|
Copy of David Borland’s email to Mr. Dunford Makala
Commissioner for Social Welfare, Tanzania
19th August 2011
Dear Mr Makala,
The Bethany Family has currently 102 children accommodated at our Orphanage on the southern shore of Lake Victoria situated within the Magu District.
It was established about 20 years ago and during that time we have worked closely with the local Social Welfare Office to ensure that the children are well looked after and cared for. Both of us recognise the need to act in the best interests of the child.
In 2007 we were offered a wonderful opportunity by a Teaching College in the UK to educate a few of our children and so we discussed this with the Headteacher of the local Secondary School and Social Welfare. The latter issued a letter of support as part of our Visa applications and so Eva Joseph, Jesca Paulo and Rehema Kasimu were encouraged to continue their education in the UK. Further opportunities arose in 2008 and 2009 and once again letters of support were gratefully received from Social Welfare.
This programme of exemplary education in the UK is proving to be very successful both for the students involved and in general by raising the teaching standards in Tanzania.
Only recently have we learnt that this year Social Welfare is withdrawing their support due to a malicious and totally unfounded complaint by Eva Joseph concerning her time in the UK. Unfortunately Eva has a record of telling lies and had to be returned to Tanzania prematurely for stealing mobile phones.
I fully support Social Welfare in their decision to take this allegation seriously and understand the requirement to investigate thoroughly the circumstances leading to this complaint. However I do not understand why they have not interviewed Rehema Kasimu to see whether or not she would confirm Eva’s account. Jesca Paulo is still in the UK studying for her degree but could be contacted by email. Such an error contravenes natural justice and unfortunately brings in to question and undermines their decision to withdraw their support.
Whilst I also fully support the Education Policy that all children should attend and complete their time at Secondary School there are normally always exceptions to the rule if the circumstances would lead to a better education for the individual and demonstrate that it is in the best interests of the child entrusted to our care.
Social Welfare has in the past given special dispensations to three of our students by issuing letters of support so that they could continue their education in the UK rather than attend Secondary School.
I understand that if the parents of a child wish to send their children abroad to take advantage of what they may consider to be a better education then they are at liberty to do so. However this option is apparently not presently available to orphans in children’s homes with the result that orphans are systematically discriminated against. It is sometimes the case that the Law and/or Policy seemingly condone an action that was not foreseen or intended.
I am sure that organisations like UNICEF would agree that such discrimination is unacceptable and that children in orphanages who are offered a better education elsewhere should be allowed to take it at whatever stage they are in the secondary school system just as biological parents have the freedom to do.
Therefore I would ask you kindly on compassionate grounds and in the best interests of the children to allow this appeal and overturn the decision by the local Social Welfare office not to issue letters of support. To do otherwise would allow this injustice to stand and that would fly in the face of natural justice.
Finally let me clarify one other matter. We recognise the important role that Social Welfare have in safeguarding and caring for children and wish to continue to work with them in a spirit of cooperation because together we are much more able to provide for their needs.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email and I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible since time is of the essence.
Yours sincerely
David Alexander Borland OBE
Treasurer
|
