Blog One Hundred

In honour of the momentous event of the 100th blog post (I always like to recognise milestones!), we have given the blog a facelift. It is hard to believe all that has happened since the first blog in May 2010, when I started the countdown from 101 days to take-off to Tanzania! And now 21 months later, it has been so much fun to look back over the entries and remember our journey to today! God has been so faithful and to look back and see His hand at work is so encouraging! And it is interesting to see which blog posts have proven more popular from the stats list! I have no idea why Magozian Mongers ranks so highly but Cooking in an Outhouse might be regrettably understandable! So, faithful readers, thanks for following us to this milestone!

There are two new pages on the blog now. Take a look! One page is all about helping to get fuel-efficient stoves for schools. We have been asked by several schools we know if we can help with this. We have already built one for a school in Uhambingeto and it is great to see it being used and and the children eating from it! With £400 we would be able to go to a local school and using as much local materials and help as possible, build a large institutional stove. We would devote time to the project also covering things like health and nutrition. So we are wondering if there are any schools, brownie groups, weight-watcher groups, playgroups ... who may be able to help us with some fundraising. If you have any ideas, please feel free to print, forward or share the 2-page flyer and get in touch with us for any more information! These are schools where we already have relationship, where we know help would be appreciated and worthwhile!

Fuel-Efficient institutional stove at Uhambingeto School

The other "help" page is about the main work we do with the fuel-efficient stoves for families in villages. We are at the stage now where the work in Magozi is doing well and becoming self-sufficient (and our initial budget ends!). So we need to think about where we now take the project. And this is where you come in! We do need some help in funding the project. We would like to hire a local Tanzanian part-time to help with starting new projects and we would ultimately like to be able to hire a Tanzanian project manager to take on our job. It is a cost, but we think a worthy one and a fruitful one. Please consider if you may be able to help in any way with this fundraising!

The Ebenezer Magozi Stoves Group sorting the jikos to fire

Tim has just returned from a couple of days in Magozi with Andrew. This was Andrew's first trip to Magozi since the very beginning of the project. The stove group filled him in on the progress and the challenges so far. Andrew was very pleased to hear firsthand how the group is enouraged. They also, along with some of the group members, embarked on a survey among stove buyers so find out how they were getting on with their new stove. They enjoyed visiting people, seeing the stove in operation and hearing how people are pleased with their stove.

Tomorrow I get on the bus for the long ride to Dar es Salaam for the exciting arrival of our Canadian team! We have two adults and two young adults coming from The King's School in Langley, to work with us here for a few weeks. We are excited about all that the next weeks will hold! We arrive back in Iringa on Monday and then whisk them off to Magozi for a very busy week on Wednesday.