Dear Supporters,
Our 2021 summer newsletter has just been published and emailed to our supporters. If you haven’t received it please check your spam/ junk mail folders or contact: emily@themangotree.org to request a copy and be added to the mailing list.
2021 has been a challenging year for many people around the world.
For our partners and communities where we work in Sub-Saharan Africa, the past 12 months has been particularly difficult. Widespread flooding across Kenya and Malawi damaged thousands of livelihoods and this came just as coronavirus was beginning to impact these rural communities.
Recovery from coronavirus and supporting long term resilience for people and communities to protect them against poverty and climate change, is now, more than ever, a core focus of our education and development work. Here is a snap shot of news and some project highlights.
UK Director
Covid Outdoor Village Schools Programme gets national recognition
During the Covid-19 national lockdown in Kenya, secondary schools closed and thousands of students studying towards their end of year exams became vulnerable to falling behind – particularly those from disadvantaged families.
The Mango Tree Kenya was funded to develop a full programme of outdoor schooling, resource allocation and exam tuition to support our registered orphaned children and young people. This programme was highly successful and received national recognition with a main feature on national television. Watch the TV broadcast here (it starts off in Swahilli but the interviews are all in English). 28 outdoor education centres were established supporting over Over 500 children were able to access outdoor socially distanced academic lessons, taught by secondary school teachers who were seconded by The Mango Tree.
The Tanzanian Prime Minister Visits KPC
On Monday 2nd August the Tanzanian Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa and his ministerial team visited the Kyela Polytechnic College as part of a tour of 5 government sponsored colleges across Mbeya Region.
The Kyela Polytechnic College, KPC has been selected by the Tanzanian government, along with 4 other regional vocational training colleges, to provide vocational training places to rural, disadvantaged young people. This government funded initiative aims to invest in vocational education as a strategy to reduce youth unemployment and associated issues of crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour. 337 young people are currently enrolled at KPC on carpentry, masonry, construction, metal work and motor mechanics courses. The training is fully funded by the Tanzanian government under the Ministries of Work, Employment, Youth and People with Disabilities.
Mango and tangerine trees for reforestation and sustainable income
Our new project, Wezesha (Enable), part-funded by The Charles Hayward Foundation, is supporting land-based livelihoods for families with large numbers of dependents, those caring for orphans, albino children, disabled children, those living with long-term health issues such as HIV and single parent households.
268 children are also being supported to get back into school in various villages in the areas of Thambani, Thache, Kunenekude and Ngadziwe. Their families are being supported to grow mango and tangerine trees and diversify their livelihoods by breeding goats and chickens so that they can raise income that will help them afford to educate their children.