Day3-Friday
SiteVisit-2017
Day 3 - Friday 22nd September
To Nkokoto this morning. First stop, the new borehole - all in order, working well and tasted good! Into village, to village meeting room, welcomed by Village Chairman and Ward Executive Officer, signed visitors’ book (a formality for every visitor to Nkokoto) and walked to Nkokoto Primary School, to meet Nkokoto village Elders, chairman Milton and Village Committee; I spoke about the successes of the Link - bikes, borehole, uniforms, lights, nets, etc., and also about the microfinance scheme, including the disappointment that some had not used and repaid their loan (including two village committee members.) I also made it very clear that the money raised by the Link will not be freely available to the village committee, that all decisions on projects and spending are made by the Link Committee, not Stima, not Issa and not by me. The Village Committee then put forward ideas for future projects, as follows, (in the order that the suggestion was made, not in order of priority:
1 Build tank for distribution of water in centre of village linked to borehole’
2. More solar powered lights; (400)
3. Modifications to office to include a computer, printer, etc.
4. Continue and develop microfinance scheme;
5. Football kits, balls, etc., for the village football teams; and pay for a trainer/coach;
6. Financial support for widows, for school uniforms, looking after children and grandparents;
7.
Sunflower seed crushing machine. (The Govt is encouraging villagers to
move away from tobacco to sunflowers, ground nuts and cashew nut
farming. A crusher would mean that they would not have to go to Urambo,
approx. 20 miles, to crush their seeds)
8. Primary School improvements including teachers’ houses and water storage facility.
We then met the teachers, discussed the school and listened to their requests for support:
1. Now they have electricity, a photocopier;
2. New classrooms;
3. Books, in particular English’Swahili grammar books;
4. Maps;
5. Furniture for the offices and staffroom and a computer/printer, etc;
6. Maths equipment for teaching with, e.g. large rulers;
7. P.E. equipment and games equipment;
8. Orphans need help with buying books
One highlight of the day was meeting Mary John, one of the students sponsored by the Link a few years ago, who is now training to be a teacher in primary school.
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