It’s that time again! An annual visit to Tanzania with the charity The Grassroots Trust!
Unfortunately Renata wasn’t able to go this year due to other commitments, but I went instead. And I must say, it was nice to get away from the cold frosty weather and be in the sun for 2 weeks!
It wasn’t all fun and games however, there is an increased number of children that are on the scheme, and all of these needed to be interviewed in the same amount of time as in previous trips; an agenda and schedule was put together, and it was almost unbelievable that on paper we seemed to be able to fit it in.. Now it was time to see if this schedule would work.
The Grassroots Trust has been working in Tanzania for many years, building relationships and getting a reputation within the community for doing what they say they’ll do. Education in Tanzania isn’t free, and with a lot of disease and lack of jobs, many families don’t have much income. Many children don’t actually have both parents, if any and are looked after by their grandparents. So you can imagine how difficult it is for families to pay for a child’s education alongside already struggling to pay for everything else.
Healthcare also isn’t free in Tanzania so a lot of family’s have illness which goes untreated and can lead to death – especially in new-borns where they are prone to malnutrition. When I was there actually, we found out about a 4 year old that had sadly died within the last couple of months. Grassroots works to prevent situations like this from occurring, but sadly they still happen, however thankfully they are becoming less common.
There are 12 locations which Grassroots works in to help families and children with their education and health. These locations are all very spread out, and are very different in appearance. From rich green areas, to small locations where the buildings are falling down but in each location it is the children who are the most memorable. The children have such a love of life and a joy despite their circumstances that it is infectious. It is evident as well how thankful and appreciative the family is of the help and support that Grassroots are giving them.
This year there was a team of 16 people who went on the trip; the ages ranged from 20’s into 60’s. The other aspect of a trip is that you spend time with people you wouldn’t normally mix with or even meet. The time in Tanzania is intense and hard work but you learn more about yourself and you come home with lifelong memories and a desire in your heart to continue returning to Tanzania and volunteering on these trips to help the children and their families. It is genuinely a life changing experience.
