Construction

Local City Council Praises Our Work In Tanzania

Below article was issued by Sengerema City Council - the local City Council our work falls under.

The original is in Swahili of course, so I have translated and provided necessary context where needed.


FINANCE COMMITTEE OF SENGEREMA PRAISES CEDAR TANZANIA FOR PROTECTING KAMANGA HEALTH CENTRE

The Finance, Administration, and Planning Committee of Sengerema District Council has commended Cedar Tanzania, an locally registered NGO, for its support in constructing a flood barrier wall to protect against Lake Victoria, and its ongoing efforts to strengthen Kamanga Health Centre.

The appreciation was expressed today, November 12, 2024, by committee members during a visit to inspect development projects implemented by Sengerema District Council from July to September 2024.

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The Chairman of Sengerema District Council, Hon. Yanga Makaga, who is also the councillor of Nyamatongo Ward, thanked the organisation for its consistent support and the construction of the barrier wall. He noted that the wall will help protect the health centre, which has been frequently affected by flooding from Lake Victoria, disrupting services and damaging staff housing.

"The construction of this wall will greatly help to protect this centre from frequent flooding caused by the lake. This is an expensive project, and without your support, the Council would not have been able to build this wall due to the high costs," said the Chairman.

Presenting the progress report on the construction of the barrier wall along the shores of Lake Victoria, the project supervisor from Cedar Tanzania, Musa Victor, stated that the project began in October 2024 and is expected to be completed in January 2025 at a cost of 266 million shillings (AUD $155,000). The project is being executed by SIMR Company from Mwanza City.

The Great Wall of.... Kamanga!

For the last three years, flooding has been a real hassle for our hospital in Tanzania, making it tough for patients to get the care they need and putting vital medical equipment at risk.

We're excited to share that we're taking action to tackle this ongoing issue and make healthcare more accessible for the community.

We're kicking off the construction of a retaining wall towards the lake, which will help protect it from future floods. This project is super important because it will not only keep the hospital safe but also help us move forward with building a new maternity ward — something that’s crucial for improving maternal healthcare in the area.

We're teaming up with local engineers and a trusted construction company to get this done using sustainable practices that respect both the environment and the local community. Together, we want to create a safe space for people to receive the care they deserve.

This project is all about hope and resilience for the community, ensuring that healthcare services keep running smoothly, no matter what Mother Nature throws at us. With financial support from Capital Drilling, we can help build a brighter future for healthcare in Tanzania.

Changing Lives - one brick at the time

On March 1st, 1,500 bricks were delivered to Mtakuja Primary School of Kamanga.  These bricks were donated by Cedar Tanzania in an effort to help the community complete the construction of the school. 

Mtakuja Primary School was opened in January of 2019, which allowed the nearly 900 students of the other primary school located in Kamanga, Kamanga Primary School, to attend their school full time, instead of splitting classroom time with the students of Mtakuja.  However, the 800 plus students of Mtakuja are still forced to split time in the classroom, because as of today, there are only five completed classrooms to accommodate the seven primary classes, as well as the kindergarten.  The community has been struggling to construct Mtakuja Primary School since 2014, because although it is a government school, nearly all the funding has come from donations by the community at large or individual community members.

With the sixth classroom of Mtakuja nearing completion, the donated bricks will allow the community to start the construction of the seventh classroom.  The primary school will continue to be a work in progress, but these 1,500 bricks will help the community and school get one step closer to their goal of a complete eight classroom school.  A school, which once completed, will give more than 800 students aged 5 to 12 the opportunity to attend for the whole day, every day of the week.

By Dylan Parkin
Volunteer and Educational Advisor
Cedar Tanzania