At the end of October, Director Teddy, Teacher Glory and 3 volunteers, Veda, Mosses and Claire, walked into the villages and homesteads around the school and office buildings.
We distributed some donated clothing to elderly people, widows and children most in need. However, we also had another task – a small survey about people’s access to water. We asked a number of questions, including how many people were in the household, who is responsible for fetching the water and how (by foot, handcart, bicycle, etc), how often they are unable to buy water, how many litres are used per week and how much it costs. Most importantly we asked how far and how long people have to walk for to fetch water for their houses. As the area has very poor infrastructure and is naturally short on water, we are hoping to use this information to campaign for better provision from local government, and include it in any suitable grant applications we find.

The local terrain is incredibly hilly and many people have to pass through a huge gorge to travel to the main road connecting the villages with Kwa Morombo. Although Kwa Morombo is very small the shops provide almost anything you can imagine. During the rainy season, families living on the “wrong” side of the gorge are effectively cut off, meaning that children cannot attend school, and the options for fetching clean, safe water and essential supplies are even fewer. Opportunities for earning money are also small in this area, meaning the needs of people with large families, or who have adopted relatives or neighbour’s children are very great.

We also received a very generous donation of children’s clothing and shoes from some friends in Holland. We will distribute them soon and continue the survey, adding questions about the availability of medical care to help a former volunteer Doctor who is researching the area around Arusha with regards to the provision for healthcare. We wish her luck with her plans and hope that we can help her in her research, and that she is able to find solutions for the disadvantaged families around Arusha.