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Graham Pountain was unable to visit Bethany in November as he had planned and so we went together arriving on Wednesday 12th January 2011 for a two week stay.
The weather was unusual with prolonged periods of cloudy skies and therefore insufficient solar power to pump the water from the Lake. This meant that the water had to be transported and boiled prior to drinking. As a result the need for an electric cable has become an urgent priority particularly now there is a mains supply on site.
We are always greeted by happy children who are pleased to see us and so the long journey is soon forgotten as we settle in with the Bethany Family. On site English is spoken by the children, teachers and some of the staff and so it is noticeable how much the children have improved since the last visit, especially the little ones.
Home Education is making a difference. At the moment we employ 5 teachers (1 short of the complement) with classes ranging from Nursery to Standard 6. The largest class has 16 pupils and so we are coming under pressure to take fee paying pupils and children from the village. However this would inevitably be at the expense of orphaned children, the poorest in society and for which Bethany was established.
This means that we have to fund Education entirely from the UK since there is no financial contribution from the Government of Tanzania. The current cost is £10 per child per month in addition to the £40 per month for food, clothing, medical expenses etc.
During my stay I investigate the financial performance and check, in particular, each transaction to ensure that there is a receipt and corresponding ledger and computer entries. Financial propriety is absolutely essential if our supporters are to feel confident that 100% of the money they generously donate is used directly, effectively and prudently in the interests of each and every child.
Monetary transfers to Tanzania are still unreliable with the latest transfer (just before I left) arriving within 2 working days but it can take as long as 3 weeks! As a result it has been agreed to send £5,000 to be used only when the monthly transfer has not arrived and money is desperately needed. The emergency funds will remain in the bank and authorisation must be sought from the UK before the funds can be accessed.
A series of meetings chaired by Graham were held with Daniel and Eliada Bujiku to discuss
- Education both at Bethany and in the UK
- Capital Projects
- Training off site
- Financial Matters
- Personnel
The majority of the outstanding building maintenance work has been done since my last visit and the ‘having pride in your work’ factor is a little more evident but there is still room for improvement. At the end of my stay a revised programme is drawn up.
The building programme has slowed mainly because capital funds have been diverted to Education but the refurbishment of the Girl’s Dormitory has survived and hopefully will be complete within the next 2 months.
Our vision is to replace the old substandard Boy’s Dormitory with smaller multi- purpose self contained buildings and build purpose built classrooms to complement the existing accommodation housed in the multi- purpose building and the former clinic block.
The children are excited about all the improvements planned and despite their past experiences are very contented and try very hard to please. It is a privilege to be with them for two weeks because they inspire me to do better.
David Borland OBE
Treasurer, UK Team
26th January 2011
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