A Miracle Of The Jubilee Year Of Mercy

A true miracle of The Jubilee Year of Mercy. We have been trying to complete the construction and furbishment of the primary school in my mission in Kiabakari for the past ten years. And it looks like the Merciful Father heard our pleas and in the tenth year of the struggle we may be able finally, God willing, to complete the task. 

To the contrary - the eye/dental clinic project came up as an instant idea late last year during the voluntary service of Klinika Okulus and Fundacja Dzieci Afryki eye specialists in our health center in Kiabakari. This time we did not have to wait many years for the idea to become reality - the project submitted by Fundacja Kiabakari with cooperation with Iwona Filipecka and her Klinika Okulus team - along with the school one has passed the scrutiny.

I am very grateful to Merciful Father for these Jubilee gifts. This is a genuine act of Divine Mercy 'in action' impacting powerfully the education and healthcare areas of our committment in Kiabakari. 

I am very grateful to Fundacja Kiabakari with its CEO Bożena Koczur and our partners who worked professionally and in a very short timeframe to prepare these projects. 

I am very grateful to Polish Ministry for Foreign Affairs for their trust in our professionalism, transparency and dedication for those in need in this part of the world. I thank them personally for their continuous support of the worthy cause which is Kiabakari and its educational and healthcare institutions. 

Out of six projects approved for Tanzania for this year, two will be implemented in Kiabakari. 

And altogether, if I am not mistaken, there will be now around ten development and voluntary projects supported so far by the Polish Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Kiabakari. 

This is an absolutely invaluable help without which we would not even dream to help the local communities on such a high quality and effective level. 

Thank you - on behalf of all in Kiabakari and the area who are recipients of the Polish Aid!

https://www.polskapomoc.gov.pl/Wyniki,konkursu,Polska,pomoc,rozwojowa,2016,2460.html

‪#‎MSZ‬ ‪#‎PolskaPomoc2016‬ ‪#‎FundacjaKiabakari‬ ‪#‎DivineMercyInAction‬‪#‎JubileeYearofMercy‬ ‪#‎gratitude‬ ‪#‎developmentprojects‬ ‪#‎primaryschool‬‪#‎eyedentalclinic‬ ‪#‎KlinikaOkulus‬ ‪#‎FundacjaDzieciAfryki‬

Anticipation

The next few weeks will be filled to the brim with anticipation of results of projects accepted by Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the development scheme of Polish Aid 2014. It will be known in the near future if any of our Foundation Kiabakari submitted projects will go through. I am not going to be a prophet of any kind. Just praying to God for His Will to be fulfilled as He himself knows how much we need them in this particular point of development of Kiabakari.

I know the amount of work that went into the preparation of the projects, how well they are founded and grounded in reality, how much the local community in our village and district at large needs them.

It is up to the special commission to decide if our reasoning finds its favorable decision.

To me, either way will not make my year much different. If we get the funding, it will be easier to me to complete those projects. If not, it will be up to me to find alternative sources of funding.

I will not reveal in extenso what kind of projects we sent for funding to the Ministry. I can only say that the primary school project which includes the finishing of the remaining three classrooms and computer room with extension multipurpose service building - is absolutely crucial to me. I have to do it this year.  My standard four students will sit for the national exam this year, as you know from my previous posts. For this I need a registration of the school.

As I struggle to get the registration of our pre- and primary school, one of the conditions for the full registration is the completion of the infrastructure and the basic school equipment. The Tanzanian government during the latest inspection estimated that our school project is 81% done (thanks to the pre-school project funded by Polish Aid 2013 and the Small Grant in 2007 which financed construction of foundations, walls, windows and doors of the present primary school). The lacking 19% is crucial.

That is why in prayerful anticipation I will wait for the verdict of the commission. This will tell me how my year will look like. Will it be relatively easy climb towards the important goal with funding from Polish Aid 2014 or it will be a difficult one with me going around the world again in hope of securing the necessary funding? Time will tell. I can only ask humbly the Lord to consider granting me the easier way...

All I ask of you, my esteemed readers, is to pray to God with me in anticipation of things to come. May His will be done.

2 Out Of 3

After two days of celebrations of Mapinduzi Zanzibar and Maulid, today is finally a day of work. Having celebrated the Holy Mass in the morning, I will be soon heading to the Ministry of Education to receive the official letter from the Hon. Minister - the recognition of the Diocese of Musoma as the lawful owner of pre-school and primary school in Kiabakari and myself as an executive director / manager of the same. This process of registration has there major steps and we have done two out of three. After today, what will be left is to finally register the schools and get the government number. This will enable us to be recognized as educational institution in Tanzania and as a recognized examination center for the upcoming national exams for which our standard four students will sit for the first time in the short history of our primary school.

