Local charity plants 100 fruit trees in Tanzania

A Mullingar-based non-profit has recently planted 100 fruit trees in the poverty-stricken village of Mto Wa Mbu in Tanzania.

Tanzanian Heavenly Homes was established in 2012 by local photographer John McCauley, who organises annual volunteer missions to the village, funded mostly through donations from the Mullingar region.

So far, the organisation has constructed a complex that houses 12 elders from the community and established a 2.4-hectare working farm to supply fresh produce.

This year’s group of 16 volunteers departed for a two-week trip to Tanzania on Sunday 30 June.

During the trip, they repainted the complex and added 100 fruit trees, including oranges and lemons, to the existing farm.

Mr McCauley said “everything is going well” with the project.

“We have a little sister charity out there called Senior Hope, registered with the government,” he said.

“We have 14 people, ladies and gents, now living in lovely little rooms.

"They have two in a room, with lovely warm blankets, and toilets and showers that they never had in their lives.

“There’s land we bought where we grow vegetables, and they sell them too.

"They’re eating three meals a day, including greens, something they never had in their lives before.

"We’ve helped them move from having nothing to self-sufficiency.”

Mr McCauley was happy with the progress made during this year’s trip.

“Someone gave me a kind donation of fruit trees, and together we planted over 100 of them,” he said.

“This year, the eight buildings all needed painting, so the whole gang was hands-on with the paints and brushes, freshening the place up.”

He added that they also travelled to more impoverished areas in the region to help those in need.

“We went off in our tuk-tuks with the local government official up to the mountains, where some people live in areas that society hardly ever reaches – they’re in no man’s land and have nothing,” said Mr McCauley.

“On behalf of Mullingar and the good people who gave us donations, we were able to buy them food, blankets, and whatever else they needed.

“We bought the supplies locally, and they were all very happy to think that someone thought of them.

“A lot of the young people who were with me were deeply moved by this experience; it was a lovely group this year, one of the best I’ve ever had.”

Mr McCauley said his calling to Tanzania came after visiting the Serengeti for a wildlife photography trip with friends, during which they decided to stop at an orphanage they were passing.

“I said to the guys, let’s throw a few bob in here because we’ve just had 15 great days,” he said.

“When I came out, my whole life changed. What I thought was important and how I felt – it all changed.

“My face was white. I saw four or five little kids who looked at me, shocked, with no smiles on their faces, and I thought about them for a whole year after I came back.”

He later found out that a man had been keeping the children in the orphanage and was raising them for prostitution.

“When they saw me, there was fear in their faces, and I knew something was wrong. Normally, a child would come running to you, smiling,” he said.

“The police closed the place down, and the children were brought to another location about 100km away.

“I went back the following year to see them, and they were happy – all smiles, all rescued.”

Since then, John has made 14 annual trips to Tanzania, and donations from the Mullingar area continue to improve the lives of the villagers of Mto Wa Mbu.

Tanzania diary entries

Aoife Doherty

I was very lucky to be part of John’s group this year that travelled to Mto Wa Mbu in Tanzania. It is hard to believe the amazing work that Tanzanian Heavenly Homes has done and continues to do until you see it.

We spent a lot of time with the Elders in Senior Hope. These elders had previously lived in mud huts, but thanks to the generous people of Westmeath and beyond, they now live in small houses where they have a bed, bathroom, and three meals a day.

They are so thankful and grateful, as without this, they would not be alive. We also spent time on a farm, planting different vegetables and fruits that will supply food for the elders in Senior Hope for the year.

The people of Mto Wa Mbu are so kind, grateful, and happy to live a simple life. I have gained so much compassion and empathy for these people. I was sad to leave Mto Wa Mbu after the few weeks, but I am looking forward to returning.

Aoife Murphy

It is hard to put into words my experience in Tanzania with Tanzanian Heavenly Homes. It was an unforgettable experience. The village of Mto Wa Mbu was the most beautiful place I have ever experienced.

The simple act of just sitting down and talking to someone, even holding their hand for a few minutes, made all the difference.

As this was my first year and I had signed up on my own to take part, I was nervous starting out on this trip – nervous of the unknown, not knowing where we would go, the things we would do, and the people we would meet. I now believe that was what made the trip all the more exciting.

One memory that stands out the most for me was one of our food runs, distributing food such as maize, rice, and beans, while also supplying bedding and other equipment.

It was our second time doing this, so I thought I had a good idea of what to expect about the rural community’s living and working conditions. Nothing had prepared me for this.

We came across a woman caring for her granddaughter who was in desperate need of our help. While she was so grateful for the much-needed essential supplies, it was the small token of a few pieces of jewellery that I produced that brought not only the woman, but also myself, to tears.

At first, I couldn’t comprehend why this had such an effect on her, but then I realised that while the food and bedding were necessities, the piece of jewellery was something just for her – a piece of her own to make her feel good.

While we did not speak the same language, we sat together in another form of communication: compassion. As someone who is never lost for words and by no means emotional, I have never experienced something like that before, and I will never forget that day. The saying that you leave a piece of your heart in a place was different for me; I believe that Tanzania added a piece to my heart that I didn’t know I needed.

Olivia Rossi

Life-changing is the first thought that comes to mind when I reflect on my time in Tanzania. Throughout my stay there, I formed deep bonds and friendships with the people of Mto Wa Mbu and the group of volunteers with whom I travelled.

Witnessing the poverty that these beautiful people go through was moving, and I felt empathy for them. Seeing the elders in Senior Hope with such positive outlooks on life really stood out to me. They have lived a life of poverty for so long and greatly deserve to be cared for and supported by the workers at Senior Hope.

What lifted me most was seeing the hope and joy in the young children. They spend their days playing outside with one another, running around and creating games with things as simple as cardboard. When they saw us arriving, they would gather around, asking for a “pipi”.

That’s the Swahili word for candy. We would hand out lollipops to all of the children, watching their eyes light up. Seeing the joy that they experience from a small candy really put things into perspective for me. They are so pure, with kind souls and hope for the future.

My time in Tanzania has taught me many things; most importantly, it has taught me to appreciate the small joys in life. Tasha, a local artist in Mto Wa Mbu, painted a beautiful landscape of an African sunset surrounded by animals and a Joshua tree. Each morning when I wake up, I see the painting hanging on my wall and am filled with gratitude that I was able to experience this amazing country and its wonderful people.

Enda and Christine Kilmurray

Christine and I had spoken about doing volunteer work in Africa, but life always seemed to get in the way. In 2021, we had a fire at my garage, and we lost everything; unfortunately, the insurance wouldn’t pay.

Through the generosity of our family, friends, and the local community, we were able to rebuild. We knew we could never pay back all the kindness individually, so we decided to try and pay it forward. Christine came across a post on social media and decided we were going to go to Tanzania (she does that!) with Tanzanian Heavenly Homes – well, if John would have us! Fortunately, he did.

We headed off with absolutely no idea what was ahead of us. When we arrived, it was a complete culture shock, but what struck us was how friendly everyone was toward us. When we went out on the food runs, we had no idea what was ahead of us; some of the things we saw were unimaginable. It was very hard to get our heads around how anyone could live in some of the conditions.

It’s a culture that sometimes views their elders as a burden, so they can be forgotten. That is hard to understand when we come from a culture that values and respects our elders. However, they were the happiest and most appreciative people we have ever met; we were met with smiles and affection everywhere we went.