Sydney and Tanzania Celebrate Over a Century of Mission Work

Sydney and Tanzania Celebrate Over a Century of Mission Work: Praise God for the lasting impact on lives, communities, and churches across continents

Back wth a Colleague

I arrived back in Tanzania for my twelfth visit in late September 2024 (I count each time I go through immigration as a visit).  Accompanying me was a friend who was with me on a tour in Jerusalem after a conference and one of the group of 18 after the conference in Kigali last year which spent six days visiting the Mara Region. He was keen to come and spend time here and see if he could contribute his skills. We will leave together for the USA after we finish here.

This visit will be my shortest and most focussed since starting to volunteer with the Anglican Church here in Musoma two years ago. My two visits in 2022 of six months with a month in Europe in between were a long orientation and also preparation for the Strategic Plan I was asked to develop after I arrived. Similarly 2023, I spent much of my time here on reviewing the information for the strategic plan and then drafting it, consulting again and leaving after four months with the final draft for review and approval by the Diocesan Council in December.

2023 also saw 18 intrepid souls venture in a small bus, with me as tour leader/organiser to see the real Tanzania after spending five days in a resort hotel in Kigali where one American delegate was overheard saying "this is just like Florida." Hopefully he managed to divert from the road to the airport to see life as it is. Retired journalist now blogger John Sandeman was on that trip and here is how he described his time travelling around Mara Region 

So what am I doing back here? Not, what am I actually doing here but why am I here? I am after all retired and could be swinging a golf club (if I played golf), or sitting on the beach or Netflixing my way to death, or doing any number of things that don't mean I am living away from home and the comforts of western civilisation. I could be volunteering at home maybe doing Meals on Wheels etc. 

I reflect back to my first visit to Africa in 2009 and the Assistant Minister at Campbelltown saying part of your heart will stay in Africa. He was right. Africa does impact you to the point that you don't forget it. It probably also explains why so many westerners leave wanting to make a difference after one fleeting visit. There is a lot to confront once you leave the cities.

So why am I here? Part of it is I don't feel ready to retire, whatever that means. Being a graduate of Paid Employment essentially means no one is paying me to do anything. My time is my own. Having worked at Anglican Aid I am one of a small percentage of people who have seen life in the developing world and all its challenges directly. I also received an invitation in 2019 to come and assist here, something I had to decline because of my employment at that time. Having been endowed with certain unique skills and confronting retirement I accepted the challenge in 2021. 

It seems to me that having been blessed by God in many ways (starting with my parents chosing Australia when displaced in Europe after WWII) and noting the apostle Paul's words "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:10) I am doing what I believe is God's work for me to do. For those reading this who are not followers of Jesus it may sound corny but ....

It is now two weeks in. My initial plans were scuttled in week one as one major objective in the strategic plan was the introduction of an accounting package across the diocese and for which training had been organised during my first week here, meaning key leaders I had planned to meet were unavailable. This was an historic training being the first ever undertaken on computers. Through my networks the diocese has received over 40 laptops and small desktops brought in by people visiting. The Kigali conference grup brought in 28 desktops last year and twenty laptops have come at various times including three in July and three on this trip now.

So apart from checking in at the beginning of the training and addressing the importance of it to the group,   I was fairly free for the week so apart from some administration and reviewing documents I met a number of people during that week and visited a village with a half completed preschool to see if there was anything I could assist with.

Mary Sange is the manager here and this 
was networking about microfinance loans

The incomplete classroom

The building houses a completed classroom
 (R) and one to be finished (L)

The finished classroom

Hygiene taught

Kids line up for uji 

Water tank attached to the church building

That takes me to Thursday week 1. Since then I have set up a fundraising page to seek donations. If you can spare some dollars here is the campaign page. Untick the admin fee. https://www.mycause.com.au/p/356510/nyambeshi-preschool-mara-tanzania

Tanzanian Economic Development 2014-2024 (2)

WATER

Water is life as they say and without it you cannot live. Surrounded as the area is by Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and second largest globally, one wouldn't be conscious that water is a problem. However, despite the abundance of lake water, unless you live on the lake shore, the surrounding areas are dependant on rainfall and water collection for survival.

