Projects

Mikindani Youth Development Group (MYDG)
TOAD has worked with the MYDG on a number of projects. The group was set up by some unemployed friends who wanted to better themselves and the other people their own age struggling to find employment in the area. The group have been very successful and TOAD are very proud to be working with a group who have done so much to help themselves.

READ International is an excellent organisation that has an extremely cost effective model for providing textbooks to secondary schools in Tanzania, the average cost for READ to supply a textbook is less than £0.50 but to buy one in country can be ten times as much. What READ does is to get groups of university students to form groups in their own universities and these groups collect unwanted textbooks from schools in the area surrounding their uni. These textbooks are then sorted and those on an approved list are separated from the rest which are either sold on or recycled. The approved books which support the Tanzanian schools’ syllabi are then collected from across the UK and sent to Tanzania in shipping containers. The students then fund their own trips to Tanzania where they meet the containers and distribute the books to the secondary schools.

www.readinternational.org.uk

TOAD provided the funds to fully equip a sewing workshop at the group’s centre to allow the teaching and development of sewing skills which are very important in the developing world as sew much (get it) is made from scratch or repaired. We also provided the funds for nine girls to attend a six month training course which has enabled them to move on and find employment.

Mikindani has some areas which are suitable for the farming of rice but there is not the local expertise or the correct equipment to do so. TOAD supported a collective of farmers who wanted to create a rice farm so we provided the tools and the training for them to do so and provide their families with a good alternative source of food and income.

The MYDG had previously secured books from other NGO's to equip a small library and study room. The problem was that they did not have the funds to maintain it and keep it open so TOAD provided the funds for this to happen. Likewise the group had been able to secure some old computers but did not have the funds to run them or have anyone skilled enough to teach basic IT skills. TOAD was able to help out with this and we ran two month courses for students to learn the basics of using computers.

The MYDG had previously secured books from other NGO's to equip a small library and study room. The problem was that they did not have the funds to maintain it and keep it open so TOAD provided the funds for this to happen. Likewise the group had been able to secure some old computers but did not have the funds to run them or have anyone skilled enough to teach basic IT skills. TOAD was able to help out with this and we ran two month courses for students to learn the basics of using computers.