News

March 2019

Village Africa’s ambulance needed a gearbox repair. Thank you to the two mechanics who came all the way from Tanga to fix it. Thank you also to Village Africa supporters whose donations keep the ambulance on the road. Your financial support save lives. The villagers are very appreciative of your love and kindness.

Caroline Pugh held a charity lunch (two sittings) to raise money for the Yamba Classrooms Appeal. A big thank you to her for all the hard work. Caroline was a Yamba teaching volunteer and taught Yamba Catholic Church choir.https://mydonate.bt.com/events/yambaclassroomsappeal

Yamba Primary School pupils write an Easter letter to their pen pals at Wickford Church of England School in the UK.

Goats and chickens – Anthoni Paulo returns from the SAT organic farming course in Morogoro and starts to keep livestock. Thank you to Kids Helping Kids for paying for him to attend the course and for providing a small capital grant to implement some of the ideas.

Baby Alex named after Alex Tarrant of Pod. The baby boy was born after an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance. The baby is pictured here with his mother Bertila. His father, Onesmo Gaudence, went to Yamba Primary School and Mibukwe Secondary School and was in Simba Club (Village Africa’s student sponsorship scheme).Pod recruited volunteers for Village Africa when we ran a volunteer programme (2006-2012). Onesmo remembers Alex being ‘the first Village Africa visitor’.

February 2019

Student nurses from Austria and Italy visit Village Africa in Yamba. They are pictured here with Hilda, Village Africa’s nurse, and some of the local children.

Left to right – Back row Magdalena, Sarah, Lara, Nadja, Christina, Front row Nina and Verena.

HobbyAid sends knitted clothes for newborn babies and children in Yamba. Here is Claud with his new cardigan and hat. He is pictured here with his mother Veronika Abasi. Thank you to everyone at HobbyAid.

Sylvester Ndeha injured his leg when farming in Yamba and needed an emergency trip to Milingano Dispensary in Village Africa’s ambulance. Thank you to all donors who support the ambulance service.

Baby Bryson named after Jennie and Colin Bryson. He is pictured here with his mother Patricia Anthoni. Patricia went to Yamba Primary School and Mibukwe Secondary School and was in Village Africa’s Simba Club. Jennie was a Yamba volunteer.

January 2019

Tina Freeman returns to Yamba and catches up with the knitting group. Mama Tina was a volunteer in Yamba Primary School in 2007 and 2008 and taught the women how to knit. She then ran the UK office on a voluntary basis for a few years.The women love knitting. It is cold in the village from July-September and it is difficult to buy warm clothes for the babies and children.

Baby boy born in Milingano Dispensary ward after an emergency trip from Yamba in Village Africa’s ambulance. His name is Claud and he is pictured here with his mother Veronika Abasi. A big thank you to Village Africa donors who made this urgent journey possible.

Yakob Hokelai broke his leg in Yamba and needed an emergency trip to Tanga in Village Africa’s ambulance. He has now made a full recovery and has had the plaster cast removed.

Baby Florian named after Florian Schneider, an Austrian carpenter, who visited the charity in Yamba. The baby is pictured here with his mother Ester. Ester is the daughter of Village Africa’s nurse Hilda Shemzigwa.

Liam Marsh runs a birthday fundraiser on Facebook in aid of Village Africa.

December 2018

Garage completed for Village Africa’s ambulance at the top of the mountain in Yamba. What a feat of construction! The doors were welded in Tanga and 24 villagers were needed to carry the doors up the very steep mountain from the lorry at the junction (75 mins walk).

Thank you to the Pod charity for giving a grant for the water harvesting system and towards the doors and watchman’s hut.
Village Africa starts the construction of two classrooms for Kwembalazi, kindly funded by the Zoe Carss Education Trust.

Queen’s Inclosure Primary School in the UK kindly raises money for the Yamba Classrooms Appeal at its Christmas performances. It has been regularly assisting Village Africa since the Ambulance Appeal in 2010.
Sarah Mayne (Village Africa’s Chairman) runs a fundraiser on Facebook to celebrate her birthday.
Village Africa runs a Christmas auction on Facebook selling items made from African fabric, knitted items and books signed by the authors. A big thank you to one of our trustees, Bee Taylor, for organising this and to her sister for making many of the crafts.