On various visits to Musoma I have flown into Mwanza Airport and spoken to other foreigners, many of whom are working on water projects around Lake Victoria to establish pumping stations for towns and villages. Musoma does have water, however most residents cannot afford to connect so still walk to the lake to collect water. In the villages, women and girls carry water in buckets sometimes for kilomtres home. Lucky ones may have a bicycle or a cart in which multiple containers can be pulled carrying sufficient water for a few days.

Stormwater drainage 2024

2017  students during school collecting water from
a nearby watercourse.

The women do all the 
heavy lifting

Tax

A noticeable change to infrastructure was noticed after the election of President Magaful in 2015. He ran a campaign based on anti corruption and within a year Tanzania was collecting taxes like never before. The Revenue Authority ensured all businesses issued receipts using electronic machines life EFT terminals. Notices publicly displayed required people to request a receipt. Receipts showed details of the vendor's tax ID and business details and showed the amount spent and the taxation component. Ghost public servants disappeared (as though they ever existed) and suddenly raods and other government services had funds with which to do nation building. Corruption by police was reduced and it seems the country started developing infrastructure very quickly.

Petrol receipt

Household Goods

In Musoma on this 2024 trip I noted a new store selling electrical goods including rice cookers, pressure cookers, electric jugs etc. In the last ten years cooking has evolved from charcoal fires to households with some income purchaing Chinese gas cooktops burners with two plates.  While charcoal remains the dominant fuel for cooking even in town, many better off households have gas cookers and increasingly are purchaisng jugs and other appliances to cook with. Beans which may take 2-3 hours on charcoal can be cooked in a rice cooker in the same amount of time but it is less work and much cleaner.

Electronic household appliances

Infrastructure

As noted in the last blog, roads are the most noticeable infrastructure developments. However the internet is rolling out at speed, even in rural areas to provide telephone services to rural people. The banking system here is predominantly by telephone. All mobile providers use a system where money can be deposited and withdrawn via phone I have only learned on this trip how to use it and it does save money. Using an ATM to withdraw funds from my bank account is $10 for any amount up to $250 equivalent which is the maximum. Using the phone system I can deposit funds from my Australian account directly for $2 and there is no limit. I can then ay suppliers direct to their phone number or go to the Vodacom mobile money shop and draw cash out as cash is still king here.

Electricity is being supplied across large areas so even rural villages will have poles and wires visible. However very few have need of it or the means to connect. When connected, supply is prepaid. We are living in luxury in the west paying in arrears. More than once where I am staying has been blacked out as the person responsible for paying the account had forgotten to keep it in credit.

Ten years ago there were no ATM facilities in Musoma. There are now at least two and while expensive to withdraw cash as a foreigner other options as outlined above are available.

New hotels abound as the region gears up for increased tourism to the Serengeti. Musoma is the closest city to the national park. Last year I was taken through a hotel which has Chinese fingerprints all over it. It looked like it had over fifty rooms plus two grand ballrooms with Lake views. It's five kms out of town and looked out of place. An international airport has been started at Musoma so there is some anticipation of increased visitors to the region.

In 2014, it would have been unthinkable to eat out as a foreigner. Now there are a number of venues which serve African food but have reasonable dining rooms. One even accepts credit cards - a rarity here.

So development is visible literally. I grew up on a street with a dirt road in western Sydney and in my childhood saw it sealed, guttered and sewerage installed so the outhouse was redundant. Regional Tanzania is developing and my two days in the capital made me aware that there is a lot of infrastructure happening there too. The other big difference in Dar Es Salaam is that English is spoken everywhere and clothing is western. Few women wear traditional clothes as they do in Musoma and the villages.

Tanzanian Economic Development 2014-2024

Mt Kilimanjaro

Today (Sunday 10 March, 2024) marks the end of my eleventh visit to Tanzania. The first in January 2014 was to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. It was memorable and easily the most challenging physical activity of my life.

Our porters, guides and cook (9 in all for two of us)
on the eight day trek

This is how we lived for eight days

Sun at 4.34am 1 Feb 2014

5.20am

5.28 am

My second visit less than two months later was to visit Bunda as Anglican Aid has the previous year started a school there. I travelled the next day to Musoma where I met the bishop. On this recent trip I reflected on the massive  (and they are massive in terms of impact) changes that are noticeable. Unfortunately I have no photos of the infrastructure of the early visits.

