So the summer teams and gappers have left and we take a step back and look at everything around us that was achieved. Tommie, our Tanzania Country Manager needed a couple of days sleep to recuperate, reflect and revamp for what’s next. A big thanks to all that contributed to our projects in Tanzania and as you can read from below, a lot of great work done…thanks for pulling this together Tommie…

Gap on TULEENI ORPHANS HOME

Taking a break from our daily project work, we had the opportunity to visit a local orphanage in Moshi. With all the stereotypes and media coverage of orphans we see back home, particularly orphans within Africa, we weren’t sure what to expect. However, when we arrived (after a very bumpy and cosy trip in a Daladala), we were overwhelmed by the friendly welcome we received from the children.

After meeting the children, we took part in a number of games and were shown the cramped living conditions.  This involved seeing rooms with up to 10 bunk beds and on average 3 children per bed, which was an eye opening experience. Despite the language barrier, the children were all eager to interact with us and very enthusiastic.  While the younger children were keen for more active games, the older girls were happy to chat and get to know us a bit more – even practice some English or teach us some Swahili!

After the initial introduction to the children, the administrator of the orphanage, Mama Faraji, was kind enough to talk to us about the orphanage and its history. This particular Children’s Home was started in 2006 with 18 children, which has increased to around 50 children being under her care with many children having to be turned away everyday. We learned that she started the orphanage because she was an orphan as a child herself (although was fortunate enough to live with her grandparents).  This made her want to help children who are not as lucky as she was, even though she must fund this herself while also relying on donations.

Some of the kids at Camp before going to Moshi FM for the program

Before we left, we were invited to join hands in a circle, sing songs and dance with the children followed by a variety of ball games. On our journey home we reflected on our experience and agreed that what the lady was doing was inspirational and admirable as well as finding the whole experience affecting and enjoyable. It made us want to support the orphanage during our stay here. This was made possible by an idea put forward by camps staff with whom they suggested to purchase food stuff among other bits and bobs. There is so much more that these poor souls need apart from just food. These kids need medication, School uniforms and other basic needs. Having said that it does not necessarily have to always be monetary. Showing them love and affection, helping them live just like any other child means a lot than a million Dollar donation. Hence we arranged for them to come out of the orphanage and participate in a weekend Live radio show at Moshi FM.  We wanted the kids to live just like any other kid around even if it was for a few hours. We each made a donation which enabled this idea to become reality.

Listening to the kids singing and answering riddles and story telling live on Radio was awesome. The kids were also happy to hear themselves over the Radio and narrating how life was before finding a home at the orphanage and how they aspire to be Teachers and Doctors of this country. It was an emotional afternoon and made a few of us shed a few tears. Seeing the children have the opportunity to become more involved in the local community and enjoy a new experience was rewarding for all volunteers involved…

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This summer Camp Tanzania also hosted 160 students from various schools in the UK. They came out with one objective and one aim only: to make a difference. It is going to be an understatement if we said they met their targets. They surpassed them to be honest…

In Moshi: Mbokomu School – the pupils and the institution are in dire need of a sports/playing field. Currently, they are using a plot full of ridges and holes caused by erosion. This prompted us to “kill two birds with one stone”. Deal with the erosion problem by sorting out landscaping and create a playing field for the students.

Kingdown Team was busy plastering one of the class rooms at Msaranga School and teaching English. The target of this particular project was met 100%

At Mnazi School there were a number of projects: plastering Teachers quarters, constructing a water tank and cementing both a floor and veranda of one of the classes. Rydens College and Kings Langley were involved with these projects.

Ndarakwai Wildlife Sanctuary: The Teams were involved in wildlife conservation related projects including conducting a wildlife census, nature walks and wildlife identification, habitat restoration and ranch maintenance. The students expanded an already existing watering hole for the wildlife to drink water from. They also dug furrows that feed the watering hole from the thawed glacier of Mt. Kilimanjaro. And of course, a Camps wildlife expedition would not be complete without making paper from Elephant pooh!

Nothing satisfying and worth the students time than seeing a herd of Zebras quenching their thirst just after project!

The teams also had an opportunity to work at a local School called Ol molog Vet. Most of the pupils here are from the Masai tribe. Here the teams were involved in Painting the inside of 4 class rooms and their window frames and doors. They also painted 2 staff quarters. They started on a trench/foundation of the Schools’ kitchen and made 360 Bricks which will later be used for the kitchen construction.

