Posted by Michael Crowe on May 01, 2018
 
The Rotary Club of Port Fairy has been a long-standing supporter of the Bandari project in Tanzania. Rotarian Jo Levy recently travelled to Tanzania with a group of Bandari supporters from Port Fairy and other areas to participate in the latest development efforts at Mto Wambu, the former village of Port Fairy resident Seif Sakate. 
 
Meanwhile a fund-raising night held at the home of President Bill Moore raised $615 to purchase teaching resources for the Bandari School. This year’s trip provided professional training for teachers and the people travelling carried 60kg of teaching resources.
 
Jo Levy reported from Tanzania on progress on the Bandari project.
 
'I have been in Tanzania for a week now. The weather is warm and dry. Thunder clouds build up each afternoon but no rain eventuates.

I have been on a three day safari and saw lots of wildlife. We camped in the Serengeti which was a great experience. You could hear the wildlife at night and apparently a hippopotamus visited the campsite while we were sleeping.

We have started work at the school. The children are very clever and well behaved. All the resources we brought with us are greatly appreciated and needed. The womens' sewing project is going very well with six women working with the tailor six days a week. We also have a doctor in the group who will provide health checks for the new children.

A new classroom is being painted and five more are waiting to be finished.

I have to report that there is a very good coffee shop in the village too. We are frequent visitors and the owner teaches us Swahili!' 
New classrooms at the Bandari School
 
The support of Rotary had been vital to the success of the Bandari School which has recently added two new classrooms, fencing and a vegetable garden. A third new classroom will be started this year (2018).  A Rotary District Grant has been applied for to purchase literacy teaching aids and there has been a working bee to cover books.