Christmas market in Dietikon, November 2011
On the 26th and 27th of November 2011 we participated in the Christmas market in Dietikon with a Zanzibar-booth. Besides the selling of soaps, shawls, body oil and candles we had the chance to socialize with many new and interesting people. Thank you to all the generous donors and buyers!
Volunteers for Nungwi, October 2011
For the first time we have two Swiss teachers , Bettina Gordon and Fredi Stark, working on behalf of Maisha Zanzibar at the school of Nungwi. For three months they will instruct students and teachers there.
We are looking forward to their reports!
Feel free to visit Bettinas blog with the detailed news by clicking on this link.
20 new pupils project "RIZIKI", September 2011
The searching for new sponsors for pupils for the year 2012 was more than successful. 20 boys and girls will start their school next year in Nungwi.
Charity Star-Winner, May 2011
Maisha Zanzibar wins 1'000 Euro as participant in "Charity Star"!
Many thanks for your support!
Work on site, January - May 2011
During our extended stay in Zanzibar we managed to do the following on behalf of Maisha Zanzibar NGO:
Visiting our 15 new and 15 "old" pupils and their parents. We found out that five of those families live in extrem poverty and therefore we supported them with rice, beans and clothes.
Clearing of the container and distributing charity goods from Switzerland to the orphanage in Stonetown, the school and nursery school in Nungwi, Dr. Haroun and the hospital in Kivunge (find the details under project DAWA, "Health").
With the donated clothes and shoes we arranged another, by the locals very appreciated bazaar. The raised money we used to support the building of a watertank and washing facilities for the school. This enlargement of our project CHOO was possible because due to the good exchange rate of the US dollar we didn't use our budget for the 12 toilets to its full extend.
Meeting with the village commitee of Upenja and visiting their primary school. Evaluation for a new project to support the school with more facilities, such as a laboratory, library and meeting room.
Realisation of project CHOO (find the details under project CHOO, "Health"). To get the necessary construction permit and to inform all the respective governmental persons was a very tedious process. Due to a very rocky ground the excavation was also delayed, so we decided to prolong our stay for three weeks to be there for the finishing of the project.
How to load a container in 120 minutes, December 2010
The third container has been loaded and left the premises of Planzer Transport AG on December 18th, 2010. On behalf of Maisha Zanzibar we want to thank all the volunteers which helped us load the container at an incredible speed. They hauled in only 2 hours tons of charity goods, such as hospital beds, medical goods, bicycles, toys, furniture, books, clothes and shoes. A special thank goes to Mr. Marco Hunziker of Planzer Transport AG - without him the storage and the smooth work flow of the loading would not have been possible.
Now we are ready for the next months in Zanzibar. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2011.
Project Choo is fully financed! November 2010
Thanks to a very generous donation from the Foundation Kinderhilfe des Swissair Personals, our project is financed to its full extent. We are very happy and can't wait for the implementation of it. To make sure everything, such as the construction and its financing is going well, we want to be on site personally. Therefore we resigned from our jobs in Switzerland and go to Zanzibar on January 1st 2011 to stay there for at least four months.
Generous donation for project "CHOO", October 2010
Our toilet project found a new donor. It's the Inner Wheel Club Zurich. Hopefully we will soon have enough funds to realise this project, thank you very much!
15 new pupils project "RIZIKI", September 2010
The searching for new sponsors for pupils for the year 2011 was very successful. 15 boys and girls aged 4 to 10 can start their school next year in Nungwi.
New project "CHOO", July 2010
After many unsuccessful enquiries at different foundations, we finally got an agreement from Paul-Schiller-Foundation for a partial amount for the planned project "CHOO" (sanitary facilities).
However, to realise the project to its full extent, we still are in need of donations.
Detailed information about the project you find under projects – health – "CHOO" (sanitary facilities).
Maisha Zanzibar successful at the FairFair market, Afro Pfingsten May 2010
Our information booth at the FairFair market was a great success!
The soaps, massage oils and scarfs we brought from Zanzibar found a ready market and added some money into our NGO cash box. Even more important was the possibility to introduce our NGO, our goals and future projects to a wide audience.
People were interested and we had many exhilarating conversations and were able to establish new contacts with wonderful people (e.g. Family Schaufelberger). All the other NGOs at the market gave us input for future projects (e.g. ADES solar project).