Apart from this visit at the Ministry, what is on the agenda today is the visit to Crown Healthcare Ltd. - our main supplier and maintenance provider for our health center in Kiabakari. Since we have got a brand new water bath machine and microscope funded by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the 'Upendo Unaojali' project, purchased at the end of the last year, I am able to bring for the emergency repair our old water bath and microscope - which - after some six years of continuous work in our lab - gave up and broke down.

In the afternoon, time permitting, I may feel tempted to go to the movie theater. Some new movies playing (same blockbusters as elsewhere in the world). We will see!

One Week

One week left till the opening of the new school year, the day when our new pre-school fills with children laughter and smiles. Can't wait! Such a huge reward for all the effort of the passed year.

Rain And Ground Water Harvesting, Cleaning and Storing Project - Images

And the final post for today - just a few pictures of the final stage of the completion of the rain and ground water harvesting, initial cleaning and storing in concrete and PVC tanks development project in my mission in Kiabakari, co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. These pictures were taken also in mid-December, like the previous two posts. I had no time to post them earlier - internet issues and guests prohibited to do so. Today, I am in Musoma, so the internet is gentle enough to allow to upload the pics. Mind that the latest works are not depicted here. Not all elements of the project are seen here as well. This is just to let you get a general idea of the nature of the project.

I will post final pictures along with the remaining two projects once they are in full swing. Still, what is seen here, fills my heart with pride and gratitude to God, Polish Foreign Ministry, Foundation Kiabakari and all people involved directly and indirectly in the realization of the project.

Extension Of Health Center In Kiabakari Project - Images

A few pictures of the final stage of the completion of the development project of expansion of our health center  in Kiabakari, including the construction of new wards, ICU of infants, maternity ward, gynecologist's office and so on, co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. 

These pictures were taken in mid-December, the latest works are not depicted here. Late equipment arrivals as well. A couple of new wards, not all. I will post final pictures once the new wards are open and fully operational (first, I need to stamp logos on bedsheets, hang mosquito nets, place the trash bins according to color code, prepare hospital clothes for patients - these clothes were not included in the project and to finalize the tender for running of our new hospital kitchen before I allow patients to be admitted in the new wards; and so forth). Still, what is seen here, fills my heart with pride and gratitude to God, Polish Foreign Ministry, Foundation Kiabakari and all people involved directly and indirectly in the realization of the project. 

Modern Pre-School Project in Kiabakari - Images

A few pictures of the final stage of the completion of the modern pre-school development project in my mission in Kiabakari, co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. These pictures were taken in mid-December, the latest works are not depicted here. I will post final pictures once the pre-school is open and students are in the school. Still, what is seen here, fills my heart with pride and gratitude to God, Polish Foreign Ministry, Foundation Kiabakari and all people involved directly and indirectly in the realization of the project.

Getaway

Time has come to get away from Kiabakari to focus on work which needs silence and seclusion. Living alone as a parish priest in Kiabakari makes for a life of never-ending saga of 'hodi hodi' (verbal announcement of someone who comes to the house in need of seeing someone, most probably me) disrupting my mental flow and rendering my work impossible.

That is why I used opportunity to escort my visitor and volunteer, Anna (flying back to Poland via Dubai today) to the airport, to use the next six days for solitary paperwork as I await the representative of Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fly in next Friday to Mwanza to begin her monitoring of our projects and participation in seminars in our health center. I look forward to her arrival as I never had any bad experiences with those people, to the contrary, so far I found that very smart, bright, creative, easy going, friendly and compassionate people are employed in our Foreign Ministry who come to visit us in Kiabakari.

I remember all such occasions and feel proud and grateful to our government that they keep in touch with us, Poles, living in working abroad, in particular in Africa. Thus making me believe that I leave permanent hallmarks of what we as individuals and as a nation have the best to offer to Africa and Tanzania in particular.

Moreover, it is totally different to hear or read about Kiabakari than to visit it personally and see with one's own eyes what Kiabakari is all about. The pictures of this year's development projects I was posting on Foundation Kiabakari or mine timelines do not do justice to the immense effort we put in its completion and the level of professionalism we were able to achieve with our primitive tools and using only local task force.

The Bishop Msonganzila of Musoma was speechless, District Commissioner as well. And I hope the lady from our Foreign Ministry will be glad and satisfied that their money were spent well in such a professional and spectacular and aesthetic manner.

I have never felt more burnt out and exhausted like now. And I have never felt more proud, happy and satisfied like now as well.

Faith and Good Deeds. This was and is our motto in Kiabakari inspired by the motto of our diocesan synod underway in Musoma Diocese.

