A month has gone by

A month has gone by

I’ve now been in Tanzania a month, it’s flown by, and I feel that I have achieved quite a lot-found and settled into a house, still things to sort out but it’s going well, found out that I have a guava tree and a chilli plant in my garden, thanks Collins, have made a trade off with one of the workers at the centre, she will show me the best places to shop, I’ll teach her how to bake cakes and biscuits. Met some amazing women who are working their socks off to improve their lives, one collects and sells discarded plastic bottles for a few shillings, they are dropped off at the centre and she walks 45 minutes home with several hundred bottles on her head, another took her 2 nieces out of an orphanage at the age of 12 months when most would leave them there until they are 2, she catches 2 mini busses with one strapped to the front, the other to the back of her so that she can work as a tailor at the centre, she also has 2 of her own children and her husband has left her. Each woman has a story to tell as do the mamas of the children whom the centre provides free day care for, without it they would struggle to work

Friday was party time at the centre, all kids received a special meal, pressie thanks to online donations plus an outfit of donated second hand clothes. Each family received a water filter which is produced locally and provides clean drinking water for up to 5 years-again supplied by online donations, what greater gift than to provide clean water for families thus massively reducing ill health. I use the same filter without any problem, the cost is way above the reach of most local families but is very much needed.
So, 2 weeks off before I start work, by then I’ll be retired and my much needed visa will be being processed.
Have a peaceful time over the holidays and continue reading in 2014
Much love to all
pics show mama juma and family with their water filter mama mayassa, a fantastic jewellery maker, with hers, Aubree's boys in their school clothes from Aldi, Great Harwood  and baby juma with his moustache, thanks Scott