News from Igoda Children’s Village, Mufindi, Tz. to March 2023

Foxes Community & Wildlife (FCWC in Mufindi is making a big difference to disabled and vulnerable children; generously funded by the Helsinki Deaconess Foundation Institute (HDI) in Finland. This report was published in February in Tanzania by Matukio Daimaapp Iringa.

The project has started the provision of psychology education for young people under 25 years of age who come from vulnerable circumstances in three wards of Mufindi district in the Iringa region, to enable them to deal with the problems of mental stress and insomnia.

The 10 day training started early February at the Igoda Orphans Hall by bringing together 100 young people from 16 villages in the Ihanu, Mdabulo and Luhunga districts. Speaking to the young people during the opening of the training, the Chairman of the Association of Tanzania Psychological Service Providers, Dr Heriel Mfangavo, said the training is a great opportunity for the young people towards self-awareness, and getting rid of the rigid ideas of not taking progressive steps, and having ideas to move ahead. He also said that another group that needs psychological help is a group of people with disabilities, some of whom live with depression and anxiety due to the way they are. The counsellors who will work in the YAM project have been asked to identify the challenges that cause the problem of mental stress for the community of people with disabilities and find solutions. He said due to the magnitude of the problem for these young people, the training will be of great benefit to them and help get rid of dependency. He said that the YAM project is a great saviour for the Mufindi community, especially the areas that are surrounded by the project as it will help the needy community to live more happily. The issue of disability leads many people to live with mental stress and even get other mental problems.”

YAM project manager, Danford Mkumbo, said this is a four-year project being implemented by the Mufindi Council in collaboration with the Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation through the YAM project under the funding of the Government in Finland which will benefit more than 770 young people and children in poor families in the 16 villages.

Young People From Vulnerable Environments Mufindi Begin To Be Given Psychology Education:   https://www.matukiodaimamedia.co.tz/2023/02/young-people-from-vulnerable.html

100 Youths had:  
13th – 27th February, 15 days of Psychosocial training by TAPCAP (Tanzanian  Association for Professional ~Counsellors and Psychotherapists). Dr Heriel &  Anastasia, UoL  (University of Iringa).
8 – 10th March, 3 days Mindset training by RLabs.
11th – 20th March, Entrepreneurship training by the UoL.
32 VCPCs (Team Village Child Protection Committees) also attended the Entrepreneurship training as they need to mentor and motivate the  100 youths when back home in their wards.

YAM organised a Football tournament which took place between youths from the three wards where they were able to relax and enjoy themselves

In Addition:
 22nd – 28th ~February, 7 days assessment of 62 disabled youths and children by INUKA. 2 representatives working with the project team. This is being followed by transporting them to INUKA for rehabilitation with others referred to various specialists in Mbeya funded by YAM.

9th – 11th February and 6th to 7th March, project management training took place, also 28th February – 2nd March, three ward level VCPC meetings to keep the VCPCs motivated and engaged.
15th – 16th March, 2 days of project management training by RLabs for surveying and analysing beneficial feedback.  

YAM SEWING SCHOOL: The students are coming along well with their studies and practice. They are now able to design and make clothes on their own, not only for themselves but for the children and staff at the ICV. They started in July 2022 and are now growing in confidence so expanding their production wider.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUoyCNyGGlc

Published by