Context
Soni is a village in the Western Usambaras and is located approximately halfway along the road between Mombo and Lushoto. Like most rural areas of Tanzania, local health provision is limited. At present there is a village dispensary in Soni but the nearest hospital is eighteen kilometers distance in Lushoto. Although the Tanzanian government has made great progress concerning health recently, there is still a need to improve provision of health facilities at a local level.
In 2006-2007 Bill and Jackie Neale were both working at Soni Seminary. They both wished to contribute to the development of the locality in which they were then living. After discussion with Fr tom Kiangio concerning possible appropriate projects, it was decided to undertake both a tree-planting project [discussed elsewhere] and the construction of a dispensary. The latter would be of significant benefit to the Seminary where there are minimum medical facilities for 160 students and about 20 staff/workers. However, such a dispensary would prove a valuable asset to the local community as the Seminary is located near the mouth of a valley in which health facilities are also minimal.
Bill & Jackie Neale with Fr Tom Kiangio near the site of the new dispensary.
In late 2006 an estimate was made of the likely cost of a village dispensary, which would include
a small female ward, a similar ward for men, a maternity unit as well as an outpatients clinic. That estimate was $36,600 for the completion of the whole dispensary block. By March 2007 there was only a small proportion of this money available for construction. Nevertheless, a decision was made to start the construction of the dispensary and to proceed as funds became available. At this stage Jackie and Bill Neale knew that they would be leaving Soni by the following July, and as a farewell gesture they pledged to try and raise the estimated £15,000 still needed to complete construction. Thus, in March 2007 work began with the clearance of the site next to the Usambara Sisters community house.
Progress
Sustainable Global Gardens has had a few opportunities to view work done on site. Before Jackie and Bill left for England in late June they took photos of progress upto that date. By then the shell of the building for the first phase [ie. reception area, examination room, laboratory room etc] had been completed. A few weeks later a Director of SGG, Rachel Gibson, also visited the site and reported that the roof of this first section was in place. Work then slowed as funds for the project dried up. In January & February 2008 there has been steady progress as more funds became available. Ceilings have been put in place in the rooms already constructed, grills for the entrances and windows have been installed, most of the floor has been tiled, and the walls etc painted. Meanwhile, as the first phase block nears completion, construction has begun on the second phase of the building [ie. the female and male wards].
The new dispensary. All construction has been done within the last year as the first phase nears completion.
However, the priority in late February 2008 is to get the dispensary opened and functioning as soon as possible, so second phase construction is now halted until the finishing touches of the first phase are done. Fr Tom Kiangio is now in negotiations with the Usambara Sisters, who have agreed to provide two workers once the first phase of construction is complete. It is hoped to reach this point by June 2008.
Prospects
There has been great progress with the construction of the first phase of the dispensary. All the construction seen in the above photo has been done in the last twelve months. Before that this site was just agricultural land close to the community house of the Usambara Sisters. The shell of the dispensary is now clearly visible to the local community, and they are eagerly awaiting the opening of their new dispensary.
However, there are serious blocks on progress. Fr Tom Kiangio, the Rector of Soni Seminary who has undertaken responsibility for this project, is totally dependent on funds raised by Bill & Jackie Neale for the construction work. Bill and Jackie have raised approximately half the original estimate, but costs have also greatly increased. A critical problem is that there is a national shortage of cement in Tanzania at present. This is not entirely bad news as it is a consequence of the spurt of development which has occurred in the last few years. However, the consequence of that progress is that the price of cement is about double what it was when the original estimates were made. Unfortunately, this means those estimates were well below current market costs, which Fr Tom has to pay. Our main proposal concerning this inflationary situation is that it makes sense to push ahead with construction before costs rise even further. This means we are asking everybody concerned with fund-raising for this project to make a special effort NOW to enable construction work to continue. When no money is being raised in the UK, progress on this project simply halts. So we are asking YOU to be especially generous on this occasion so that the dispensary can be opened and used by the community as soon as possible.
Work continues steadily, but the dispensary is not ready for opening yet.
Contact Us
If you wish to contribute to this valuable community project in Tanzania, you can do so by contacting Bill or Jackie Neale on billandjackieneale4@hotmail.com or 02476 641125. You can also Gift Aid donations to this project by contacting Sustainable Global Gardens on paul_keeley@hotmail.com or 0191 2530687 and requesting the appropriate forms. Show your generous nature and help MAKE POVERTY HISTORY.