Blog Post 8: A New Mattress, School Preparations & More Toilets

Dear friends and supporters of Tia Moyo,

Over the past months, we’ve been able to carry out several new projects that directly improved the lives of people in Tanzania. Our work ranged from emergency support after a house fire, to preparations for the upcoming school year, to one of our long-standing priorities: building toilets.

As is common in Tanzania, Peter had been building his home bit by bit, completing one room at a time. Sadly, during construction his house caught fire and he lost everything he owned. Fires are especially devastating in Tanzania, as there is no insurance or safety net. While Peter’s neighbors helped rebuild his home, he was left without a place to sleep. So, we bought him a mattress and bed sheets to give him a good night’s sleep!

At the same time, we are already preparing for the next school year. We’ve purchased school supplies and books, coordinated with local shops and tailors, and welcomed families and students at the Tia Moyo office, where we even received a visit from the mayor! We are also excited to share that Stanbic Bank Tanzania has committed to donating 20 million shillings (around €7,000) to support school supplies, in addition to the donations we receive from you.

Finally, we were able to build two new toilets for families in need.

One was built for Rehema, who lives with her family in a mud house. She and her husband work as day laborers on farms in the area, earning only a few dollars a day, if they find work at all. They were extremely grateful to receive a toilet!

The second toilet was built for Jessca, a single mother of three whose husband abandoned the family several years ago. She lives with her mother and two nieces. Jessca does not have a stable job, other than running the daycare at a local school. Her previous toilet, consisting of an old barrel in the ground covered with concrete, was completely full and overflowed during heavy rains, contaminating her compound. Unable to afford a replacement, Jessca described the new toilet as a blessing from God and was overjoyed by the support.