This summer some of the team from MediTourDirect Gave Back in a very practical way in Musoma, Tanzania.

We volunteered with an organization called GOMAD in Tanzania – Go Make a Difference in Tanzania. You can read more about them here www.gomakeadifference.co.uk

GOMAD have been helping the local tribes in Musoma on the shores of Lake Victoria with various building projects, which literally make a difference to many people in Musoma. Graham the founder is a builder by trade and his wife a nurse and together they have worked with their team alongside the tribes in Musoma for 29 years, welcoming volunteers from schools, families & organizations like ourselves.

During our time we were kept active! Building and finishing houses, fresh water tanks, goat sheds, tree planting, repairing dams to irrigate an entire valley, assisting in children’s clubs. You can read more in the Updates at this link & still donate if you feel moved to do so  GOMAD Tanzania

Personally from a medical & health point of view, 2 projects which really grabbed our attention and our sponsorship

1. The school porridge (oatmeal) project. GOMAD sponsors a cook to make porridge each morning for 600 schoolchildren. They bring their cups and can refill as many times as they like. Some siblings share one cup between them as its all they have. A simple cup of porridge means, children stay in school for the full day instead of leaving early hungry. The pass rate has increased from 5% to 74% also – dedicated teachers and great porridge! To feed a school of 600 children every day costs about $400 a month.  We asked how we could help more. They responded please help our neighboring school with a porridge project – there are 60 similar schools in the Masara region and this school was being held as an example by the Ministry of Education as to how a simple cup of porridge literally changes lives.
2. The maternity unit – women will walk for miles pregnant for their monthly maternity checks. The state clinic closes as 4pm each day and there was no where for laboring mothers or new mothers to stay overnight so they had to walk home, many bleeding. GOMAD now sponsor a midwife and have helped build a 4 bed maternity unit. Simple solutions that make a huge & impactful difference to the community.

If you are also interested in Giving Back as a Volunteer of GOMAD projects please contact them directly at www.gomakeadifference.co.uk

Thank you to everyone helping us Make a Difference in Tanzania by donating to this Give Back project