What money can do

The requests and opportunities for assistance and investment just keep flowing here in Tanzania.  The examples below are just some of the contributions we have made and provides an illustration and idea of the variety of needs we end up being involved with and how a little can go a long way.

- Loaned a staff member 300,000/- (NZ$375) to purchase 2 acres of land from his father.  The father simply announced on the Thursday that he was leaving town and the first relative to come up with the money would own the land, so time was important.  Owning land now gives him the possibility of growing crops.  This staff member will repay us at 20,000/- (NZ$25) per month

- Giving 40,000/- (NZ$50) to our staff members to plow and sow 2 acres of land in maize.  Unfortunately the rain was short this year and the harvest is very poor, probably getting no more than a 20% crop.  Some areas around us have virtually no crop at all and we will have severe famine conditions within a month.

- Lending another staff member 160,000/- (NZ$200) for planting about 8 acres of maize and beans.  He had a unique opportunity to plant someone else’s farm.

- Giving and loaning 320,000/- for an operation for the mother of one of our staff.  The initial doctor she saw said she needed an operation but she would die from it.  The second doctor at another hospital said it was serious and needed a major operation urgently.  When we found out about the situation, we convinced them to see Jenny (actually her colleague) and they confirmed it was just a simple, non-urgent procedure required – removal of a lipoma (fat lump) and a hernia repair.  This was done and the recovery is going very well!  The lack of medical knowledge and skill here is just shocking, leaving people with very poor healthcare and dire consequences.  We also dropped them at the hospital and he used our car to collect his mum and take her home after the operation.

- Payment of 200,000/- (NZ$250) for a young guy we know to go to Secondary School.  He comes from a very poor family as his father had died.  He desires to be an accountant in the future but has no chance without going to Secondary School.  He cannot afford to go to Secondary School unless someone sponsors him. He is a hard-working young man that we have built relationship with and so want to walk with him over the years to see him reach his dream.

There are many more stories as you can imagine but this just provides some insight.

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