Marumba Village Projects Updates
EuCanAid/TDT Joint project update August 2022
Assisted with funding also from Africa Palms
For 7 years TDT/Eucanaid with significant support from Africa Palms have been supporting projects in Marumba village, Mtwara region. July 2022 saw the evaluation and celebration of our projects in the village.
This is a summary of that story.
In 2015 a partnership between TDT and Eucanaid began with the aim to help fund several integrated projects in one village for 3 years and so significantly impact on one community. Marumba village was put forward by TDT Local representative Fr. Linus Buriani and was selected for the project, largely for its remote location in Nanyumbu District, Mtwara region, very close to the Mozambique border.
Project ideas were initiated by the village council and overseen with great skill by Fr Linus Buriani. A progression of projects followed in the following years covering Water, Health, Education and Income generation. These included drilling a borehole and hand pump for water, new Primary school classrooms with solar and water tanks, school toilets, a photocopier and computing equipment, a new kindergarten building, solar and water for the dispensary, a new maternity ward building, a beekeeping group, a chicken pass on project and a new dehulling and milling machine for community use. The scheme was extended for 3 years and a further 1 year to accommodate the projects.
The benefits of a longer-term association allowed for snags and follow up to take place. For instance, the beekeepers were advised to move their 60 hives from north to south of the village to be nearer water with immediate result. Innocent Mkasa a beekeeping officer in Mtwara was linked by Bees Abroad a UK charity to work with the group. Further training and equipping is now resulting in good harvests. ( 63 kg in October 2021, and 36 kg in July 2022, with the odd loss from honey badgers and honey hunters) .The Tanzanian Forest Service is so impressed with their site that they have moved 20 of their hives to be near them. This now also helps to provide them further assistance and a marketing outlet for their honey.
For several years the school was used by other Ward Primary schools for Summer camps as it had electricity and nearby water. These have now moved further away from the border for security reasons.
In June 2021 the partnership agreed to extend beyond Marumba to fund the completion of 6 classrooms and 10 toilets in Mkonona village, half built already by the community. This was to ensure there was one Secondary school in the Ward serving the 6 villages which included Marumba. This would provide a place for the Primary school students to go on to. This was completed and opened in record time with strong support from the District Government and opened in January 2022. 4 more classrooms were added by the government. It serves 6 villages including Marumba and now has Form 1 and Form 2 classes.
The school is in its early stages and faces significant issues of water which is a 4 hour round trip,as well as a need for a hostel. Some students are living 30 to 50 kilometres away. Marumba is 15 kilometres away, and students can take a bus which leaves very early but more significantly is expensive to do on a daily basis and so they rent in the village leaving them at risk. The school is presently operating an arrangement for boys and girls where they can sleep in separate classrooms. However, these classrooms will be needed next year.
Despite the project being completed, TDT and Eucanaid are presently looking to drill a borehole on site for the school. For the hostel; discussions with Mariam Chaurembo the District Commissioner suggested that if we could raise £5,000 they may be able to complete a hostel with their funds and PO David Gibbons is keen to follow this up and welcomes anyone who can help. Mariam studied for 5 years at Southampton University.
A day’s evaluation and meeting with parents, elders, school members and government officials discussed the successes as well as the issues above. This was followed by a day of celebration in Mkonona and another day of celebration in Marumba village. Both were joyous and energetic occasions attended by Ward officials, The MP for Mkonona ward, the District Commissioner and District Administrative Secretary. Government officials promised that the school and Marumba would have electricity as part of the rural electrification scheme by the end of the year. There were some excellent performances and dances and a form 2 group demonstrated a hand washing appliance that they had made as part of their technology studies projects.
Many people can be thanked for their contributions in this project, however, most of all I would like to thank the skill and hard work of TDT Representative Fr Linus Buriani in his overseeing and management holding it all together. This has been an extremely rewarding project to be part of and we feel that we have really got to know the people of Marumba and its community as our friends.
Next steps: An Invitation has gone out to TDT Local reps to put forward another village to be part of an initial 3 year similar programme. Eucanaid will then choose one form a short list of three. A wonderful opportunity for another village, but Marumba will long remain in the hearts of those involved.
To see an overview of our Marumba Village Development Project, please click here
EuCanAid/TDT Joint project update January 2022
Assisted with funding also from Africa Palms
This joint development project between TDT/EU Can Aid and Marumba village, near the Mozambique border in Mtwara region, started in 2018 and has already delivered 2 new classrooms with solar panels, a borehole with pump and plentiful water, dispensary support with solar power and fridge, a tree planting scheme and bee keeping income generation project, and a new maternity ward. More information here (link to PDF).
As the final part of this project with Eucanaid we funded in January 2022 a new diesel maize milling machine, hulling machine and engine house. The request has come from the village community and will provide a service for the village, as the present machine is old and frequently breaks down. Villagers currently have to walk 7km to the nearest village to find the same service. The machine will be managed by Marumba Primary school committee which itself is a part of the Village Committee and accountable to it. Any proceeds will go to the Primary school self reliance fund.
EuCanAid/TDT Joint project update March 2020
This joint development project between TDT/EU Can Aid and Marumba village, near the Mozambique border in Mtwara region, started in 2018 and has already delivered 2 new classrooms with solar panels, a borehole with pump and plentiful water, dispensary support with solar power and fridge, a tree planting scheme and bee keeping income generation project, and a new maternity ward, all overseen by TDT local representative Linus Buriani.
Update on 3 recent developments:
- The bees are coming to the hives! The beekeeping group having moved 89 of the 90 hives from the forest to being closer to the river, because only 1 had honey in it. Now 50 of the hives have bees in them. The beekeeping group are proudly showing off their new equipment in the photo below. The next stage is to consolidate the link with an experienced Beekeeper from the Forest Authority, to develop the beekeepers’ marketing and harvesting skills.
- The kindergarten classroom is finished to budget. Following the success of the Primary school classrooms, and solar project, which are now being used by local Primary schools as they prepare for Standard 7 exams, the Marumba project has also responded to a request for a Kindergarten attachment to the school. It was completed at a cost of £2,500 – an excellent result.
- The Primary school has received delivery of solar panels. After installation of the solar panels and electrical fixings needed, the school has taken delivery of a photocopier, printer and lap top. The budget includes training for teachers and local ward officials to use them, which will follow. This equipment will help particularly in the keeping of school records and the printing of exam papers.