The headteacher on Ground breaking day!

In Meru: All mountain expedition Teams go through this location. The projects here ranged from establishing a vegetable garden for the school, constructing a kitchen to learning the whole process of coffee making, helping the mamas with their daily chores of tending to their cattle and preparing their little shambas for planting maize and beans.

Based right in the village, it gave our teams the first hand experience of living life the African way. The camp setup is right on a farmer’s plot of land where they camped amongst the goats, chickens and cows. And if you need to wash your clothes follow the singing mamas down to the local stream. It was lovely to see our clients interacting so well with the community going to church service with them, playing ball games with the local teams…

Students helping mamas with daily chores..

Camp Tanga: Our latest treasure…Many had thought that it was more of rest and recreation spot than a working camp but that would not be very Camps… Projects as usual and goals to achieve. There was a Boat to be built, Seaweed mama’s to be helped and a classroom to be constructed.

A great summer all around. Kwaheri na karibu tena!

The following are excerpts taken from Peter Luck’s (Campion School) blog. Campion was part of a composite team made up of fives schools (Stanground, Stonehenge, Banbury and Woodford Lodge). Quite a handful for Leo Biles who was their expedition leader and by all accounts did a fantastic job (as did all the teachers and students [...]

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One of the most satisfying aspects of what we do is seeing school teams, and gappers come back every other year. Some schools are traveling with us for the third time and often our camp managers tell us that so-and-so who was a Gapper or Lifer is back in the country came to say jambo. Wonderful! And then there are some really special ones that we just can’t seem to get rid of…

Jennifer Green came out in 2009 as an assistant teacher leader for Southfield School. A couple of months later she was back as a gapper and not just for one month but for five! (three of which she spent in Tanzania). As you can imagine it did not take much convincing to keep her for longer – what better person could we ask to help us as summer team program coordinator than Jenny. I asked her to write about one aspect of our program that I know is dear to her heart…

This season has seen the successful launch of Camp Imani (Imani is the Swahili word for Faith) located in Itinyi village, Maungu within the Voi district of Kenya.  The Imani Women’s group was formed in 2002 and Camps International first worked with the group in 2007. Teams have previously spent a day of their trip at Tsavo working with the group helping improve the women’s facilities whilst the women have provided an excellent basis for cultural exchange for Camp Kenya visitors.  For many though, a day clearly wasn’t enough to spend with the energetic and passionate members of the group, it simply had to be taken to the next level. Camp Imani was born.

In 2009 I had been one of the assistant teachers with Southfield School and therefore I was delighted to find out the camp was up and running, and even more excited when I found out that I was going to be given the opportunity to spend a few days visiting Camp Imani. Having arrived after sunset I was amazed to wake up in the morning to the stunning views of the landscape behind the campsite and was overjoyed to see Camp Imani in its full glory. The Imani women last year were such an inspiration to the Southfield students (and teachers alike) it was marvelous to meet up with Mama Mercy and discover that she, the chairlady of the Imani group, was acting as one of the project coordinators for Camp Kenya. She has taken on the role to ensure that a wide range of cultural and community activities have been carried out by the teams throughout the season. Activities so far have included: pea harvesting, bead making and corn pounding – the realization of how long it takes to pound and grind the maize into flour gave the teams (and me too) the time to reflect on the hard work that goes into preparing simple meals!

Imani Camp is located a short walk away from Itinyi Primary School and so far teams from Alice Smith, Manshead and Joseph Rowntree have been involved in the rapid construction of a new nursery classroom (special thanks to Alice Smith School who raised an additional £3,500 towards the construction of this classroom!).  The women’s community ethos is clearly passed onto all of its visitors to the group and the teams are gaining an understanding of how the women are working to reduce poverty whilst breaking down gender barriers and stereotypes. I know now from having visited the group twice just how much of a difference the women are striving to make by the range of projects that they are involved in – from growing mushrooms in elephant dung in a fight to reduce human wildlife conflict, to providing rooms to rent for students and teachers at the school. The interaction between school students, local adults and the visiting teams are all providing excellent opportunities for positive changes in the area. I know that I’ve certainly benefited a lot from my few short days at Camp Imani and I’m sure all the other visitors to the camp throughout the season will also do too.  Here’s to a fantastic future for all at Camp Imani, the Imani Women’s group and Itinyi village as a whole!