Roads and Traffic

In 2014 as I drove into Bunda with my Ugandan driver, we were stopped by a white suited police officer wearing his rifle  over his shoulder. Having been stopped many times similarly in Uganda and  Rwanda this was no great drama. That is until the driver turned to me and said " He wants you to buy him a cup of tea." Naively my response was to say didn't he bring his thermos with him.  As I have come to learn African diplomacy would not allow him to explicitly tell me that he was asking for money to allow us to go. As my moral compass shifted to don't let this guy do this, I remembered my five hours at the Congolese border  where despite having a multiple entry visa (US$206 no less) I was advised that the officer issuing this had made a mistake and I would have to pay US$200 again. Maintaining my outrage I eventually paid after five hours hoping to sit this out but being told the office would close I paid the money.

So what to do with a gun toting police officer "asking for a cup of tea. $3 later (which was probably too much we proceeded.

2024 I was returning from Bunda, driving myself and approaching the town of Bweri and was stopped by two police officers. I politely asked what the reason for stopping was and was shown a speed gun showing I had exceeded the speed by 17kmh. I shrugged my shoulders and said write me a ticket. He spoke to my colleage who explained I was being warned. So ten years apart the government has done a great job, assisted by teachnology which has police carrying small EFTPOS type machines which issue infringement notices. Police now know to ask for a bribe you may be asking the person who will report you and your speed gun is audited. In addition if your traffic infringement is unpaid, if you are stopped in future the EFTPOS like machine has a link and can determine if your car registration has outstanding fies unpaid. Unlike Australia, the owner of the car is liable for any driver  infringiments and your car is taken to the local police compound until you pay the fine at the bank and show a receipt to release your car.

The infrastructral changes are phenomenal. In 2014 driving to Musoma from Mwanza, a distance of 220kms. In 2014 that was a five hour drive on potholed dirt road for most of the journey with bitumen sections. Diversions were in place where roadworks were in progress. My drive two days ago was 3hours 15 minutes to Mwanza Airport, 215 kms away. It was a marked difference driving on tarred roads except in one place where there was a diversion.

Ten year ago cars were rare in Musoma. The economy functioned on push bikes carrying everything. 100kg bags of grain, food, groceries and small items all were carried on bicyles. Anything too big for a bike was carried on a cart sometimes pulled by bicycle but bigger carts were pushed by hand often many kilometres. Trucks carried large items. Over my next few visits motor cycles started making a presence. On a holiday in China I discovered why. The economic zone of Chongqin had started mass producing motor cycles in six factories the smallest of which employed ten thousand people. The US$1,000 motor cycle appeared everywhere in Africa and certainly was noticeable in Musoma. 

Motor cycles carry items like doors, 200kgs of grain and the motor cycle taxi is big business in Musoma. People no longer walk but for AU$0.60 can get a taxi to work. The Indian Bujaji is a three or four seat rickshaw equivalent with an engine. I have taken them to the bus station 8kms away for $3. Toyota Coasters with 22 or 29 seats have made woring in nearby locations like Tarime economic and allowed families not to be separated. None of these was evident ten years ago.

Taxi bike stand. Many around

Motor cycles trailer

A common sight across Tanzania

In either 2018 or 2019 I was amazed to see traffic lights in Musoma. There had been a huge increase in motor vehicles, which previously consisted of Landrovers or Toyota Landcruisers owned by NGOs and churches which traversed impassable roads. By now many had become economically able to purchase a Toyota which has a monopoly in most of Africa. In Tanzania you purchase what is often a late model car that has had only two years use in Japan and because of some emission laws is no longer economically viable. These are exported and sold. Many are like new on arrival with low mileage. Also the motor cycle traffic was  constant, but not yet like Asia. The lights were added to up the road with traffic crossing lights. No one takes notice of the lights and routinely go through -including me. But if people stand at a pedestrian crossing I will stop on a green light to allow people to cross and others due stop too.

