During a busy year-end in 2018, and a flying start to 2019 working towards a major infrastructure project, I visited the Rotary Club of Callington where I was awarded a Rotary District 1175 grant. With a further donation of £500 from my own club, Morden Rotary in South London we raised a total of £2500 […]
Lyasikika WASH Project 2019
Our recent WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) project at Lyasikika Secondary School, Northern Tanzania finished on time and on budget (almost!). A mapping of school WASH in every school in 16 districts (2,697 schools) carried out jointly by WaterAid, UNICEF and others shows that the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene in pre‐primary, primary and […]
WASH – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Water under the Bridge!)
Lyasikika Secondary School, Machame East Ward, Kilimanjaro Region, Northern Tanzania – a long list to locate a place! But here is where many of the ABCD (UK) students with whom we started in 2013 are now registered (30 of the total of 110). And more every year as I begin to wind down the primary […]
Fundraising for ABCD (UK) in and around South London – 2018
Fundraising in London – it’s always good to be back in London for this 2nd quarter of fundraising activities. It’s a busy quarter but in a completely different way than our ‘business’ in Tanzania. In Tanzania I deal with people of the village, the village committee, the pastor of the church, the headteachers and especially […]
Social-Political Change in the Air
There has been little or no investment in the education sector in Tanzania beyond day-to-day running costs in the past 3 decades. As a result school infrastructures are failing while teaching and learning suffer from low morale and inertia on the part of many teachers. We hope now, with the new president, that change is […]
On our way back to Tanzania
After a lovely (but cold) winter sojourn in London, I’m on my way back to warmth and a welcome from Tanzania. This is a short post just to thank all our donors over this past year, especially the Rotary Club of Callington who are sponsoring our next school infrastructure project – the kitchen at Mwowe […]
ABCD (UK) BACK IN LONDON
This year’s 4th quarter has proved as busy as all the rest. As we also come to the end of the 4th year of operation I can report a very successful working system. I am accepted in the village now and seen as a friend and benefactor. Known as ‘Baba John’ I can drive through […]
Art for Africa
As I write this the 3rd quarter of 2017 comes to a close. We are happy to report finally that we have had an exhibition of pupil’s art works. I have been looking forward to holding such an event for quite a long time but have never had favourable opportunities. There have always been problems […]
Across Continents
Out of Africa and back to the UK in Q2 proved a busy and highly motivating transition. Through our stall at Merton Dogwatch in May dedicated to our family dog Lucky, through researches into funding organisations and visits to other clubs, to the looming Morden Fun Day in July, I have been pretty busy since […]
Happy and Prosperous Start
With the start of this New Year in January, as Operations Manager at ABCD (UK) I hit the ground running here in Tanzania. We had the pleasure of looking forward to our new volunteer, Andy Ollett of Worcester Park in London as well as the scheduled visit of our Rotary Club of Morden president, Philip […]