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Tanzania

Water brings life back to Mbuguni village

By Francine L. Musana

Water is life. That is why World Serve, Kili Climb, Siouxland Tanzania Educational Medical Ministries (STEMM), and Maji Tech worked together to dig a well at the STEMM children’s home in Mbuguni. This well will provide adequate water for the residents who previously walked for hours to look for water and other needs.

Richard Wiese, host of Born to Explore on ABC tv who in his own words “has had a love affair of the heart” with Tanzania since he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1971 with his father was at STEMM children’s village to launch the well last week.

He raised about 7,000 US dollars working with World Serve, an organisation to bring clean water to different areas. He also contributed cattle to the STEMM children’s home hoping the cattle would breed and benefit the children at the home.

STEMM children’s village is a 3-year-old organisation founded by Dr. Steve Meyer and his wife Dana. The directors Warren and Sue Weestvig work hand in hand with Baba Lawrence Laban, Mamas and Aunties at the home.

The village caters to orphans under the age of eighteen without any close family. Social workers and organisations like Cradle of Love refer most of the children. It is a neat welcoming place which gives the children what they would not have but is still culturally appropriate.

This home sits on 100 acres of land, which means water from the well is the best gift that could have come at a time when the weather conditions do not favour agriculture. In addition, because the land is large, STEMM will offer land to 60 families along with maize seed and the proceeds from harvest sold will be split 50/50.

Dr. Steven Meyer says that the well project, is also because of the wisdom and insight of Lazaro Nyalandu who wanted to change the life of the people. Dr. Meyer has worked with Mr. Nyalandu to send ten thousand children to school over 20 years.

It was an exciting moment when village folks gathered around Richard, Alais Ndooki (Head of Operations, Maji Tech) and Dr. Meyer waiting to see the first spurts of water from the well. “Tanzania is a wonderful blessed country and it would be amazing if it reaches its full potential,” said Richard Weiss after he opened the well with a little girl called Sophia.

The villagers, their leaders are very thankful for the availability of fresh clean water that is also safe to drink. “Women often searched for water everywhere and it would be dirty but now we are happy,” said Abushiri Juma, a leader.

Born to Explore is an award winning culture show that seeks out distinctive cultures and explores the diverse world cultures. Weise was the first foreigner to visit an isolated nomadic village in the Atlas Mountains. The show has won Emmy’s and a Parent’s Choice Award among others.

Richard Wiese, his ABC crew John and Hunt, and the well were not the only highlights of the day as the children especially one child Anton Michael, a 10 year old who wants to be president one day wowed the visitors with their grasp of English, intelligence and eagerness to interact.