By Tim Le Bas, Cub Scout Leader at 1st Lyndhurst
In 2017, a large Scout contingent went to Tanzania to take part in various projects and activities. One of the projects was to the tiny village of Madabadaba – you probably would not have found it on any map at the time. It is two and a half days of car and bus travel inland from Dar es Salaam.
Our team’s project was to create a proper school building for the village. With funding raising by the 23 Scouts in my team, we managed to get local builders to do the structural parts of the school. Then, for 2 weeks, the team finished the school with lots of painting, laying floors and generally help the builders finish off. The Bishop then opened the building with great fanfare and lots of people form the surrounding area.
In 2020, Hampshire Scouts were going to return to Tanzania and Madabadaba, but unfortunately Covid stopped that expedition.
Now, 7 years later, I was wondering what had happened to the school – was it still working? How many children attended the school? So I decided to go and find out.
Rather than go on my own, I took my daughter Rosie (who is now a leader with 5th Farnborough Scouts) who was also going to go with the 2020 expedition with me.
In October half term 2024, we set off. After the requisite 94 hours of travelling (door to door), we arrived in Madabadaba.
We had a wonderful welcome with all the children singing us a welcome song – school assembly is held under a large mango tree. The school now has 6 classes (of about 10-15 in each class). Some of the pupils had just passed their matriculation exams, allowing them to go to secondary school with all lessons in English.
The 2020 fundraising had also allowed the building of four teachers’ houses and also dormitories for the girls. Dormitories for the boys are half built, and so they are currently sleeping in two of the classrooms (there are 9 in total). Maybe this is the next project?
The school is progressing really well and growing. In the field behind the school they have cultivated and irrigated the area, and it is now full of vegetables and various fruit such as oranges, mangos, watermelon and bananas. All very productive.
The area around the school premises used to be scrubland and only minimally maintained but now new houses have been built and the land is properly cultivated. Madabadaba is growing from a small village to a large village and we now saw it marked on a map!
Another expedition to Tanzania for Explorer Scouts in 2027 could be envisaged, but there needs to be lots of planning, funding and energy to make that happen! But what a success story so far.