Mission Trips

I first visited Iringa and Africa in 2012, after being part of the FISCH UK Team for a good year or so. I cannot tell you how happy Africa makes me feel - there aren't words to express - but I can share with you that the sky is so big and transparent you feel like there is no roof on the world, that if you could reach far enough you would tickle Heaven. 

It was exciting to go to Tanzania and to finally see this Project in action, to meet the fantastic Team I had learnt about and of course, most importantly, get to meet the Children!

Over my three visits to Iringa I have been involved with helping the Saturday Feeding Project, running a Holiday Club, teaching Kids to juggle, a FISCH Olympics, painting the Drop-in-Centre building, playing games with the Kids and of course showing them that women can play football. 

One of my particularly fond memories was when I spent some time with the young girls in the 'FISCH Beauty Salon' in 2012 with lots of donated LUSH pampering items, having the chance to tell them they were beautiful ("nzuri") and pretty ("safi") and doing the simple thing of washing their feet, massaging in moisturising cream to their hands and painting their nails. To simply spend half an hour showing a Street Kid that they are valuable and precious and worth this time and effort and love. To me, it was surely what Jesus would do and it was a humbling experience. I so yearn to go back!

(Paige)

Men and Women working to survive.

I saw woman with babies strapped to their backs

Carrying bowls full of fruit on their heads -

They were walking, walking, mile after mile To take their goods to ‘market’.

Life in Tanzania is hard……… 

I saw men with bicycles with huge loads of wood, piled up high -

Pushing them up, up, up the hill to market.

Heavy, heavy loads!

When I say ‘market’, I mean a tiny stall Just like a small table with a rack on top.

Each trying to sell to another.

Others just place their wares on the ground

Waiting for ‘someone’ to buy ‘something’. 

Life is hard here in Tanzania…... 

Houses are tiny - Really like sheds or shacks made of dried mud or corrugated iron.

One room, two if you’re lucky

Plastered walls and a floor to match.

Cold and stark and dark, no electric lights to be seen .

One large pot on an open fire, in the middle of the room

Cooking whatever is available to eat.

A bed in the corner, one that would sleep 8 or more - Even though it was only made for two.

Mud on the ground, mud all around

Washing to be done, to be hung between shacks

Toys for the kids - What are toys? How can you afford toys when you can’t afford food?

Kids left to play in the open and around,

With sticks and stones, and each other for their fun. 

Food from those pots, cooking for hours, meals that they eat of rice, beans and a slice of melon if you’re lucky

But food and a friendly face is a great way to start

Each of the FISCH team gives from their heart.

There’s Pastor Peter who gives his warm love and preaches of Jesus, God’s Son from above

He speaks of God’s love and how Jesus His Son -

Was a refugee too, from Herod did run 

God loves the poor, but even more… He loves the Children.

‘Bring the children to me’ He said

For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven, Children of all ages big and small

Large and thin, HE LOVES THEM ALL. 

(Poem, by Carolyn)

Simon is one of the UK FISCH Team Members who has recently been out to Iringa and is involved with a building project. Here we chat to him about his experience in Iringa, and what he was doing out there.

How did you get involved with FISCH?

Through St Saviours Church. I have worked in Africa for 20 years in many countries as a Civil Engineer. I wanted to find a charity in Africa where I could use my skills in infrastructure and development.

What aspects of FISCH ministries are you interested and involved in?

My mission is to help with creating a new Community Centre for the Children, “FISCH City”
 

Please tell us a bit about what you got up to on your recent trip to Iringa.

We are building a second structure on the site of the new Drop-In-Centre. We have had problems with builders and the project had been at a standstill for 6 months. I went out there to get things moving again. We are now back on track and the new building should be ready in a months’ time.
 

Please tell us what you can about the site where the new Community Centre (‘FISCH City’) will be built.

We have brought 9 acres of land on the outskirts of town on which we will build a new community, to include a training centre, workshops, classrooms, a church, accommodation, kitchens, shower blocks, sports facilities, a farm, and a fish farm.
 

What are your hopes for FISCH and the new site in the future?

To create a new home, with the intent that we will take Children out of the city where they are at risk and create a safe haven where they can learn, grow and worship the Lord.

What did you enjoy most about your time at FISCH or in Africa in general?

It’s all about the Children. To just see one of them with a smile lifts you enormously... to see a transformation in their lives from having nothing to going to school, university and then a career.