A group of young volunteers will be aiming to improve the quality of life for thousands of people in...

A group of young volunteers will be aiming to improve the quality of life for thousands of people in need as part of their Mission Possible deployment to Tanzania this month.

Each volunteer on ‘the humanitarian experience of a lifetime’ has raised £5,000 for the 10-day deployment during which they will directly deliver aid, bought through their fundraising efforts, to beneficiaries.

Working with local community leaders, the group will also experience the harsh reality of day-to-day charity work by interviewing potential beneficiaries and deciding, based on needs criteria, as to who should receive the aid and who to reject.

The volunteers are:
• Arslan Tariq, aged 24, a medical student from Manchester
• Kaleem Abbas, 20, from Birmingham, a litigation support apprentice
• Nazia Choudhry, 32, Birmingham, a human resources officer
• Zain Ali, 23, London, an engineering graduate on a gap year
• Sidhra Yasin, 20, Birmingham, a health advisor
• Yusuf Kassam, 27, Manchester, a learning mentor.

ACTIVITIES

The volunteers, accompanied by IH Mission Possible staff from the UK, fly out to Tanzania on 17th October 2019 and will work under the supervision of our Tanzania staff.

Their activities will be concentrated in the village of Bamba Pankote in the Mkinga district of Tanga region. With 300 households and a population of 15,000 people, the economic and social situation of the village reflects that of countless others throughout Tanga.

There is an overwhelming reliance on agriculture for livelihoods and a lack of clean and safe water, with villagers having to travel 10km on bicycles to seasonal wells and dams which act as water sources.

With these sources being seasonal, villagers often have to resort to purchasing water from local stores.

The village’s primary school, already in poor condition, does not have toilets or water facilities for its 350 students.

Activities carried out by the Mission Possible team will be in alignment with Islamic Help’s objectives in Tanga which are to work towards achieving Millennium Development Goals. These range from refilling medical centres and renovating school buildings and mosques to teaching locals about sanitation.

The volunteers will be allocated specific tasks and will work with community leaders and IH staff on a number of development projects. These include water and sanitation; education; healthcare, and livelihoods.

WATER & HEALTH

The volunteers will start by taking part in a water trek to experience how local people have to walk or cycle up to 10km each day to water sources.

Even though the water is dirty or contaminated, it is often the only source for villagers who have to use it for drinking and domestic use.

One group will help set up a water harvesting system at a school which will also provide clean water for the local community as well as pupils and staff.

Volunteers will also look into awareness methods to help villagers maintain the system, and will also hold awareness sessions on the importance of health and sanitation.

EDUCATION

Volunteers will aim to fulfil a wish list of equipment submitted by schools by supplying text books, desks, stationery and other items. The materials will help improve the educational prospects of pupils who cannot afford to purchase what are normally regarded as essentials for schooling.

LIVELIHOODS

The provision of livelihoods is a major issue in Tanga, with many people having no means of employment or income.

In liaison with local community leaders, the volunteers will select a few beneficiaries capable of not only running a business but of helping others follow the same path. Livelihood materials to help beneficiaries start a business include dairy cows, beehives, poultry and tricycles (to operate as taxis).

REFLECTIONS

As part of their deployment, the volunteers will have reflection sessions at the end of each day, where they will sit and talk to each other about their emotional experiences. They will be tasked with recording those experiences in blogs that will be uploaded to our website, and will also feature in photos and videos on our social media channels.

Why not be part of the life-changing experience that is Mission Possible?