The Brazenall family very kindly makes donations to the charity again in lieu of Christmas presents to one another.
Baby Karen named after Karen Nivala, a past Village Africa teaching volunteer. Flora and Elias, the baby’s parents, live in Yamba.

November 2018

Congratulations to Telesphory Shekinyuma who has passed his degree in Production and Operation Management at Mzumbe University in Morogoro. He is the first Simba Club student to pass university. Many thanks to his Village Africa Simba Club sponsors in Australia and his family who contributed to his university education.Telesphory started his schooling at Yamba Primary School, went to Mibukwe Secondary School in Milingano and did Form 5 and 6 (A levels) in Arusha.

Kids Helping Kids visits Village Africa. Salie Rossen and her niece Rahel Kima visited 7 primary schools to see the school toilets and water tanks kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids. They also met 3 agricultural students Kids Helping Kids is sponsoring at Kiwanda College near Amani, 3 secondary school students at Mibukwe Secondary School in Milingano and 4 participants they sent on the SAT organic farming course in Morogoro. This assistance by Kids Helping Kids is managed by Village Africa in Tanzania.

Salie Rossen and Rahel Kima (fourth and fifth from right respectively)

Yamba pupils write to their new pen pals at Thornton Creek Elementary in the USA, This link was kindly made by Kids Helping Kids.

Football pump presented to Yamba Primary School. Thank you to the group of 9 Austrian student nurses for leaving the money to buy it.

Teacher Athumani (right) receives the gift from John Shekuamba, Village Africa’s Assistant Director.

Buy Christmas cards in aid of Village Africa. Choose a card from a wide range, choose a greeting, then choose Village Africa. https://charitycards.co.uk/

October 2018

QAD Europe Ltd kindly donates to Village Africa to help our life-saving health and important education work.
Heathcote Parish Church holds a bake sale. Thanks to Tina Freeman (past Village Africa volunteer) and all who baked, bought cakes and made donations.

Nicolaus Lameki born in hospital after an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance. He is pictured here with his mother Riziki Joseph from Milingano.

Farming course – Simon Daniel (left) and Anthoni Paulo from Yamba attend a five-day programme at Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) in Morogoro, the neighbouring region. Thank you to Kids Helping Kids in the USA for suggesting this idea and for providing the funding.

World Cup sweepstake winnings buy footballs for Milingano and Yamba primary schools and a netball for Milingano. Thanks to the past Village Africa building volunteer who sent the money.

Italian student nurses Miriam, Pia and Victoria and Austrian carpenter Florian visit Yamba and give gifts to Yamba Primary School. Thanks to them and their family and friends for the presents which include chalk, blackboard dusters, wall clocks, a globe, calculators, pens, footballs, skipping ropes, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and sweets.

Maiko, Miriam, Florian, Pia and Victoria (left to right)

Miriam, Pia and Victoria (left to right)

Caroline Mantle (recent visitor to Yamba) starts a birthday fundraiser for Village Africa.
Good luck to the following students who are starting higher education, part-sponsored by Village Africa’s Simba Club. Many thanks to their sponsors in the UK and Germany.Innocent Charles, Law at Mzumbe University (Mbeya campus). He was a pupil at Yamba Primary School and went on to pass Form 6 (A levels) at Tabora Boys.

Francis Marko, BA in Social Sciences at Mwenge Catholic University in Moshi (Kilimanjaro Region). He studied at Yamba Primary School, Mibukwe Secondary School in Milingano and then Shambalai High School in Lushoto.

Ade John, BSc in Food Science and Technology at the University of Dar es Salaam. She studied at Amani Primary School, Yamba Primary School, Mibukwe Secondary School in Milingano, Kongei Secondary School in Lushoto (Form 1-4), St Christina Girls’ Secondary School in Tanga (Form 5-6) and the Ministry of Agriculture Training Institute Uyole in Mbeya (Diploma).

Raymond Msumari, BA in Education, St Augustine University of Tanzania in Mwanza. He studied at Yamba Primary School, Mibukwe Secondary School (Form 1-4) and then Mwanga Secondary School (Form 5-6).

Valentina Edmundi, Diploma in Agriculture and Livestock at Ilonga College in Morogoro. She has already passed A levels (Form 6).

