A group of 12 SSE employees, families and friends have just returned from a life changing volunteering trip to Tanzania.
The team spent two weeks helping to build houses in the Kilimanjaro area of Tanzania as part of Vine Trust’s Work Parties programme.
During the fortnight, the team of volunteers shifted rocks, bricks, gravel and sand by the tonne – much of it up a steep incline in baking heat. They also dug foundations, mixed cement and transported water to allow the fundis (builders) to make incredible progress on three family homes they were building for some of the country’s poorest people.
Wendy Davidson works in SSE’s head office in Perth and helped organise the trip, she said: “We’re all so happy to have helped out in our own small way. It was definitely hard work in very intense heat but we were all very proud to take part.
“Tanzania is such a wonderful country and is bursting with life. The people were the most welcoming, resourceful, friendly, hard-working people we could ever have hoped to meet, and it was our privilege over the two weeks to help just a few of them take a step towards a better life.
“It was a life changing trip and we cannot wait to get back again next year.”
Murdo McGhie from SSE’s Glasgow office said: “It was very hard work in very hot sun but it was definitely worth the effort. The local fundis (builders) are very skilled but they needed help in the form of our labour. We carried countless bricks and shifted many tonnes of sand and gravel over the two weeks but the joy of watching the houses start to take shape made it all worthwhile.”
Liz Bowes, Programme Manager, Vine Trust said: “The team from SSE did a great job when they were out in Tanzania. Over their two weeks they shifted tonnes of rocks, bricks and sand to help build three family homes.
“The Work Parties programme has proved very successful and is open to anyone over the age of 18 no matter what their skill level. Volunteers take part in basic building duties alongside local craftsmen and community volunteers so enthusiasm is the only thing required!”
Amanda Forster works in SSE’s Portsmouth office said: “I’m immensely proud of the work we did in Tanzania. It was very hard, in extreme heat but you could see the difference we made. It’s such a wonderful country and everyone we met was so friendly. I feel like we made a real difference.”
Vine Trust is an international interdenominational volunteering charity which seeks to enable volunteers to make a real and significant difference to some of the poorest children and communities in the world.