Even from Germany we got visitors. Antje and Mario (GOZA - Go for Zanzibar) which will launch in June 2010 also a NGO in Zanzibar came to see us. They as well got lots of inspiration at the FairFair market
Delivery of the second container, February 2010
Again this time to release the container created big problems and it could be cleared only one day before our return trip, but the glow in all the children eyes and the gratitude of the adults was enough compensation for the stress we had.
With the donated shoes and clothes we arranged a bazaar, selling the goods at minimal price (45 to 90 cents). From the proceeds we were able to replace the run down roof of the nursery school. Through this activity the locals learned a good lesson of “empowerment to self help” and were very happy about it. A great demand for a future bazaar exists (even though just the thought of it makes us break out in a sweat) and we sure will arrange another one. These proceeds we would like to invest in sanitary facilities for the school.
The school and nursery school received tables, chairs, desks and black boards as well as paper, folders, exercise books and writing utensils.
The local hospital of Nungwi we provided with urgently needed drugs, X-ray equipment, microscopes and a big amount of medical supplies.
At the orphanage in Stone Town are currently 54 children living. Their age ranges between newborn and a young man at the age of 23.There we dispensed children clothes, shoes, toys, pushchairs, exercise books and writing utensils.
Urgently needed are beds, sheets and pillows, also old bicycles would be helpful
The second container of this year is being loaded, December 2009
The second sea container of this year was packed to the max. Our voluntary workers moved and arranged tons of pharmaceuticals, medical goods, vitamins, wheel chairs, clothes, toys, school desks, chairs, black boards, computers, pens, pencils and many other things.
Great work, you are the best – thank you so much!!!
Another container is in planning, October 2009
After we returned from Zanzibar in July 2009 we confirmed by oath not to send another container in the near future, because it was a quite nerve-wracking endeavor. But as so often in life things turn out different than planned.
Hardly back from Africa sponsors donated an x-ray apparatus, big quantities of medical goods as well as school desks, chairs and blackboards. Needless to say we happily accepted everything, but how should we transport the load to Africa?? Oh, sure - per container ship!
So once again we are collecting all kinds of articles, because we want to charge the container to the maximum as the cost of fright is expensive.
In the meantime a storage place (www.myplace.ch) was found in Zurich-Oerlikon, for our private basements are full to bursting. On December 5th 2009 we will send the load off to Africa and if all goes well we will take delivery of the goods in Zanzibar by mid-January 2010.
Two new projects, August 2009
Two new projects:
- Project "DAWA" (medicine) in health
- Project "RIZIKI" (school enrolment) in education
All goods have arrived safely, July 2009
Our Container has safely reached Zanzibar on the 23rd of June 2009. However it required a lot of nerves, countless phone calls and meetings, as well as runs to different authorities before we were able to unload the goods on the 11th of July 2009 and transport them up to Nungwi.
The container is seaborne, May 2009
After endless weeks of collecting clothes, shoes, pharmaceuticals, toys and lots of books, we had to meticulously pack all the goods in cardboard boxes and list each item for the bill of lading. Finally, on 9 May 2009 "our" sea container arrived, just waiting to be packed
With great help from family members and friends (thanks to all of you again), we managed to load approx. 2 tons of aid supplies in one afternoon. The following monday the container was picked up and brought to the port of Rotterdam to be conveyed by ship.
Since 21 May the goods are afloat and should arrive in Zanzibar at the end of June. We look forward to it with great joy.
We fill our first sea container, February, March 2009
The goods we have from our donors will be shipped to Dar es Salaam and from there to Zanzibar in May. So far we collected the following:
- Shoes, clothes
- School material (paper, folders, books, pens etc.)
- pharmaceuticals
- Medical goods (syringes, dressings, stethoscopes, swabs, examination bed, gowns etc.)
- Toothbrushes
- Toys
We want to thank all the donors, sponsors and helpers!To achieve a sustained success with our projects we will be dependent on your donations.
Another delivery, November 2008
Another 50 kg of books, toys and writing utensils have reached Nungwi today. Comment from Zanzibar: "It's like Christmas!"
First mail delivery September 2008
Due to donations from friends and personal purchases by auction in the internet, we were able to send so far 15 kg of books, pens, pencils, crayons, puzzles and other children games to the school and nursery school in Nungwi. Now the next parcel is ready to be sent:
