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Copy of Heather Jeffery’s email to Mr. Dunford Makala
Commissioner for Social Welfare, Tanzania
19th August 2011
Dear Mr. Makala,
I have been involved with the Bethany Project (also known as the Bethany Family) since 1994 and spent two years (July 1997 - July' 1999) with my husband as a volunteer living at Bethany and helping to build the ethos of Bethany. I have been a qualified teacher in the UK for the past 19 years and am currently part of the senior management team of my school. Our school has supported the Bethany Project from when the first children were admitted in 1997. The children and staff at my school have been absolutely thrilled by the opportunities offered to young people from Bethany by Accrington and Rossendale College and delighted with the progress made by students such as China Paulo, Rehema Kassimu, Minza Onesmo and Fatuma Mfaume. Visits made to our school by the Bethany Students have shown the extent to which they are motivated to use the opportunities given in England and a determination to use the skills and knowledge they have gained in Tanzania in the Future.
Over the years I have made a number of visits to Bethany (In my role as education coordinator) and have helped prepare visiting groups from the UK with materials to support the Bethany Children's Education. In the past I have offered support to Yitwimilla Primary School as have other longer term volunteers with the Bethany Project. Our aim has always been to provide a safe home for the children and to offer them the best opportunuities we have available. The decision by Accrington and Rossendale College to offer places to our children in 2007 was amazing and thanks to the support of Magu Social Welfare was an opportunity that was taken. It now saddens me that 3 of our girls ( Rehema, Deborah and Mpelwa) who have worked hard to pass the IELTS English exam required for visa purposes are being denied this opportunity due to the requirement to remain in Tanzania and complete their Secondary Education. Bethany has always sought to comply with Tanzanian Regulations. The difficulty in this instance is that the places at Accrington and Rossendale College are available now and due to the current ecconomic climate may not be available at a later date. It also appears unjust that the girls are being denied this opportunity because they are Orphans (resident in a children's home). I expect that the requirement for orphans to complete secondary education is to ensure that children's homes provide the educational opportunities offered to the wider community. I would like to suggest in this instance Bethany is seeking to exceed the minimum requirements.
Please would you offer Rehema, Deborah and Mpelwa your support so that they in turn may use the skills learned to support other students in Tanzania.
Thank you for your time taken in reading this letter and considering your response.
Yours sincerely
Heather Jeffery
B Ed (Hons)
Bethany Project Education Co-ordinator and Trustee of the Northern Evangelical Trust - administrators of the Bethany Project)
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