Tanzania, the 13th poorest country in the world, needs help to help itself. Its population particularly in the rural areas have limited access to the basics of food, water, healthcare, education and electricity. Due to these proud and willing people and their highly effective system of village assemblies every pound raised counts.

St Pius Xth supports a Milk Formula Project distributing life-saving Milk Powder and Lishe Powder (a nutritious porridge) to HIV positive mothers with infants and to vulnerable children and their carers, whether in  the Igoda Children's Village or the remote, very poor surrounding villages in  the Mufindi district.

Feeding an infant with formula milk after breast feeding for six months solely , or instead of breast feeding for those mothers who are unable to feed due to to Aids, or ophans, helps to prevent HIV/Aids infection from the mother, another step on the road to recovery for the whole community.

In one of the latest newsletters, we were informed that "We have six new babies in the Baby House and without this milk they wouldn't be here as four of their mothers died during complications, probably through Aids, at childbirth and two are mentally unable to care for theirs so we were asked to take them in."

There is regular monitoring for weight gain and evaluations. The children and their carers also have access to education and increasing health and nutritional information.

Our Project & Social Group have been busy:

¨ baking cakes and growing produce for a monthly stall at the Church,

¨ hosting 2 events up on Sally’s smallholding on the Dundry Slopes which is always a children’s favourite. They love the variety of animals and their faces are a picture of wonder when the chicks actually hatch in front of their eyes.

¨ Hosting a popular curry night with the help of many of our Indian parishioners;

¨ And of course the fun, noisy and competitive Beetle Drive!

The result—lots of fun and laughter for ourselves and best of all the smiles on the faces of the children in Tanzania. We thank everyone for their support.