Letter from Elisha George
Nyasa is a district found in Tanzania surrounded by lake Nyasa. Permaculture projects In this area, many people have HIV/AIDS and there is a lot of poverty. It happens a lot that in order to get fish, women are expected to sleep with the fishermen and this is one of the main ways HIV/AIDS is spread here.
Antiretroviral drugs to slow it down are available for free from the hospitals, however many people are unable to afford transport to the hospitals in town, so they have not been receiving this treatment.
Nuru Njema Tanzania has started up a project here (it began in August last year) which combines permaculture with HIV/AIDS education. Once people have permaculture knowledge, they then are able to make enough money by selling the produce and are no longer in a situation where they need to sleep with the fishermen to have enough to eat. They are also educated in HIV/AIDS and how to prevent this. Even for those already unwell with HIV/AIDS, they benefit greatly from the permaculture education because it enables them to make money to get transport into town for antiretrovirals. Also it enables a good quality of life.
Previously, people in this area did not grow tomatoes and believed it to be impossible in the local soil, so they relied on those from town which were too expensive and inaccessible. Through Nuru Njema’s permaculture education, several community groups are now growing tomatoes (in very impressive quantities!) and because they are the only people in the area selling them, the demand is great and so they are able to earn money from this.
Elisha George the secretary of Nuru Njema Tanzania has another idea to support this area which is to build a School which will be free Quality education for The disabled Children FREE QUALITY EDUCATION FOR THE OVC IN NYASA DISTRICT. This idea comes as a result of the factual information that Private Schools have a huge contribution on the question of quality education in our country.
Basically, Nyasa is a newly established District in the United Republic of Tanzania with no any Private Secondary School since independence. Most of the local community members do indulge in fishing industry though in an indigenous way and that other agricultural activities are quite limited due to the nature of the area (i.e unfit for various farming activities). Nuru Njema Tanzania has noted this challenge and would like to tackle it by constructing School infrastructures that will accommodate children from different classes/families hence paving the way for quality education to all. To be frank Since quality education is one of the basic needs for individual development, lack of such a School in this area (Nyasa District) is something to be reckoned with.
As stated earlier, Private Schools provide absolute quality education when compared to the Government established Schools. Either, lack of funds for the most needed School infrastructures is the main hindrance. On the other side, there is an increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children whose parents & guardians have died of HIV/AIDS hence so many affected families in the area. Currently, all these children are in need of quality education that will enable them tackle various life challenges. This proposed Secondary School can definitely pave the way for the said education once it is constructed and run in a proper manner! Nuru Njema and Elisha’s is to do the following
1. Raising a good amount of funds for construction of a private Secondary School in Nyasa District could be the best and significant action.
2. Local community involvement is indeed suggested for the smooth (Project) implementation.
3. An amount of School fees to be paid by 60% of the total children/students to be enrolled will also cover for the running costs of the OVC who are targeted at 40%.
4. Proper Project Management by Nuru Njema Tanzania is the KEY to general success! would ideally no longer be needed due to the permaculture/HIV/AIDS education, but it could be greatly beneficial in the meantime.
Big congratulations (“hongera” in Swahili) also to Nysa Community for participating in this for the high percentage really inspiring to see how much impact it’s having already, even after just a few months. Also the permaculture education spreads so easily once a few people are trained as it’s blazingly clear that it in works. See the photos Below for more Consideration