Technology

It's only since 2022 when I started coming as a volunteer that I have seen the technological challenges. While at Anglican Aid we were frustrated at receiving reports in single sheets or photos. It was on spending time seeing how people worked using laptops up to 15 years old, phones that go back to the early 2000s and no internet it was clear that this was a priority for improvement.

In use in 2022

Through generous friends and colleagues
over thirty laptops have brough the diocese
schools and Bible College into the 21st Century

The BBC Principal, like me has two screens

A router which serves to provide internet at Bunda Girls Secondary School. Installed late 2023

Internet tower in rural area. Every community of over 150 people (note well NBN Australia) is by law required to be provided with internet

The BBC library is now equipped with
twenty Dell laptops (Thanks Mark Rowan and
Sydney Diocesan Services) plus internet which costs AU$35 monthly

To be continued. Next blog will cover water, eating out, tax, household goods                                                

The Implementation Project End in Sight

 

The last five weeks have flown. After my arrival in Musoma, I started work the day after, meeting with the Management Team of the Church and explaining what I would be doing. I meet them again on Tuesday 5 March to outline the activities undertaken and hand to them responsibility for ongoing monitoring and ongoing implementation.

Since that initial meeting I have held 21 meetings with groups and individuals. I have met with sixty nine individuals, including senior staff who have been in meetings with their staff so I have met them at least twice. I have completed sixty nine documents, comprising plans for each senior leader's area, plus for heads of schools and other units across the diocese. I have also assisted the General Secretary in drafting new position descriptions for most staff across the area. I will finalise any that are not done in September when I expect to return.

I have also visited Bunda where I have spent two Saturdays with the faculty, outlining a distance education course from Sydney which will be provided on site by them for rural pastors, many of whom have worked as pastors with minimal training. The material requires reading and on the second visit staff indicated that for many of the target group, literacy would be  difficult as many have only a primary school ecucation.

Visits to two schools resulted in prearation of school plans with the two heads. Isenye is a former government school, handed over to the church in 1993 to be run as a secondary school as the government was unable due to its isolation to do so. Originally constructed in the 1960s, it would have been a day's journey on tracks, not roads back then. The sealed road goes withing 30kms of the school, which borders the Serengeti National Park and occasionally has elephants chomping on favoured trees on the school grounds.

A reminder to staff at Isenye School

The foundation stone recognises the opening of a
 thirty year old school after being
 transferred to the Anglican Church

Sange and Mary Wangoya

Bunda Girls School was my second school visit where I  saw the completed staff housing, the almost completed principal's residence and spent two hours with the builder going through the final fitout of the guesthouse which will receive 15 students from a girls' school in July for one week. The guesthouse is planned for visitors to the school and the hope is many will come.

It was the girls' lunch so I served a few girls

BGSS has started a small piggery

The head of Bunda Secondary Girls School
Tupone Mwamasage and I discussing the Education Plan
and developing the School Plan

These dorms at BGSS
were weretiled over
the 2023 Christmas break
and it is transformative

The education system in Tanzania is changing significantly. Primary schools which currently have ten classes (Baby, Pre Primary 1 and 2 and grades 1-7) will drop a pre-primary class and grade 7. All students will progress to secondary school. Currently there is a barrier at grade 7 and students who fail national exams finish their education at that juncture. Most significantly is that English will be taught in primary schools to prepare all Tanzanian children to be able to speak English as well as Swahili.

Secondary school will have two streams - in addition to the academic stream, a vocational stream is an option. This means bigs changes for all schools and the diocesan schools will need to do lots of planning. Secondary is forms one to four and high school is currently 5-6 but an additional year will mean seven years of high school.

The final full week was spent with various individuals and the Archdeacons, developing plans for them, the Youth Coordinator, IT and Communications Manager. I also met with the Mothers' Union secretary who wanted to discuss a business proposition buying and storing grain then selling when prices increase. I had done this with the BBC principal and he is purchaing 100 bags (100kg) of maize. Capital light but very profitable. All institutions apart from their core business also need to raise funds. There are no P&Cs or fundraising groups here so principals need to look at opportunities.

My final assignment is handing the implementation to the Diocesan Management Team on 5 March (I am finalising this blog on 10 March in Dar Es Salaam).

