Rotary members from Newbury, Mirfield, Edinburgh and Helsinborg, have recently returned to Europe after a fact-finding visit to Ukerewe to check up on the work there.
Since 2009 these clubs have supported the people of Ukerewe in a number of ways, focussing on developing and improving their healthcare, education and the general community.
The Rotary team want to give the islanders of Ukerewe the tools, skills and equipment to help them, help themselves. By doing this it allows them to build, develop and grow on what Rotary has provided for them and to become more independent.
Rotary members from Newbury, Mirfield, Edinburgh and Helsinborg, have recently returned to Europe after a fact-finding visit to Ukerewe to check up on the work there.
One of the main projects they have been developing and working on is a school farming programme.
On a previous trip to Ukerewe, the team noticed many children walked long distances to get to school, often having nothing to eat throughout the day. They wanted to find a way to allow school children to have one good meal per day.
With this in mind the team began to help seven schools to develop surrounding land into farms for the school children to grow and harvest their own crops.
On a previous trip to Ukerewe, the team noticed many children walked long distances to get to school, often having nothing to eat throughout the day.
School children were taught about sustainable farming allowing them to apply their training and new skills to grow a variety of vegetables within the new school farm lands along with avocado and orange trees.
Sarah Campbell from Newbury Rotary club, is one of the team members. She said “It was very encouraging to see the feeding project in action, benefiting the school children and their families. The children performed dances and sang a “thank you” song to us.”
It was reported that this programme helped to feed 7,000 pupils 3-4 times a week during harvest season, allowing the children to have a good meal in the day.
Headmaster Lucas Mtani said: ‘On behalf of my pupils, I thank Rotary. My pupils now receive breakfast three times a week, I get good attendance and have a bit of money to buy essential items for the school. When these children grow up they will remember you.’
However, this is only the beginning of the farming project.
It was reported that this programme helped to feed 7,000 pupils 3-4 times a week during harvest season, allowing the children to have a good meal in the day.
There are still many more schools in the Ukerewe district in need of help. The hope is as schools continue to develop the farming programme, they will invite others to visit the farms, to pass on and teach them sustainable farming skills which can help them develop their own farm land.
The farming programme is one of many initiatives the Rotary team have put into place to help reduce the hardship and poverty for people in the Ukerewe district.
Within Ukerewe there is only one hospital with three doctors in a district with a population with 350,000. With limited facilities and a lack of funding.
Over the past ten years Rotary have provided equipment and mattresses, along with transforming the operating theatre to help improve their facilities.
Within Ukerewe there is only one hospital with three doctors in a district with a population with 350,000. With limited facilities and a lack of funding.
During the visit Sarah Campbell was shocked to see wound suturing being performed under the light of a mobile phone. This shows despite Rotary’s efforts, there is still a long way to go.
The Rotary team have learnt there is no quick fix for poverty, but they continue their efforts to help communities in Ukerewe however they can.
The communities in Ukerewe have shown their commitment to wanting to help themselves and are grateful for the help and support Rotary has shown over the years.
The Rotary team have learnt there is no quick fix for poverty, but they continue their efforts to help communities in Ukerewe however they can.
Rotary are looking to the future to find new ways to help the people of Ukerewe, particularly the younger generation.
To help improve education, the Rotary team are working on new concepts and ways they could help support schools more through strengthening links between Ukerewe and the UK.
They are looking into implementing voluntary teachers from the UK to go to the schools for a short period of time and support the teachers at the schools.
“There is still much more to do to help the people on the island, and the hospital request list is lengthy. The memories of this most humbling experience, will stay with me for life.”
Ukerewe Fact File:
- Ukerewe is the largest inhabited island in Lake Victoria. It is accessible only by a 3.5 hour ferry journey from Mwanza which is the second largest town in Tanzania. Ukerewe has a population of 350,000.
- There are 121 primary schools and 22 secondary schools.
- The main town is Nansio. Rotarians from the UK and Sweden have undertaken a variety of community projects on the island during the past nine years.
