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Latest News September 2007: Our 8 students have now just finished their first day at Accrington and Rossendale College. Here are the latest pictures:
Welcome for Students at Accrington and Rossendale College (65pics)
Day out to Lord’s House Farm (30 pics)
A walk in the countryside (72 pics)
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Photo’s from the July-August trips: (over 600pics)
Mkula Orphanage (3pics), Letter writing (43pics), Rounders (36pics),
Letter received (44pics), Skipping (23pics), Play (21pics), Football (8pics),
Crop growing (38pics), Groups of children (36pics), Lessons (13pics) Chores (64pics),
New Children (9pics), Individual Children (71pics), Singing Practice (45pics),
Building progress (26pics), Visitors (52pics), Views (39pics), Thumbnails (40pics),
Minibus (9pics), Accrington College students (8pics)
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LATEST NEWS 14th September 2007
Gift of secondhand minibus gratefully received:
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8 Bethany Students to study for 12 months at Accrington and Rossendale College
Our 8 young people have now got passports, TB certificates (which say they are clear of TB) and flight tickets! They all have somewhere to stay and they are very very excited about the prospect of studying for 12months in the UK. They should arrive on Wednesday 15th August at 12.25pm Manchester airport.
Arrange a meeting: Every Wednesday morning (8am - 1pm) the three girls (Rehema, Jesca and Eva) are available to visit schools to bring news about the work of Bethany and the circumstances which lead to them coming to study in the UK as well as talking about the culture in Tanzania etc They are grateful for the support that has made this 12 month visit possible.
Churches and other Organisations: We would very much like the opportunity to visit interested parties for a few minutes slot in a Church service to an evening presentation. Our young people love to sing and dance and would love the opportunity of sharing the vision of Bethany.
If you would like further information or want to arrange a visit the email or phone 01254 879694
Alternatively if you would like to meet them they will be at the next monthly meeting at the Hope Centre, Sunday 2nd September 2pm
Click here for short video of the students introducing themselves..
Click here for details, Click here for new photos of the hopeful students
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July - August Trips 2007: This consisted of three groups. Group 1: Sheila and Graham Pountain, Kate Martland, Annemarie Morgan and Lisa Barnes. Group 2 from Chesterfield: Graham and Gemma Nightingale, Michael, Diane and Luke Dalby, Mark Harrison, Aimee Hardwick, Laura Marsh and Gemma Lowe, Group 3: Paul and Rebecca Pountain, Stewart, Susan and Nickolas Hopkinson, David and Victoria Shaw, Karen Ross and Steven McLean. Unfortunately Andrew Wood failed to make the trip. Click here for pics of the visiting groups:
All three groups were involved in the teaching of English to all the children.
The programme started with the first lesson 8am - 9am, second lesson 9.30am to 10.30am, third lesson 11am to 12 noon. The afternoon sessions started with lesson four from 2pm till 3pm, lesson five from 3pm till 4pm and lesson six from 4.30pm till 5.30pm. The children were allowed time off from the local Primary school for their 2-3week period of intensive English lessons. Special emphasis was given to the teaching of English to the 8 children due to study at Accrington and Rossendale College in September this year. The 8 students were split into three groups: - group 1 Rehema, Jesca, Eva and Mwita, group 2: Lucas and Frank, group 3, Evarist and Labani. Our volunteers worked especially hard with these three groups and were relentless in their determination that the students would be able to understand and be understood ready for their 12month intensive study at College in England. some of the lessons for the younger children were taken up with the playing of organised games including dancing and singing - a favourite pastime of the children. Our thanks to all the volunteers for all they acheived in the time they were there. Click here for; pics of English Lessons, visiting volunteers,
Tanzanian team changes and new maize growing project:
In the May-June update we reported certain management changes at Bethany. Daniel Bujiku is now in charge ( as Tanzanian Co-ordinator) and we are pleased to report things are slowly improving. Daniel has instigated some new projects the first of which is up and running and ready to be harvested. This involves the cultivating of several acres of land by the staff and children making use of the water discharged from our two septic tanks, our kitchen and washing area. Utilising this constant supply of waste water (recycling) we will soon be harvesting a crop of maize completely out of season (the rainy season does not start until September (the time when everyone in Tanzania plants their crops)). Other projects in the pipeline include chickens and cows. Daniel is still looking for people suitable to teach our children to supplement the education received at the local village school.