Strategic Planning The Week (2) that Was

 

Meeting Leaders and Their Teams

My last post about Strategic Planning outlined the process and the background to get to where the diocese is today. In a developing country context what has been achieved is significant to date. The Mara Diocese has 72 parishes and over 100 churches. It is a big organisation that has grown organically since 1985 with huge inputs from Anglican church partners in the UK and Australia. It is a culture organisationall based on heirarchy and fear, and this would be true across the country. 

My week has been spent meeting four leaders and their teams, outlining the plan for their division developed in consultation with the head of that area (best practice would have involved the teams but I am not in an ideal world). 

Tuesday was spent with the Vicar General, Stephen Bwire and his team. Comprising Canon Yona Masinde, Director of Christian Education, Rev Revocatus Gombea, Coordinator of Evangelism, Eliud Mwakalasya, Youth Coordinator, Edward Magote, Men's Ministry Coordinator, Alpha Lugoley, Principal of Bunda Bible College and Martha Obura the Secretary of Mothers' Union.

Edward Magote, Stephen Bwire, Alpha Lugoley, Martha Obura,
Revocatus Gombea, Yona Masinde Eliud Mwakalasya 

The day with this and the three other groups I met with this week was to go through the plan for their area, linking it back to the strategic plan and how they as leaders of units were responsible for their contribution to the overall plan. It is my hope to assist each of them with some sort of workplan but after this week, I am realising that is very ambitious and may need to wait till later in the year when I return. However I am ensuring that position desacriptions are updated and managed to assist two of the first team to develop new PDs.

Wednesday was spent with the Finance Team led by Yona Joseph the Diocesan Accountant who has been in the role for thirty years. The accountant from Bunda, Nickson was there as were the nine cashiers or bursars of each institution that has a financial staff member maintaining accounting records. 

The finance team with Yona the Diocesan Accountant in front

The bursars/cashiers roles have been confused ever since they were reclassifed and many places still expect they will perform administrative duties which historically results in financial matters not being attended to in a timely manner. So we did a position description and had a discussion about the Bishop's expectation that especially in schools, bursars will not take on tasks like typing exam papers which he properly indicates is a responsibility of teaching staff. All in all a good day.

Major Changes to Tanzanian Education

Thursday was spent with the five heads of schools including one vocational college. We went throug hthe education plan. The first goal had to do with the changes to the whole education system. Primary school will now be in English medium nationally in all government schools which is the biggest change, followed by primary education concluding at grade 6 instead of 7 and an additional year being added to high school whic will now have forms 5-7. For primary students, all are now expected to continue to secondary school, rather than a hard barrier being in place and no secondary education for those who fail the national exams.

The Education Secretary outlined the changes but it did not appear to me that anyone understood the enormous amount of work involved. My information about the role of bursars did not get well received but this has been an expectation for a number of years. We did manage to prepare together a position description for heads of schools. I will visit each head separately to assist in developing a school plan.

Friday had me with an eclectic group including the Safe House Coordinator, the Farm Centre Manager, Community Developmnet College Head and the Principal of the Girls Brigade Centre. Apart from preparing position descriptions for three of the four positions, the outline of the Strategic Plan and their role in it was discussed and people seemed to take on the information and actions required enthusiastically.

Saturday had me at the Bible College, an hour's  drive from Musoma. I was spending the day with lecturers outlining the PTC from Moore College Australia It was a day well spent helping to explain this was not the typical didactic style of teaching and that for the students who will come from rural villages, most who have not gone beyond primary school, learning by discussion would help them learn best (it is a differnet style of learning for most here). I am back again next week to continue this discussion and assist in developing a plan for the college.

College entrance

Signing the visitor's book in the principal's office

BBC Library with new computers

When I left last July, the college was purchasing screens donated by Anglican Aid  to go with the 22 desktop computers donated by Sydney Diocesan Services  These desktops are the mini boxes but more powerful than most desktops in this country. Since then the college has connected to the internet which costs nothing for the connection but comes with a monthly cost. This is quite an advanced step for the college. 