September 2018

Adam, age 9, sells apples and pears from his garden to raise money for Yamba classrooms. He raised £12.50 which is enough for 215 bricks @ 5.8p per brick. 10 people have kindly matched his fundraising.

Village Africa finishes building 6 school toilets and 3 water tanks for Kijungumoto Primary School. They will be handed over to the school in November when the donor, Kids Helping Kids, makes a visit from the USA.
Health seminar given by Mama Ade (Village Africa’s Village Health Worker) at Makanya as part of a series of talks. Makanya is a remote village covered by Village Africa’s ambulance service.

Solar lamps and blankets for pupils in Simba Club (Village Africa’s student sponsorship scheme).

Twins – born after an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance. Their mother, Julieta Joseph, lives in Milingano. The boy and the girl haven’t been named/baptized yet.

Tom Dickin visits Yamba for a few days with his former work colleague Caroline Mantle. This is Tom’s eighth visit and Caroline’s first.

Photo (left to right) – Yamba Primary School Head teacher Msafiri Ahadi, School Committee Mzee Bernard Kihiyo, Caroline Mantle, Village Executive Officer Omari Almisi Bendera, Tom Dickin, Teacher Fadhili Mpwili, Village Africa nurse and manager Hilda Shemzigwa, Village Africa Director Caroline Johnston (Makihiyo).

Congratulations to Roman Peter who has passed his second year at university with high marks. He is training to be a secondary school history teacher. The third and final year starts in November. Thank you to his Simba Club sponsor in the UK.

Village Africa’s ambulance – Rashidi Abrahaman was rushed to hospital after a very bad fall. He is now back home in Kwemsiga in Milingano.

Atlases for Yamba Primary School thanks to Lawrence View Primary and Nursery School in the UK. Thank you to everyone in Eastwood, Nottingham involved in the fundraising.

Village Africa’s ambulance service – Swahibu Salehe, a pupil from Kwembalazi Primary School, was rushed to hospital in Tanga when he broke his arm. Swahibu was referred to Muhimbili, the national hospital in Dar es Salaam, and was treated there. He is now better and back at school.

Yamba pupils write to their penfriends at Chapel Allerton Primary School in the UK.

Baby boy born after an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance. He was delivered in Milingano Dispensary. His name is David. His mother is Margaret, the daughter of Martin Thomas, Village Africa’s watchman.

Congratulations to Diwani Peter Lenard and the Milingano Ward Health Committee for opening the Milingano Dispensary ward. This new facility has a labour room for delivering babies, a ward for mothers to rest after giving birth, toilets, a solar panel and a small private ward for government staff. The solar panel was funded by profit from patient fees. Village Africa was pleased to fund the installation of bulbs to light the rooms at night. This was paid for by fundraising by Mark Wilkes who trekked from Tanga to Yamba with Doug Brazenall.

Village Africa appeals for sponsors for students going to university or post-A level higher education. The pupils have smashed our expectations and are securing places at university and colleges training professionals. They need approximately £1,200 per year to go. Most courses are for 3 years. Can you generously contribute £25, £50 or £100 a month to make this happen please? If so, please email info@villageafrica.org.uk. University courses start in October each year. The scheme is open to students who went to Yamba Primary School, Milingano Primary School and Village Africa staff children. The students will be part of Village Africa’s existing Simba Club.

August 2018

Yamba urgently needs two new classrooms so Village Africa has started an appeal.. Fundraisers and donors are needed.Did you volunteer in the school? Have you visited it? Do you sponsor a child there? Have you supported the school in the past some other way (desks, books, stationery, sports equipment)?We are delighted and proud of the academic success of past pupils and now want to help their younger brothers and sisters.https://mydonate.bt.com/events/yambaclassroomsappeal

Tina Freeman has booked to return to Yamba in January after ten years. She has started fundraising for the charity. Tina was a teaching volunteer in Yamba Primary School and taught IT and knitting skills to adults. https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/tinaforvillageafrica
Village Africa completes 6 school toilets and 3 water tanks for Kwebamba Primary School. The hand over ceremony will be in December when the donor, Kids Helping Kids, visits.
Student nurses from Austria visit and bring gifts for Yamba Primary School. They gave footballs, a netball, atlases, reams of paper, red pens for the teachers and school bags, school stationery and toiletries for the children. They also donated to Village Africa’s ambulance service. Seriously ill patients are driven 3 hours in a 4-wheel drive vehicle on rough terrain to Tumaini Health Centre or Bombo Regional Referral Hospital in Tanga. Many thanks to all in Austria who so kindly contributed.

