From HugoFox to Tanzania!

I’ve been working for HugoFox since 2012, however from September to December 2015 I took a short break from HugoFox to volunteer in Tanzania.

I was working on a WASH programme (Water, Sanitation And Hygiene) with Raleigh International and ICS (International Citizen Service). This involved working with the local community in a small village called Magoye; supporting them in improving their water and sanitation access and provision.

Our work focused around the Global Goals. There are 17 Global Goals that aim to improve the lives of everyone in the world. The Global Goal we mainly focused on was Global Goal 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, however we also tried to spread the message of the other global goals.

I was working in a team of 14 people with volunteers from Tanzania and the UK. The team worked with lots of different community groups; such as the local women’s groups, the youth group, a farmers group and many more. One of my favourite aspects of the project was the SWASH project (School Water, Sanitation And Hygiene), we worked with both the primary and secondary schools and created a SWASH club. We met with the SWASH club most weeks, teaching them about the importance of using soap and how to wash your hands properly; our aim with the SWASH club was that we would teach them the core information and then they would continue the work after we had left. One of our volunteers (Angel Beno) created a hand-washing song reminding the children when they needed to wash their hands and the importance of using soap to kill germs; it was then incredible to hear the children singing the song around the village.

We also painted a series of murals around Magoye in order to ensure that the message remained long after we had left the village. The murals had different messages such as how to make your water safe (in the photo), the importance of using soap to killing germs and many others.

It was incredible to work in Magoye and learn about the Tanzania culture. We were able to learn so much from living in homestays. I lived with a Pastor and his family, they made me feel so welcome from the first time I walked through the door. I spent my evenings talking to my Baba about life in Tanzania and life in the UK, and sitting with my Muma in the kitchen learning how to cook different Tanzanian dishes.

I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped me fundraise and who supported me before, during and after the project. I learnt so much and had an amazing experience that will stay with me forever and I am now excited to get back to work to support the communities around the UK by working with HugoFox!