ZAP News

Jubilation in Jambiani as the new pump is installed and 7000 people now have a supply of good clean water.  Extra special thanks to those of you who responded so generously to Mr Pandu's appeal in London, Norfolk and beyond. 

Mr P has worked tirelessly on the project for months with regular trips to the Government  Department responsible for water supply;   he and his wife Basira have also had to look after the workmen's needs - food, shelter, travel etc. etc.  On December 22nd a celebration will be held in the village attended by Martin and Avril Hall (ZAP Trustees and owners of Blue Lagoon).

THANK YOU - THANK YOU to you all.

As ever, our stalwart ZAP supporters have been extremely generous during the past year, both with donations and with help and advice. Your money goes a long way in Zanzibar, and regular contributions ensure the sustainability of our projects – we are very grateful, and never take your generosity for granted.

In early summer, two major ZAP events took place: the very successful Houghton Hall garden tour and cocktail party in May, by kind permission of the Marquis of Cholmondeley, and the first visit to the UK of Mr Pandu, our mbeloved Zanzibar Director whose hard work in Jambiani is absolutely central to our charity. Andrew writes:

What a delight it was to have Mr Pandu with us in the UK during May. Farmer, fisherman, taxi-driver, father, grandfather, ZAP’s agent in Zanzibar, and of course village Imam and friend of all – but now on his first ever visit outside Africa – would he just count the days till he got back on the plane? Absolutely not!!

I would first like to thank Robin and Linda Clarke, and Olivia Boyle (Ashurst, London) for what they have done to help with education in the village:

ZAP volunteer Olivia Boyle’s law firm , ASHURST in London, made a very generous donation of 490 Swahili/English dictionaries which Olivia brought out in the summer; they have also contributed a large quantity of pens, pencils and notebooks, some of which have been used for exams. 

Linda Clarke – star ZAP fund-raiser - brought out two books for young children when she and her husband visited Jambiani in August, one of which has a CD. We have used it extensively with one of the nursery classes which comes into the library. The children love it and the other day, an elderly lady came in and she was also captivated. She stood right in front of the computer and traced the animals on the screen. The children had to wait. 

Wearing their blue uniforms (Monday, Tuesday) and green uniforms (Wednesday, Thursday), Khadija, Maryam and Fatima are the teachers of Jambiani Ladies’ Sewing Co-op. From an original group of eight, trained in Stone Town and sponsored by ZAP, these three were selected to run the teaching and tailoring co-operative at the Jambiani School, and they’ve certainly risen to the challenge. Khadija is the undisputed leader and bookkeeper, well respected by her colleagues and her students, and she’s been very keen to incorporate new ideas and designs into her production line. As well as meeting the sewing needs of the community, from wedding dresses to school uniforms, the ladies offer a repair service and consultation about plans and patterns. 

Since September, the Co-op has been working on a new line of clothing aimed at tourists, and using wonderful, light weight, local kanga cloth. Because of its varied and exquisite design, this material offers many possibilities, and items as perse as casual beach suits and long dresses have been cleverly created. Khadija and her team are very keen to explore new possibilities, and always open to suggestions from a western perspective. The number of garments commissioned, and now being worn by tourists and volunteers, is very tangible proof of their success, and the Swahili sayings incorporated in each kanga have proved a popular focal point.

As the high season for tourism approaches, the group has advertised itself by distributing posters to local hotels, the ZAP Library, and the Jambiani Post Office; and sales will be made from the sewing room at the school. This was fully refurbished with the help of ZAP before the ladies started work, and it is now a comfortable and well-run environment for learning and for commercial production.