Photo (left to right) David, Elisabeth, Nadine, Hannes, Corinna, Lena, Sophie, Ines and Julia

Photo (left to right) – Elisabeth, Julia, Corinna, David, Hannes, Lena, Nadine, Ines and Sophie

Work experience – Epimack Paulo is doing a masonry and bricklaying course at VETA (Vocational Education and Training Authority) in Tanga. He is working on Village Africa’s building sites for 3 months as part of his course. Many thanks to his Simba Club sponsor in the UK.

Miraji Yahaya from Kwembalazi needed an emergency trip as he ‘had no blood’ which is a symptom of malaria. He is now better and back home.

Healthy cassava, thanks to Peter Shemweta. In the past Peter taught Yamba villagers how to get rid of a cassava disease. They listened and now the plants are doing well. Peter’s visit was kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids and organised by Village Africa.

Village Africa’s ambulance service – Saidi Juma Rashidi is home and smiling again after an emergency trip to hospital. He had a road accident and needed to get to a big hospital urgently. He lives in Kwemsiga, Milingano.

July 2018

Village Africa thanks Meeting Needs for its generous grant which funded our ambulance service for six months (Jan-Jun 2018). In this period, there were 25 emergency trips to hospital and 31 non-emergency patients used the vehicle also. www.meetingneeds.org.uk

Congratulations to Adelina (Ade) John who has passed her post-Form 6 (A levels) Diploma in Agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture Training Institute Uyole in Mbeya. She even learnt to drive a tractor as part of the course. She is the daughter of John Samweli, Village Africa’s driver and Mama Ade, Village Africa’s nurse.

Baby Moe named after Moe Brazenall, Village Africa’s Simba Club (student sponsorship scheme) coordinator. The baby was born during Moe’s recent visit to Yamba. The baby needed an emergency trip to hospital in Village Africa’s ambulance after catching pneumonia. She is the daughter of Richard Anthony (our builder) and Esturide.

HobbyAid in the UK sends knitted clothes for the people of Yamba. Here is Alois Moses with his new sweater. It is unusually cold in the village this year. A big thank you to all those who did the knitting.

Kwembalazi Primary School receives a football and pump. Thank you to the Village Africa supporters who kindly sent them.

Photo: Teacher Amru Mngano and pupils.

Village Africa’s ambulance – Bakari Hamdani is home in Milingano after an emergency trip. He had had a nasty fall.

Congratulations to Francis Marko, Innocent Charles, Raymond Msumari, Valentina Edmund and Prosper Edmund on passing Form 6 (A levels). Francis, Innocent and Raymond were pupils at Yamba Primary School. Francis Marko passed at Shambalai High School in Lushoto. Thank you to his Simba Club sponsors in Germany.

Innocent passed at Tabora Boys. Thank you to his Simba Club sponsor in the UK.

Raymond passed at Mwanga Secondary School. He is the son of Teacher Richard Msumari (now retired) and Teacher Mama Sauda (formerly Yamba Primary School, now Kweulasi Primary School outside Milingano).

Valentina and Prosper are the children of Edmundi Senkunde (our Driver/Senior manager) and his wife Angela Edmundi (our Accounts Clerk).

Baby Caroline born after an emergency trip in Village Africa’s ambulance. She is named after Village Africa’ Director, Caroline Johnston. The baby lives in Milingano and is the daughter of Mary Lukas (in the picture) and Luka Yambazi.

Jaki John, Petro Dastani and Stanislaus Richard start Form 5 (A levels). Many thanks to their Simba Club sponsors.Jaki is studying at Machame Secondary School in Kilimanjaro Region. It is a government boarding school for girls. She will be studying science subjects.

Petro Dastani goes to Lindi in the south of Tanzania to start the course. He studied at Milingano Primary School.

Stanislaus Richard is studying at Soni Seminary in Lushoto. He is from Kitunda in Yamba. His sponsor is Centennial Academy in Canada.

