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Posted by: Game Warden Sep 2 2007, 12:26 PM

Caroline Johnston is the co founder, (with Tanzanian priest Father Stanislaus Baruti) of Village Africa - a charity working in Tanzania, East Africa. It is based in a village called Yamba, high in the West Usambara Mountains in the Tanga region. The aim of the charity is to alleviate poverty. Initially its work is in health and education. Locally it is known by the Kisambaa name 'Vyaadahikana' which means 'It is possible'.

The project currently has nine Tanzanian staff and employs a lot of village casual labour for building projects. Initially financed by a very generous gift from the late Mrs Rhoda Lawley, Village Africa is now funded by donations from both individuals and companies. Volunteer fees cover the costs of the teaching programme.

Village Africa can be found here: http://www.villageafrica.org.uk

You started the Village Africa project in May 2006 with Tanzanian priest Father Stanislaus Baruti: how did you personally become involved?

I was working with Fr Baruti on another project in Tanzania. Father is from Yamba and we had discussed on many occasions the village, the poverty and its problems. Over time I felt drawn to Yamba and decided to set up an NGO to help improve the quality of life for the villagers.

What are the objectives of Village Africa and how do you hope to achieve them?

The overall aim of Village Africa is to alleviate poverty in Yamba and Milingano (Yamba is a sub-village of Milingano). We are hoping to achieve this by focusing on two areas: health and education.

Since launching the project approximately one year ago, what improvements have already been made to Yamba and Milingano?

In the past year we have made many improvements, including:

• reactivating the village health post, which acts as a first point of call for health issues and emergencies, as the nearest hospital is 2 days walk away
• bringing a doctor and lab technician to Yamba
• providing medicine and equipment for the health post
• buying a four-wheel-drive vehicle that can be used as an ambulance in emergencies
• establishing a volunteer English-teaching programme which is active in both Yamba and Milingano
• building toilets for Yamba Primary School and Milingano Primary School
• providing 100 desks, books and stationery for the pupils
• providing all pupils in Yamba Primary School with shoes (265 in total!)

How did you decide to work in this area?

I had done a considerable amount of voluntary charity work over the years around the world. In all my travels, the people of Yamba are the poorest I have ever seen. While working with Father Baruti on another project in Tanzania, I felt a divine call to Yamba. This was surprising as I’d never even been there. Establishing an NGO to help the village felt like the right thing to do.


Describe the village of Yamba and surrounding area.

Yamba is a beautiful village in the West Usambara Mountains, which are located in the north-east of Tanzania close to the border with Kenya. The village clings to the side of a steep mountain at about 1,800 metres altitude. It is quite spread out with different hamlets scattered along the mountainside. Most people live in simple thatched huts; their burnt-red colour stands out against the lush green forests. About 1200 people live in Yamba. Most of them are subsistence farmers and even those with other jobs (eg the schoolteachers and shopkeepers) cultivate land to feed their families.

Milingano is very different from Yamba. Located in the flatland below the mountains, it has a much drier and warmer climate. It is the hub of a number of sub-villages and has a bustling, colourful weekly market. It is accessible by truck and bicycle.

What were the immediate causes for concern in Yamba and how did you address them?

The biggest problem was that there were no medical facilities in the village – people had to walk for hours to get medical attention. If someone was very sick, they had to be carried on a stretcher down the steep mountain by six men to the nearest doctor. So our first priority was to reactivate the village health post.

When Village Africa first took up its position in Yamba, how were you accepted by its residents? And how has the relationship you have established developed since then?

The villagers welcomed Village Africa with open arms – firstly, because Father Baruti is from Yamba, but most importantly because they have a genuine desire to improve Yamba and their quality of life. From the very start they demonstrated their thirst for development and generosity. In order to allow us to use a vehicle, they spent five months making a road to the village, using their own tools and and time without expecting any payment. They still maintain the road every weekend.

As for me, personally, I was welcomed with dancing and singing, as indeed is every volunteer who comes to the village. I was soon given a local name ‘Makihiyo’ which means ‘our mother’. After a year of activity I was thrilled and honoured when the local councillor (diwani) of Milingano invited me to a meeting of his counterparts at district level to explain the success of the project.


