Oh my goodness, I have FINALLY done it. here is a write up of my trip to Tanzania!!
On the 11th of May four of us from n:flame flew to Tanzania with a team from Grassroots. I really did not know what to expect from this trip, it was my first time to Africa and taking part in this type of mission work. Grassroots, along with many other initiatives, run a child sponsorship project in a town called Mbeya. They have a team of local staff who work alongside pastors and volunteers in villages across Mbeya. When a child is sponsored they get appropriate education, clothes, a regular nutritional meal and all medical provisions. Grassroots go out to Tanzania every six months, and the main purpose of each visit is to interview new children to enroll in the programme. The local team identifies children and families with the greatest need during the time in-between visits.
We interviewed each child and parent or carer with a translator. I was very nervous to start with, but soon got stuck in. We had a standard list of questions that we ran through with each family. The questions ranged from how far the family had to go for water and what the health of the child was like. It was heartbreaking at times to hear what some families have gone through or what their current situation was. A lot of children have to care for siblings while the adults go to work. It is also very common that Grandparents look after young children due to parents no longer being around; this can either be from illness/fatality or abandonment.
Language was a major issue with the children, but we soon found there were so many things we could do that needed no words. The children we worked with in each of the villages had very little, but they never stopped smiling. They were content with the simplest of things. One of the biggest things that stood out for me was how they enjoyed being taught games by us, which sometimes only involved sticks and the dusty ground. They made use of what they had around them, no demand for the next best and most expensive toy.
We were able to take demonstrations of water cleansing to some of the villages. Such a simple method is able to prevent diseases that can be found in the water. Most families will have to walk to a well or communal tap for water, to have a tap outside your house is a luxury. This water then has to be boiled to make it safe to drink. The short version of the method is that a large water bottle can be half filled, shaken for sixty seconds, filled right to the top and left on black corrugated metal in direct sunlight for twelve hours. The UV rays then kill all the bad bacteria. It is so simple, but will help people to have clean water to drink.
This trip showed me how much we take for granted in the West. I visited a family of seven children with one adult carer. They lived in two bare concrete walled rooms with no toilet or electricity. Two of the older children slept outside at night with no mosquito net. As malaria is most commonly contracted via mosquitoes, this was very dangerous for them. Most families have very little; many of the children we met were in threadbare clothes. They won’t get bored of what they have at home, as it is all they have! Toys are very rare. Children played with anything they can, such as pieces of broken bikes and litter from the street.
The Christians we met had the most amazing faith. They have so little but you didn’t hear them complaining. We learnt very basic Swahili words over our time there, and we were able to pick words out of prayers. The most common words were ‘thank you Jesus’. It made me think about how much I constantly ask for from God.
If the opportunity arose, I would very gladly go back and help with this project again. It was a blessing to be able to get involved with something that opened my eyes to the poverty people on God’s earth face. £3.50 is nothing to most of us; it is part of the cost of a bottle of wine, a McDonalds or a pack of cigarettes. I was amazed with how little money makes such a big difference to people.
I am very thankful to everyone who supported this trip through prayer and also financially.
On the 11th of May four of us from n:flame flew to Tanzania with a team from Grassroots. I really did not know what to expect from this trip, it was my first time to Africa and taking part in this type of mission work. Grassroots, along with many other initiatives, run a child sponsorship project in a town called Mbeya. They have a team of local staff who work alongside pastors and volunteers in villages across Mbeya. When a child is sponsored they get appropriate education, clothes, a regular nutritional meal and all medical provisions. Grassroots go out to Tanzania every six months, and the main purpose of each visit is to interview new children to enroll in the programme. The local team identifies children and families with the greatest need during the time in-between visits.
We interviewed each child and parent or carer with a translator. I was very nervous to start with, but soon got stuck in. We had a standard list of questions that we ran through with each family. The questions ranged from how far the family had to go for water and what the health of the child was like. It was heartbreaking at times to hear what some families have gone through or what their current situation was. A lot of children have to care for siblings while the adults go to work. It is also very common that Grandparents look after young children due to parents no longer being around; this can either be from illness/fatality or abandonment.
Language was a major issue with the children, but we soon found there were so many things we could do that needed no words. The children we worked with in each of the villages had very little, but they never stopped smiling. They were content with the simplest of things. One of the biggest things that stood out for me was how they enjoyed being taught games by us, which sometimes only involved sticks and the dusty ground. They made use of what they had around them, no demand for the next best and most expensive toy.
We were able to take demonstrations of water cleansing to some of the villages. Such a simple method is able to prevent diseases that can be found in the water. Most families will have to walk to a well or communal tap for water, to have a tap outside your house is a luxury. This water then has to be boiled to make it safe to drink. The short version of the method is that a large water bottle can be half filled, shaken for sixty seconds, filled right to the top and left on black corrugated metal in direct sunlight for twelve hours. The UV rays then kill all the bad bacteria. It is so simple, but will help people to have clean water to drink.
This trip showed me how much we take for granted in the West. I visited a family of seven children with one adult carer. They lived in two bare concrete walled rooms with no toilet or electricity. Two of the older children slept outside at night with no mosquito net. As malaria is most commonly contracted via mosquitoes, this was very dangerous for them. Most families have very little; many of the children we met were in threadbare clothes. They won’t get bored of what they have at home, as it is all they have! Toys are very rare. Children played with anything they can, such as pieces of broken bikes and litter from the street.
The Christians we met had the most amazing faith. They have so little but you didn’t hear them complaining. We learnt very basic Swahili words over our time there, and we were able to pick words out of prayers. The most common words were ‘thank you Jesus’. It made me think about how much I constantly ask for from God.
If the opportunity arose, I would very gladly go back and help with this project again. It was a blessing to be able to get involved with something that opened my eyes to the poverty people on God’s earth face. £3.50 is nothing to most of us; it is part of the cost of a bottle of wine, a McDonalds or a pack of cigarettes. I was amazed with how little money makes such a big difference to people.
I am very thankful to everyone who supported this trip through prayer and also financially.
Sponsorship - http://grassroots.org.uk/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42
Flickr - www.flickr.com/photos/17893410@N03/sets/72157618794961009/
Facebook - www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=80406&id=512698717&op=6 (only accessible if you have facebook)
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