As I say 'see you soon!' to Anna, I look forward to the next wave of visitors. Our Foundation Kiabakari logo displays an open inviting door. This is also a statement of the reality in Kiabakari. Open to everybody with no-nonsense approach to life, responsibilities, people and tasks in hand.

White Plate White Mug

On my to-do-list for today in Dar es Salaam there was a quest for food warmers / food servers for our new kitchen in health center and in new pre-school. I went to Kariakoo to search for them. Found them here and there, but what caused my heart melt were white plastic plates and mugs I bought from the wholesale Chinese shop for the pre-school dining hall. 

As I was holding a sample plate and a mug in my hands, my mind went to the opening day of the new pre-school, November 22. On that day we will not only have the ribbon cutting ceremony at the gate, but also the short sample of 'a day in new pre-school' which means - first lesson in each age group, breakfast in new dining hall and first games in our new playgrounds. 

I felt touched by the mental picture of some one hundred happy pre-schoolers sitting at the new tables in dining hall and having their first breakfast served from the new kitchen, equipped with modern stuff. Nice nutritious breakfast served on new white plates and a mug of freshly brewed tea for our little ones... All effort that went into the planning of the project, waiting in anticipation for the announcement of the Polish Ministry for Foreign Affairs - if the project passed or not, then the entire construction process up till now - it was worth it. 

The picture of our pupils enjoying their first day in their new pre-school is priceless. And melts my heart. Grateful to God and so many grand people of good will - from the donors through our Foundation Kiabakari to the task force - who made this possible, who made this happen. 

Pictures From Construction Sites In Kiabakari

As you know well, for a few months now, three development projects funded by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the scheme of Polish Aid 2013 are being realized in Kiabakari. Here are some pictures of the current state of their completion as posted by Foundation Kiabakari on their Facebook timeline (click here).

Please, continue to sponsor our projects through your kind prayers, well wishes. Keep your fingers crossed as well, humanely speaking. Our aim is to complete all three projects by the end of October, well ahead of deadline which is the end of the year. And this despite continuous problems with water in Kiabakari and drought in Tanzania. I am proud of my construction teams, supervisors and suppliers. Well done, so far.

Caring Healthy Arms

This is the title of the exhibition of pictures and artifacts prepared by my Foundation Kiabakari at ŻyWa Pracownia located in Krakow's Kazimierz district as a global education effort to spread the news and knowledge about the ongoing development project 'Upendo Unaojali' in Kiabakari. I am very pleased with a huge work done by our team under the leadership of Miss Bożena Koczur. I hope and pray and humanely I keep my fingers crossed as well for the success of the exhibition and good media coverage. If you happen to be in Krakow in this period, please come and see for yourself!

The links to the event - Facebook (click here) and Internet (click here).

Against All Odds

No rain, continuous drought, no water in village water pipelines. We are forced to fetch water from drying creek down in the valley in order to be able to push ahead with development projects. I don't remember such a bad situation as this year. Since April no rain whatsoever. I am amazed how we are able to continue with works and reach a promising stage. Against all odds. Please, pray for us and for rain. Here are some pictures from today posted by Foundation Kiabakari on their Facebook timeline (click here).

Deep Ocean Diving

Back home in Kiabakari, feeling on the very first day after return as if I dived deep down into the ocean of issues and troubles forcing me immediately to switch to the full working and combat mode. Pity it did not rain since I left for Poland some six weeks ago. Everything has changed so dramatically since then. I left the place green and lush. I found it upon my return dull, dusty, gray and yellow. Trouble, big trouble with water supply for our development projects which I commenced before I left. Guys did a great job anyway and things are moving forward in a decent pace, though they admit if not the water problem, they would be much farther ahead in the construction process. Still, I am impressed! Yesterday I spent most time discussing water issue with relevant authorities. Today we started digging out all pipelines to see who has been connected to our water lines and to make sure everything is in proper order. If I cannot solve the problem with steady supply of water from village pipeline, then I will be forced to use the option of water tanker supplying water from the nearby creek. This will be very costly and I do hope we can avoid it. Let's see what happens in these few days.

Here are some pictures (click here) I took yesterday on my tour of construction site which I posted on Foundation Kiabakari Facebook profile. As always, I count very much on your kind prayers!

Houston, we've got a problem! Water!!!

Hunting For Goodies

Second full day in Dar es Salaam. Armed with my special projects book, I criss-cross the city hunting for proforma invoices for medical and hospital equipment as well as the furniture for our pre- and primary schools, playgrounds equipment, vertical blinds and so forth.

So far so good. The preliminary survey almost complete. Awaiting now replies fom the reputable suppliers to work on them further and finally - to pick up what we need for the projects.

As Tanzania is catching up very fast on the business front, there is a lot of quality stuff to choose from.

This surely makes my life less stressful.