What is the general health of the villager? Is HIV/AIDS prevalent in the area, and what other health problems are encountered in the clinic? What improvements have you been able to make in the area of public health and sanitation?

Thankfully, HIV/AIDS is not a major problem in Yamba. Unfortunately, the villagers do have many other health problems, most significantly malaria, typhoid, yellow fever, pneumonia, dysentery, urinary tract infections (UTI) and worms. The good news is that many of these conditions can be avoided by good hygiene practices and some basic precautions. We are educating the villagers about these. We have built toilets for the health post and schools and are running a campaign to encourage people to build and use toilets of their own. Many families have now built toilets. People who are diagnosed with malaria at the health post are reminded of easy measures to take to avoid mosquito bites in future. We taught the villagers how to make river water safe to drink using simple filtration and sunlight UV treatment. Recently we organised knitting classes so that mothers can make hats and jumpers to keep their babies warm and healthy in the winter.

As an NGO working in the area, what is your opinion of the government’s local influence on things as health care, education and employment?

The local government, especially the diwani of Milingano, has shown us its fullest support from the beginning. Like in many villages, schools in Yamba and Milingano are suffering from the national shortage of teachers, but we are glad to see that the new budget will be allocating significant resources to the education sector.


What experience and skills did you personally bring to Village Africa, and likewise Father Baruti?

Both Father Baruti and I have been working in the development sector for many years. I taught English as a foreign language for several years across different parts of the world and have trained many TEFL teachers. My work as an executive-level PA in my previous life in the UK has given me strong organisational and interpersonal skills which have stood me in good stead.

Father Baruti – a preacher – is a charismatic communicator which helps when we need to explain our objectives as an NGO and obtain support. He has a wealth of cultural knowledge of local customs, as well as familiarity with western mentalities. This has made him indispensable as a cultural advisor and in “bridging” between locals and foreigners. Finally, Father’s status as a well-respected priest has lent credibility to our organisation.

How do you obtain funding for the project, and how is it decided on what the money is spent? Indeed how does your expenditure compare to your income? In the event that funds are low, what is your action plan for attracting greater investment?

The start-up capital for the project came from an inheritance I received – having a lump sum to begin with really helped jump-start our work. Now our income is the fees that volunteers pay in order to help on the project and the fund-raising activities that volunteers organise back in the UK. Many of them have been truly amazing, collecting hundreds of pounds for the project before they ever even set foot in Yamba.

Now that we are moving from the start-up into the ongoing phase of the project, we are looking at new sources of income including a child sponsorship scheme. We are also currently developing a marketing and fund-raising plan in order to raise our profile in the UK and attract more donors.

When it comes to deciding how our money is spent, we always bear in mind our dual focus of health and education improvements against available funds. I am one of five directors who determine priorities and budgets. The other four are based in the UK and were chosen for their specialist knowledge. Overheads are kept low and donors can rest assured that anything they contribute to the project will really make a difference. There is still a huge amount to be done and we’re always looking for new sources of income.

Aside from financial support, what other things does Village Africa need / accept, and what are the best means to get them to you?

Cash donations are extremely important to us because we can allocate them to where they are most needed. But we are also in need of:

• Clothing and shoes for children and adults (especially warm weather garments)
• Blankets and bedding
• Medical equipment
• School stationery
• IT equipment and mobile phones
• Wool and knitting needles

From time to time Village Africa has the chance to share a container coming to Tanzania from the UK. This is cheaper and safer than sending parcels. For details of upcoming shipping opportunities, please contact [email=villageafrica@hotmail.com]villageafrica@hotmail.com[/email].

For a prospective volunteer, what should they expect when signing up to work with you? In terms of logistics such as travelling to / from the location, accommodation, food, language barriers, etc, in addition to their responsibilities?

Volunteers can expect a professional placement which will draw on their skills and enthusiasm. There will be enough free time to explore the area and culture. Guidance and support will be given as necessary, but volunteers will be given enough space to make their own mark.

Once volunteers have signed up for a placement with us, they receive a comprehensive information pack detailing what we think they need to know in preparation of their trip, from advice on medical insurance and precautions to what clothes to pack, guidelines on costs and expenditures and suggestions on how to fundraise prior to departure. Village Africa either advises on the journey from the airport to Yamba or actually escorts the volunteers.

