Markham
March 06, 2008 07:51 AM
By: Joe Fantauzzi
You can do so much for so little, says Unionville resident Bob Meinschenk.
Chairperson of the outreach committee at Unionville’s St. Phillip’s on-the-hill Anglican Church, Mr. Meinschenk is preparing to launch the third year of the church’s partnership with residents of the Tanzanian village of Lugala.
Since the initiative launched in 2006, the committee has donated 154,000 pounds of corn and 1,600 mosquito nets.
The nets fight malaria-causing insects to the village, a community of 6,000, but geographically as large as Markham, he said.
Two wells have been built as well as a few small buildings, including two classrooms.
Other priorities identified by the project include training farmers to care for 10 impregnated cows.
Those cows will allow villagers to sell the milk, make money, get the cows impregnated again and give the next calf to another person.
Farmers are taught how to build cow sheds, detect and prevent disease and proper feeding techniques.
“We want to give them some economic traction,” Mr. Meinschenk.
A new project approved last fall is a fund designed to offer small, supervised loans to launch a business or a project.
The partnership has also helped 100 young people attend school by providing uniforms, books and other educational supplies, according to Mr. Meinschenk.
Projects under consideration include buying computers and a small used truck.
When he visited Lugala last August with Ballantrae Public School principal Rob Reid, both men did a quick check on students’ books and were pleased with what they found, Mr. Meinschenk said.
“When I got into the village, I felt at peace — good about what we’ve done,” he said. “They don’t take us for granted.”
The project is in place for five years.
His involvement in the Lugala project has been rewarding and has sharpened his business skills, Mr. Meinschenk said.
Donations are still needed, he said. He is also interested in connecting with a community group that could come on board as a partner.
All contributions support the initiative. Three cents per dollar is used to cover the cost of transferring funds and minimum costs in Tanzania.