Nearly two weeks!

Hello! I've been here in Iringa for a week and a half now. The journey via bus was 7 hours and we were lucky to get 'semi luxury' (however this is more like the worst buses you get in the Uk - e.g there was a bolt on the door to stop it flying open round bends!). The most amusing part of the journey were the 3 stops to weigh the bus on tiny weighing scales- the front first, followed by the back of the bus! We were treated to beautiful scenery and loads of elephants, giraffe, baboons and a warthog!

It's lovely to be back in Iringa, the weather is sunny every day and getting hotter. There are lots of flowers and brightly coloured blossom. I've been busy helping to set up the physio gym with two dutch physios who just turned up wanting to help. We're having a few differences of opinion between their idea of how it should work and neema crafts idea of how it should work - so your prayers for that would be great. Im going out to a village tomorrow where the pastor is really enthusiastic about reaching out to disabled people (who are normally hidden away and are the poorest of the poor). This is really where I'd like to focus - working together with village communities to establish a community run programme with support from a tanzanian physio for drop in clinics in the village once a month. Your prayers for this would be great too.

Hope you're all well, thanks for your support and God bless.

Here at last!

Hello from Tanzania!

After a very long, but comfortable flight we arrived here in Dar Es Salaam. It's very hot and humid at the moment, but great to be back! I'm staying at the same hostel our team visited last year; its very comfortable and the people are friendly.

Today I was joined by another person heading for Neema Crafts; her name is Katy and will be staying for 3 weeks. We're getting the bus to Iringa tomorrow (it takes most of the day to get there) and I can't wait to get back there and start in the physio gym.

Thank you very much to everyone who has shown such support for my visit and for all the people who have got involved with making the teddy bears.

Kwaheri, Jenn xxx

Great news!!!

Some fantastic news is that Neema Crafts have been able to get some more space in their rented warehouses to use as a physio gym!

It'll be great to have space devoted to therapy and making APT equipment.

Thank you for your prayers, please pray for lots of enthusiastic people who want to get involved in Iringa and here in the UK!

Preparations

Many, many thanks to everyone who came to the Tanzanian evening on the 14th July. We raised £594 in total, which is absolutely amazing!


Thank you very much to everyone who has so generously sponsored me; you've helped raise £700!!

The photo to the left has been taken from http://www.peoplepotential.org.uk/ and shows a disabled child from Zambia sitting in a chair made from Appropriate Paper-based Technology (APT). This involves using theories linked to civil engineering; making weak materials strong, such as corrugated cardboard and paper.

I attended a course in APT at the start of July and am really looking forward to using the technique out in Tanzania to make supportive seating, standing frames and physio equipment. Many thanks to Jean Westmacott who kindly ran the course and put me up for the week! If you're interested in this course please follow the link above.


Teddies for Tragedies:

We're setting up a Teddies for Tragedies project in Orlingbury. This photo and the knitting pattern can be found at http://www.teddiesfortragedies.org.uk/ . Our vision is to provide every disabled child treated in Iringa with their own teddy. Research shows that having a teddy can improve psychological development, also teddies can be used in physiotherapy. If you'd like to get involved please email jennjenn_w@hotmail.co.uk for more information.

Hello!

Thank you for visiting my blog.

My name is Jenn Widdup; I'm 21 and am from Northamptonshire.

I've just qualified as a physiotherapist at the University of Birmingham with a 2.1.

Last year I visited Iringa in Tanzania with Church Mission Society (CMS), in a team of eight people. This visit really opened my eyes to the realities of poverty and just how much we all take for granted here in the west.

We visited Neema Crafts Project www.neemacrafts.com, which is run by the Diocese of Ruaha and Susie Hart, a CMS mission partner. Neema Crafts employes disabled people to make beautiful crafts, giving them a livelihood and a future.

10% of the population in southern Tanzania are disabled. Due to lack of healthcare before, during and after birth there are many children with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, however there is not the healthcare infrastructure in place to provide the care they need.

Due to lack of knowledge, fear and prejudice many parents feel they simply cannot cope with a disabled child. There are stories of children being hidden away for years on end.

As a strong Christian I feel that God gave me the opportunity to visit Tanzania in order to understand how His much loved children are being held captive due to their disability and poverty. I definately feel that God wants me to reach out to these children using my physiotherapy skills, which I have been given through His amazing blessing of the opportunity to go to University and gain an excellent education.