All teaching volunteers receive a 5-day training course in order to prepare them for their work as TEFL teachers.

Accommodation in Yamba and Milingano is basic but comfortable, in recently-renovated or even custom-built village houses. A local woman will cook for volunteers so that they get to try all the local specialities.

Many volunteers have found themselves picking up the local language (Kisambaa) or the national language (Kiswahili) through the friendships they form with the villagers and through their interaction with the schoolchildren.

What are you looking for most in a potential volunteer? Are there practical skills that would be more beneficial to you than just the will to get involved? Is there any reason that someone could not be accepted as a volunteer?

The most important traits in a potential volunteer are enthusiasm, a sense of fun, flexibility, openness to new experiences and respect for local traditions.

Besides teaching volunteers, we need volunteers in the fields of medicine and construction. Occasionally we also look for very specific skills such as admin, marketing, photography and crafts. It is also great if someone has a skill, hobby or interest they can pass on to the villagers – for example, volunteers have started a knitting club and made a football pitch.

We do need our volunteers to be over 18 years of age and in reasonable physical health, due to the steepness of the mountain.

The standard tourist entry visa to Tanzania states “allowed to stay for three months. Employment with or without pay is strictly prohibited”. How does one arrange a suitable visa allowing voluntary work, and what is the maximum duration someone can stay in Yamba?

Visa issues should be discussed with relevant embassies.


Having spent time working in Yamba with its people, what impressions of Africa does a volunteer leave with?

Volunteers leave Yamba knowing that its people are hard-working, courageous, friendly, generous and very hospitable. You only have to read the comments in our visitors’ book to realise that volunteers have been deeply touched by their experience of living in Yamba. Many past volunteers plan to return, so I think that says it all.

As well as using volunteers from abroad to help, how do you incorporate locals into the project? And does Village Africa offer employment to the villagers? If so how many are employed and in what respect?

The people of Yamba and Milingano are integral to making the project work! I am the only mzungu (westerner) on the staff of 16; the rest are all Tanzanians from Yamba, Milingano and other villages. The staff includes medical staff, drivers, cooks and watchmen. We also use local builders, carpenters and casual labourers on our building projects – sometimes there can be dozens of people, both men and women, providing sand, rocks, poles, etc.

We’ve seen that this is beginning to make a real difference in the local economy. For the first time people have cash to invest in home improvements such as building toilets, buying livestock and farmland.

Tell us about some of your favourite characters from Yamba – those who have made the greatest impression on you.

It is impossible to single out a favourite from the colourful characters of Yamba, but one person who really stands out in my mind is Mama Sofia. She’s the party queen of Yamba! She loves to dance and whenever there is a celebration or traditional drumming, she’ll be there. You always know where she is in the village because she has a whistle which she blows energetically. On my first visit to Yamba, Mama Sofia picked me up and carried me part of the way up the mountain! She’s 49 – old by local standards – and the rocky path is very steep, so it was a very enthusiastic welcome. She’s had 10 children; 7 of them are still alive, and she is also a grandmother. Despite her hard life, her warm, joyful personality has made me and many volunteers feel at home in Yamba.

How long in the past year have you spent in Africa, and what are the things you may miss about England and why?

I live in Yamba permanently now. Last year I went to England for five weeks at Christmas to see my family, meet with the Village Africa directors and have my regular health checks. It is always great to see my family but I miss almost nothing from England. I used to crave cheese but now I’ve found a local supplier. The only thing I can’t get in Yamba is a hot bath.

How do you see your own future in Africa? Having gone this far, what dreams do you still have?

I hope to stay in Yamba forever. It is my dream that we improve the quality of life for the villagers and give them more choices in their lives. At the same time, I would never want to change Yamba in a way that would destroy the magic of the place.

Posted by: Game Warden Jan 1 2008, 08:53 PM

Village Africa now has a presence on Facebook - www.facebook.com.

The group page, for those of you who are Facebook members can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19773524168

Posted by: mitrafox Sep 28 2009, 12:03 PM

Thanks for the info. Didn't know they have an account on facebook.



Regards,
mitrafox
http://placementfinancier.net