Football for Milingano Primary School. Teacher Maliki Farouk (left) receives it from John Shekuamba, Village Africa’s Assistant Director. Thank you to the supporter who sent it

Saturday Club – Village Africa runs a club for girls. It teaches life skills (including good hygiene), as well as lots of fun activities like netball, singing, dancing and drawing. Thanks to the recent visitors who brought small gifts for them. Here are some of the girls with the bouncy balls which they love.

June 2018

Father’s Day (17 June) – Joseph Maiko is one of the many fathers helped by Village Africa’s ambulance service. He was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia. He has been discharged and is safely home with his family in Yamba.

Waterlooville Baptist Church – Caroline Johnston, Director, updates the congregation on Village Africa’s work.
The Cotswold Way – Sean Campbell is raising money for Village Africa by walking/running/crawling in August. Please sponsor him if you can. Sean was a building volunteer in Yamba. https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/seancampbell4
Village Africa’s ambulance service – Baby Nasoro born in hospital after an emergency trip. His mother Mwanaisha and father Saidi live in Milingano.

Stanslaus Robati safely home in Milingano after an emergency trip to hospital. He had had a nasty fall in the village.

Football for Yamba Primary School – Thank you to the Village Africa friend who sent it.

Teacher Athumani (left) receives the gift from John Shekuamba, Village Africa’s Assistant Director

May 2018

Village Africa asks supporters to give £3 a month (or what they can afford) to keep Village Africa’s ambulance service running. We need help to continue this life-saving work.
Village Africa supporters were asked to ‘opt in’ to mailings to comply with new data protection regulations in the UK. Please contact info@villageafrica.org.uk if you would like to do this.
The ‘long rains’ from February to May were particularly heavy this year. They greatly hampered our work and caused many extra costs. Fortunately, the Village Africa ambulance service kept running. Many thanks to all our donors and to our excellent drivers John Samweli and Edmundi Senkunde.
On the positive side, the beans and maize crops are doing well.

Foroforo Primary School receives 6 school toilets and 3 water tanks kindly funded by Kids Helping Kids and built by Village Africa. Celebrations included traditional dancing by the men.

Lunch Club held at Waterlooville Baptist Church raises money for the charity.
Village Africa ambulance – Baby girl born in hospital after an emergency trip. Here she is (Mariam Ali) with her mother Maajabu Hosseni from Milingano. A big thank to our donors who made this possible.

A football and netball equipment (2 posts, 2 sets of bibs and a netball) given to Mibukwe Secondary School. The school has cleared an area to make a court. Thanks go to Kath Culkin, past Village Africa volunteer.

Thursday Group at Waterlooville Baptist Church – Caroline Johnston gives a talk about Village Africa’s achievements.
Village Africa ambulance – Rashidi Mohamedi from Kwembalazi had an emergency trip as he was suffering from chest problems.

Village Africa joins Smile at Amazon.co.uk. Amazon donates 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of eligible purchases to Village Africa when chosen by its customers. https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1122410-0
Baby Jackson named after Jack Armstrong, a past Village Africa volunteer. Jack had visited the family with a fellow volunteer to help with farming. The baby is the son of John Kijazi who was the first Village Chairman when Yamba became a village.

Central Men’s Group in Dudley receives a presentation from Doug Brazenall following his visit to Yamba.
Yamba pupils write pen pal letters to children at Chapel Allerton Primary School in Leeds, UK.

Queen’s Inclosure Primary School – Caroline Johnston gives a school assembly about the charity’s plans.
‘Stay Local’ magazine, May 2018 edition carries a one-page feature about Waterlooville Baptist Church’s ‘Petrol Can Appeal’ to raise money for fuel for Village Africa’s ambulance.

April 2018

Eight new desks for Yamba Primary School from the Simba Club community fund. Village Africa has now made a total of 700 desks since the charity started in 2006.
The desks were taken outside for the photo shoot.

HobbyAid sends knitted clothes for children in Yamba. Here is Ginzela Daniel with her mother Mshaghulwa. Thank you to all who knitted them. It gets cold in the mountains from July to September.

Malaria – Village Africa’s ambulance service rushed Maiko Edmundi to hospital in Tanga for treatment. He has now recovered and is back home in the village.