Dance for water for life
A life-saving project to bring clean drinking water to hundreds of children at a new primary school in one of our link dioceses in Tanzania needs urgent funding.
The Tanzanian Water for Life (Schools) Project has hit rock – literally - which means the original estimate of £6,000 to provide clean water for the New Mara Primary School in the diocese of Mara now falls short.
Teachers from across the diocese who have just returned from an education trip to Tanzania saw first- hand the project at the new school, pictured left, and the problems it had encountered – and were told they needed a drilling team which would raise the original cost to £20,000 to complete the project and enable the building of the school.
To meet this cost, they have launched a series of fundraising events starting with a family friendly Ceilidh in Wakefield Cathedral on Friday 15 May 6.30-9.30pm with local band, Ron Darnbrough and the Crab Apples.
Gill Johnson, Education Development Officer who has just returned from Tanzania, explained: “Water for Life Schools agreed to take on three projects all of which had different educational values that we could share with our schools.
“The harvesting project at Rorya (pictured right) which is attached to a church in Nyamasieki is now complete and up and running and improving the quality of life for the entire village community.
“Our second project, to provide a village pump at Matongo has now been funded enabling the community to get underway with the project.
“But we have hit rock at our biggest project, the new Mara primary school. This means the building of this new school – vital for furthering quality education in the area – has come to a halt.
“This was the personal request of the Bishop of Mara, Bishop Hilkiah because the children and staff are struggling to cope there as they have outgrown the old school premises and desperately need their new building as soon as possible,” she added.
Tickets for the Ceilidh are £7.50 for adult and £5 for children with under 5s free – it includes a pie and pea supper. You can get tickets from Church House, Wakefield, Wakefield Cathedral or email Gill.johnson@westyorkshiredales.anglican.org