 1-4 and Mlongwema Secondary School (near Mlola) for Form 5 and 6.
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Thank you to her Village Africa Simba Club sponsors in the UK and her family for supporting her.
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Greg Wiley took on the 2021 Dixons Carphone Race to the Stones (100km) on Saturday, 10 July in aid of Village Africa and two other charities. A big thank you to Greg and all who generously sponsored him. https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/gregwiley
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xCongratulations to Epimack Francis from Yamba who has passed his Diploma in Education in Science Subjects, specialising in biology and geography. He is now qualified to teach in secondary schools.
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Epimack took this two year course at Tukuyu college in Mbeya, the southern part of Tanzania. He went to Yamba Primary School, Mibukwe Secondary School in Milingano, Maweni Secondary School in Kange (just outside Tanga) and Usagara Secondary School in Tanga. After passing Form 6 (A levels), Epimack was selected to do three months National Service in the army and successfully completed this work, before starting teacher training.
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Many thanks to his Village Africa Simba Club sponsors in the UK and France for supporting his education.
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Yamba pupils write to their pen pals at Chapel Allerton Primary School in the UK.
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The Tanzanian pupils love communicating with children abroad and learning about another culture. They practise their English, handwriting, letter writing and drawing skills into the bargain!
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Village Africa 