Mission not impossible - a helping hand in Tanzania
By Ian Johnston
(From The Orcadian dated June 20, 2002)

Women from Liulu are the cultivators of the land in Tanzania. Rev Forsyth explained that asking a man to cultivate was like asking a man to sew in the western world. Instead, the men concentrate on the fishing.

A former Orkney teacher is appealing for help in getting 14 boxes of sporting equipment shipped out to people in Tanzania to help them achieve a better standard of life.

Rev Jeanette Forsyth, who now works as a Scottish Episcopal missionary, is a trustee of the Scottish charity, the Chipukizi wa Yesu Trust, who run a number of projects in Tanzania.

She explained that previous fundraising and donation appeals have seen a wealth of items sent to Tanzania to help the people who live in the villages around Liuli on Lake Nyasa.

The lakeside villagers endure a subsistence existence based almost entirely on farming and fishing.

As well as sporting gear, Rev Forsyth is also on the look out for a somewhat bigger catch – a boat. She explained that there are a number of boats used by the locals for fishing, but they now need one large boat to transport all the equipment to the villagers, as well as a boat to help them transport their fish catches to the market.

A group of male Liulu youngsters enjoy a game of football with home-made balls and goal posts. Sport, in particular football, is very popular with Liulu boys.

 

Rev Forsyth explained that she has written to NHS Orkney, inquiring about securing their boat, ether at a reduced price or possibly as a donation to the charity. The boat was formerly used to transport medical staff between Westray and Papa Westray.

On an even larger scale, a five-tonne lorry with a high axle is being sought after as well as ice-making machines to enable locals to transport the fish to the market in good time.

Ice is of great importance to the Liuli people to chill their catches of fish, she explained. If, in the hot climate of Tanzania, the fish they catch are kept cool, then they have time to preserve more of the catch by cooking and drying it.

Rev Forsyth, who worked as a teacher for nine years in Orkney, explained that she had also spoken to a Westray fisherman on her most recent return to Orkney to see whether she could source a boat from the island.

Two youngsters from Liulu make a football from plastic and polythene wrapping.

“Fishermen in Westray love a challenge, and hopefully a few of them are going to club together and see what they can do about my needs for the boat,” she said. “But of course we still need a lorry and an ice-making machine. Our past appeals have seen so many positive responses – we hope this one will see the same.”

Rev Forsyth’s previous appeal to the people of Orkney was in March, when she asked for any spare tools, fishing equipment and football gear to be forwarded to the Chipukizi Trust.

“That saw an excellent response. We have two containers ready to go out to Tanzania, and what we need now is help with funding to get them abroad,” she said.

She added: “There has been some instances where people have shied away from sending out football tops because they have sponsors on them, but I can assure everyone that this doesn’t matter at all.”

Rev Forsyth added that people in Tanzania often make their own footballs from a mixture of plastic and polythene wrapping, bundled together with fishing line.

Anyone wanting to contribute to the appeal can contact Rev Jeanette Forsyth at Moss-side of Strichen, Bogensourie, Strichen, Fraserburgh, AB43 7TU, on 01771 637230 or at jeanetteforsyth@hotmail.com.