After a gruelling selection weekend, 3 of our Gold Award Explorers were successful in being offered the chance to take part in next years Expedition to Tanzania. This trip is being organised by Hampshire Scouts although there are members from other Counties and from Guiding as well.   In all there will be 30 members taking part.

The team have chosen to help build a dispensary (small hospital) in the remote village of Itete in Ulanga District, Morogoro Region, Tanzania

Itete is a large rural village of around 9,000 people, comprised predominantly of WaPogoro farmers and WaSukuma pastoralists. Apart from farming, the only formal employment is with the Kilombero Valley Teak Company. This means that the village is completely dependent upon rainfall and a good harvest for its ongoing prosperity. Despite this precarious situation, the village has a good history of community action, fundraising and operating with outside agencies. The best example is the successful construction of a gravity fed water system, which pipes water from the neighbouring Mahenge Hills to the village, eradicating cholera and amoebic dysentery.

The remote location of Itete makes the supply of drugs logistically difficult and basic facilities are also severely limited. The need for improved medical services is drastic. Currently, there is an old dispensary with four beds, and one maternity bed. The size and space of the old dispensary means that it is severely over stretched.

Led by the local priest, the community are planning to rebuild a section of the old mission church to be used as a fully equipped and staffed hospital ward, housing around 16 beds. To support the community in achieving this aim, we are going to work with the African Space Trust to build the new dispensary.

The overall cost of providing the dispensary is approx. £50,000. However, the fundraising has already been started by the African Space Trust. This fundraising has lead to the foundations of the new dispensary to be above ground level already. The Tanzania 2012 expedition is looking to raise approx £30,000 - £35,000 to enable us to complete the dispensary by August 2012.

Over the next 8 month all contingent members will be working hard to raise about £2700 each.

1^stEmsworth Group will be supporting these Scouts in their efforts and any help will be gratefully accepted.

                                                                                                                                                                                 Philip Jarczyk  &   Harry Dinnage 

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