Between 6 and 15 October 2022, Geoff O’Donoghue (Co-Chair of RLT) and Jennifer Cosgrave (RLT Trustee) travelled to Kindwitwi to spend some long-overdue time with the team on the ground and re-connect with the community that your donations support. The impact of the pandemic has meant that the trustees have not been able to visit for over three years. If this global crisis has taught us anything, it is the vital role that face-to-face interaction plays in building connections and mutual understanding (in this case) between donor and community. This edition of the newsletter is dedicated to sharing with you some of the highlights from this trip.
Reflection from Jennifer Cosgrave
For both Geoff and I, over 10 years had passed since either of us had been able to visit Kindwitwi and in many ways, things were comfortingly familiar. The ride from Dar es Salaam was still very bumpy with beautiful views of the countryside and the town of Kibiti (where you can stop for a refreshing soda on your journey to Kindwitwi), still bustling with students on their way to or from school and local businesses selling their wares. Yet, there were promising signs of development that showed there is investment happening in the region. For example, a new school is being built close to Kindwitwi, the main road in Utete is being tarmacked and there is even an enforced speed limit on the main road, which no doubt has reduced the number of accidents significantly. The Rufiji District is clearly up and coming, all of which is good news for Kindwitwi.
Geoff and I spent 10 days in Kindwitwi, visiting the team that runs the RLT projects, spending time with the village council, visiting those who receive support for leprosy care and meeting with the kindergarten teachers, students and those receiving sponsorship for their higher education studies. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people that welcomed us during the visit, taking the time to share their hopes and frustrations, ambitions and roadblocks. This trip, without a doubt helps us to be better trustees and faithful stewards of the resources that you entrust to us.
During our visit we stayed at Father Lamburn’s Guest House. It is still in good condition and the little solar powered electric light tries valiantly to allow you to read at night, although you really do need a torch! It was as I remember, a great spot to watch the sun set in the evening and right in the heart of the village. There was also the outline of a football pitch just in front of the house, which gave the children of Kindwitwi a good excuse to come and investigate who these strangers were and find out what we were doing here. The children were so fun and curious and found the idea of taking a selfie absolutely hilarious!
We learnt so much during those 10 days that it is hard to describe the entire trip adequately, however if I was to share three things that really stood out for me, they would be:
Lesson One: The team are incredibly dedicated and care deeply about the people in Kindwitwi and particularly those who have disabilities because of leprosy.
Here is a picture of Saluum, the shoe maker. He knows absolutely everyone in Kindwitwi, especially those who are receiving leprosy care. When Geoff asked if there was anyone in Kindwitwi who needed care but that was not receiving it, he was able to tell us immediately and took us to visit Mr Mchangmaji. I am happy to share that he is now getting the food and medicine that he was needs.
Lesson Two: The funding provided by RLT is crucial.
It may seem simple, however by providing food, basic medicines and resources when needed (for example we recently provided a bed so that the patient was not sleeping on the floor) the leprosy patients receive the essential resources necessary for survival, which they otherwise may not have access to. The RLT team work closely with family members and we saw several examples of the way that patient’s outcomes improved when they lived with family. This helps patients to be less lonely and isolated. In this picture you can see our visit to Mr Omari, Geoff knew him many years ago when he and his wife, Jenny O’Donoghue lived in Kindwitwi. He was thrilled to see Geoff after so many years and I think I can speak for Geoff when I say the feeling was mutual.
Lesson Three: Renovations are needed
Renovations to the Kindergarten (pictured here) and the local office are clearly needed. The school is tired and the floors need resurfacing. Bats have moved into the administrative office which makes working there unhygienic. The smell that bats leave behind is now my least favourite aroma! RLT and the local team are now working together to get quotations to carry out the works and we will update you on progress in the coming months.
In addition, the local church where Fr. Lamburn worshiped is also in need of repairs. Whilst the overall structure appears sound (albeit to the untrained eye), bats have also made their home in the roof and the building is in need of a general of maintenance and care. This work falls outside of the mandate of RLT and therefore is not something we can fund. However, we did wonder if you, your community or local parish would be interested in raising funds to support this renovation? If that is the case, please contact us and we will happily connect you with the local team.
Lesson Four: Google Maps is not always necessary!
Here you can see Saluum giving Geoff directions to a meeting we were due to attend in a neighbouring village by drawing a map in the dust. The directions were perfect!
From all the trustees and the team in Tanzania, we hope you are well. Thank you for taking the time to read our news and for your continued support. As always, if you have any questions or are interested in learning more about RLT, we would be delighted to hear from you.