PAST PROJECTS
Sewing Project
In order to provide life skills and a better future for all, this sewing project was set up. Mission Morogoro were thrilled to provide young women and mothers in the Tunguli area with sewing machines and the opportunity to learn how to sew. It is hoped that this venture will enable women to provide clothes more cheaply for their families and also the opportunity to form small business groups to make clothes for others. Our hope is that this will allow them to build up some financial capital to help lift them out of poverty.
Water Project
From the very beginning of our relationship with Tunguli in 2012 the highest priority expressed by the villagers was improved access to clean, safe drinking water. This was a particular cry from the women, who are almost always responsible for collecting and transporting water for their families. At that time most water was lifted in buckets from a couple of unsafe, open and completely overloaded wells. We had even seen people scooping water from muddy pools. There were long queues, often overnight, and always the possibility of water contamination or injury by falling into the well. There was also concern about the safety of girls and women while queueing after dark.
Working through our local partner SAWA (Sanitation And Water Action), a Tanzanian NGO with long experience in this field, we have been able to provide extra wells which have concrete caps and are fitted with simple but effective rope pumps. They are also designed so that spilt water runs away from the well and does not create pools of stagnant, diseased water. This means that the water is not contaminated, e.g. by animals or people, and the danger of falling in is eliminated. The pumps are low-tech but effective and can be repaired by local fundis (technicians) if they fail. There are now six further wells and pumps distributed across the community of Tunguli, providing safe/clean water and practically eliminating queueing. The result is a safe and sustainable water supply which is helping to improve the health and quality of life of the people of Tunguli.
The power of football to change lives
Changing attitudes to health and hygiene takes time and is never easy. However, the SAWA team amazed us by suggesting that, because football is a universal ‘language’ which includes so many of the younger members of the community, the creation of a Football Cup Competition in Tunguli could be used to spread the message that personal hygiene is vital to the health and wellbeing of the whole community. Well, thousands of people attended the final of the competition where this vital message was broadcast to all those present during breaks in the exciting football. Now the younger people are helping to educate the older members of the community on the significance of good personal hygiene.
The tractor in action
MM worked tirelessly to provide a good governance system for managing the tractor which was provided jointly by MM and the Diocese of Worcester. It continues to be used heavily during the cultivation seasons and plays a significant role in the provision of good food for the Tunguli community. Over the past few years Mission Morogoro have collaborated with the SAWA team to create a Tractor Committee that has the responsibility for its regular maintenance. MM continue to be involved in supporting and taking an interest in the tractor and the benefits it provides to the community.
Toilets and general hygiene
We have been delighted to learn from SAWA that many latrines have now been built in homes within the area. We were also delighted to receive grateful thanks from our local schools for the PPE and general sanitation and hygiene supplies that MM provided during the pandemic. We hope to foster this growing awareness of the importance of good personal hygiene by continuing to promote an annual low-cost football competition where the younger generation will become champions of change by disseminating messages about the links between good hygiene and good health throughout the various match fixtures.
Chickens
Now that the situation over the supply of clean water has been addressed, the MM team has begun working closely with Welloce on a pilot project with two of the women’s groups that aim to nurture chickens as a means to improve nutrition and income generation. The groups, under the watchful eye of Welloce, have hatched eggs using an incubator, created secure compounds for the chickens and shared advice on nutrition and disease control. We are thrilled with this beginning and intend to provide Welloce with formal training from a well-recognised NGO, to equip him with skills in sustainable agricultural development.
Church
A few years ago, St Elizabeth’s Church in Tunguli was destroyed during a violent storm and MM has had the privilege of being very involved in providing resources for the building of a new Church very close to the site of the ruined building. As a result, we have all felt a sense of great joy in being able to play a part in creating a new spiritual home for the congregation. The new church is basically complete with walls, roof and windows.
Health Centre Laboratory
The laboratory at the Health Centre in Tunguli is a key facility. It’s main role is in testing blood and other patient samples to aid in the diagnosis of disease and sickness. This means it must be as clean as possible and have the equipment required to conduct basic tests. We are pleased to report that much progress has been made over recent months to transform the condition and facilities at the laboratory. Before this work the lab had no running water, poor lighting and little clean work surface and flooring.
This project has provided:
Clean working conditions with a tiled floor and polished concrete work surface with sink
Dedicated rainwater storage tank connect to a tap at the sink
Improved solar lighting allowing extended working hours
A new more powerful microscope
A new multi-sample, centrifuge
Health Centre Rainwater Harvesting
Safe drinking water is vital for life. In consultation with the Hospital Director, Isaac Mgego, we decided to make rainwater harvesting a top priority.
In May and June 2013 we funded a project to install three new water tanks, plus repairs to the health centre’s existing roof guttering and pipework, allowing rainwater to be harvested and stored. Each tank holds 5000L of relatively clean and unpolluted water, which can be used for drinking, cooking and medical cleaning. With careful use the water in these tanks can support the health centre for up to 6 months. Rainwater harvested in this way is much purer than water from shallow wells, although in the near future we also hope to provide simple water filters to further purify water for drinking.
Internet Connection
Early in MM’s relationship with Tunguli, the issue of a reliable internet connection was raised. A basic internet connection was set up and allowed the isolated village of Tunguli a way of communicating with the outside world and with MM. It was not the fastest connection and sometimes it failed, but id did transform the village’s ability to communicate.