As I conclude so is Sunday. It was raining this morning as I wke to leave for 7am church. I managed to tune in to the Sydney rally of the Never Again is Now protest against anti-semitism. It was great to hear the anthem We Are One but we are Many sung given how divided Australia has become due to the Gaza conflict. I bought a rice cooker but I will post about that elsewhere and had a very quiet day.

This is the English congregation. Numbers down due to the rain

FGM, Sex Love and Happiness and a Sweet Rose

 

Surprise Conference

From 8 to 10 February, the diocese was fortunate to have two international experts in their fields come and share their expertise for ninety clergy, thier wives and other diocesan staff on Sex Love and Happiness. This was a surprise conference by speakers who a year ago were in the Serengeti speaking in the heart of Femal Genital Mutilation territory. 

Speakers were Rev Patti Baldwin Ricotta from Cape Cod Massachusetts who has been coming to Uganda and Kenya since 2003 through Life Together International working with communities where FGM is practised. She came to the Serengeti area last year after being made aware of an article in the diocese's newsletter about FGM and ran a seminar for community leaders there.

Rose & mum Mary

I spent some time over the three days with Rose (above)
 while mum ateat meal times  

Bishop George, Rev Patti Ricotta and myself

Accompanying Patti was Dr Larry Young a psychaitrist who studies how genetic, cellular and neurobiological mechanisms regulate complex social behavior, including social cognition and social bonding. His research focuses heavily on the roles of the neuropeptides oxytocin and vasopressin in regulating the neural processing of social signals and social attachment.

Dr Larry Young is a neuroscientist and spent some time in the Serengeti prior to coming to Mara studying wilderbeest and attachment and how thousands of young wilderbeest and mothers differentiate their biological mother and child

Professor Larry Young's book

The uniquenesss of this conference was bringing science and religion together to explain how FGM destroys relationship for women and their husbands. The science highlighted how the removal of sexual organs of women directly impacts the behaviour of women in relationships and reduces the levels of oxytocine and dopamine in women and their ability to give and receive love. The religious side focussed on the perfection of the human body and why anyone would want to mutilate it from its designer's purpose.

A revelation not only to the Tanzanians but
 to me (apologies for photo quality)

The use of violence is normal in disciplining children here

Oxytocine and dopamine are the love drugs. Without them falling in love is difficult. This was essentially the lesson about why FGM is abhorrent as it makes women less fulfilled than otheriwse they might be. I discussed with Rev Ricotta about whether she had used the analogy of clipping the head of the penis in her training and she does. This does have an effect on men. She has been working with one tribe in Uganda for many years and they have come to realise that their cultural practices need to change and she was there before coming to Tanzania to meet with tribal chiefs and leaders who were discussing ceasing the practice. This does not have universal support, but does have overwhelming majority support.

Some of the attendees. There were over 70 from all over the region

A similar meeting was held in this area a year ago in FGM territory near the Serengeti, where there is a tribe which practices FGM as a rite of passage for girls who then become marriageable. Some early marriages occur from as young as fourteen years of age. The practice is part of the economy. My friend Nguti's grandmother was a 46 cow bride (dowry) and his mother 23 but his sisters are married for less than ten. The economy is changing as the population increases and so in the case of supply and demand there are more women than there were in grandma's time. (I can't believe I am writing this but you get the picture. Women are a trading commodity and have no intrinsic worth or value in this culture).  

Photo at the end of the conference

Along with FGM, polygamy is a big part of the culture not just in FGM land but more so there, where multiple wives is not uncommon. I met a guy who was from one of his father's fifteen wives (and one of 52 sons). Needless to say I am sure his herd of cows was substantial.

I did find an alternative use for my gifted material and demonstrated for men how women can be assisted with the heavy lifting. In fact this was better than the packs we use at home

Gifts were given to presenters Rev Patti, Dr Young, Mrs Janet Okoth (Bishop's wife), Chair of the Mothers' Union and next to me Martha Obura (MU Secretary) which sponsored the conference. I seem to get a gift  every time. New shirt again

The three days were quite enlightening for participants (including me). If FGM is going to end it does need a long term view with lots of input giving reasons for the need to end it. The church here runs a safe house for girls who flee home as the "Cutting Season" approaches, having learned about it in school and being encouraged to not take part. But in this male based culture it is difficult, especially when education ands at primary school.