Click here for pictures of the maize crop.
Our other members of staff (care workers, cooks, site workers) are also being encouraged to fulfill their duties more conscientiously. Hard work and good behaviour (the Bethany motto) applies to all those working to fulfill the Bethany Vision.
New children: We now have 126 children. 7 more children than we reported last time.
Click here to see the new children. Details will be entered into ‘Meet the children’ shortly.
Forever Angels - Mwanaidi and Neema: Both girls are still doing well. Mwanaidi has recently been helping in the kitchen and was in charge for a short time taking over from the cook who was on holiday. Both girls are now supporting (financially) their brothers and sisters back at Bethany by donating 10% of their income. They are also saving money for when they move out of ‘Forever Angels’ and rent a room nearby. They will then need to provide for themselves. They are attending a local church and are very happy.
Choir: Bethany children still spend many happy hours singing and dancing (mainly Swahili). During our visit some of our female volunteers also joined them for their choir practice sessions which can sometimes go on for over two hours. Click here to see the pics.
Football - Rounders etc.: Many of our volunteers organised many different games and also some of the male members joined the Bethany football team playing against the other teams from the surrounding villages.
Building work progress: We now have three new building projects and two major repair items.
Our new large multipurpose unit that can be used for both classrooms and accommodation. It consists of three large rooms and 4 smaller rooms plus its own toilet block. When we left most of the building work was complete, the roof was on, the ceiling erected and most of the rooms had been painted. The doors still needed to be fixed, the tiles laid, the electrics needed to be finished as did the plumbing. Click here to see the pics
Full time married volunteers accommodation. We expect it will be used by Daniel, Eliada and baby Ruth. When we left all the roof and ceilings had been completed, the doors fixed the rooms painted and the tiles laid. the Electrics had been installed as had the washbasin, toilet and shower. However, the ceramics needed plumbing in and the electrics needed connecting
Click here to see the pics.
New male and female pit latrine: The hole is being dug and should be completed soon.
Children’s health: On this visit only one child was admitted to hospital for a short time and nearly all the children were well with only minor ailments. (malaria, infections, coughs and colds etc.).
Children’s behaviour: On the whole very good other than an issue concerning inappropriate behaviour between Rechungura and Pendo (Wambura). This has been dealt with and final warning given and we very much hope there will be no re-occurence.
Monthly Supporters / Enquirers Meetings: The dates for the next three meetings which are all on Sundays at 2pm and are: 2nd September 7th October and 4th November. They are held at the Hope Centre, Ossy. 2pm. Everyone welcome. (click here for details)
Pen pals group web site: This group continues to write to our children with letters of encouragement. Some pen pals are now becoming sponsors. Our visiting teams help write letters for the children. Click on the headings to see the photos:
Letters received, Click here to see the web site and apply to join.
Future Trips: Nothing yet organised but we hope to have trips, October, November and December. Please email if you are at all interested
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Sponsorship - Finance: As ever - finance is an ongoing concern. For those still considering sponsoring or co-sponsoring please see our list of names for sponsorship. Click here
To learn more about sponsorship we have produced a 4 page Question and Answer sheet (click here).
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Money boxes: As you can see our total collected from the money boxes is over £4930 as of 17th May 2007. Cathy Riley is still looking after the new money boxes, both issuing them, banking the proceeds and issuing receipts. If you want one email Bex and she will pass on your request to Cathy.
Satellite Internet: No further news
Possible bore hole: Some recent promises to call but no one actually visited as yet.
Mains Power: No news, no change. Still patiently waiting
UK team changes: None
OTHER NEWS
And Finally: Thank you so much for being interested enough in our work to be reading this. Even more if by your donation you have made this work possible.
N.B. (Please note that this web site is accessible world wide and so we are very careful to only publish the bare facts as truthfully as possible. There are often circumstances upon which decisions have been made which we feel unable to publish. Please contact us directly if you need to know more)
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