Ugesa SACCOS

Our day started early (5 AM) as our journey was going to be a long one.  Ugesa is 134 km from Iringa – and the last half is on rough “African” roads.  Today that meant that besides the usual bumps, ruts, and holes, recent rains have filled many of the areas turning them into big swampy areas of indeterminate depth!

We made pretty good time on the way out of Iringa, arriving at Ugesa only 30 minutes late.  After the usual tea at Pastor’s house the SACCOS meeting got underway at 11:15 with 33 members plus the officers present.  The pastor started the meeting with a word of prayer after which the chairman and Itiweni took over.  The meeting proceeded smoothly. Lasting a little over 90 minutes.

This SACCOS is also doing well.  It was started with some funds from a relative of one of the members who put in $3300 in savings.  Currently this SACCOS has 80 members with another 10 waiting to be admitted.  The SACCOS has a 100% repayment rate.  There are many good stories here – but we will only have time for one today due to the rain!

Speaking of rain – while we were meeting it started raining in earnest, a really torrential downpour followed by a steady rain.  We started worrying abit about the already soggy road but we had more work to do – so off to meet in the SACCOS office.

In the office we went over record keeping and books.  This SACCOS has done an excellent job of keeping records – we congratulate them on their work.  Moving on to their needs, we find that they currently have members with $6,700 pre- approved, unfunded projects (they do an excellent job of screening these as you can tell by their repayment rate).  They told us that they have written their partner in the US asking for help, but have not heard back.  I suggested that a letter could easily have been lost – so they asked to record a greeting to their partner congregation and will write another letter for the Diocese to send.

Then we were off to visit a member of the SACCOS.  The couple we visited were empty nesters, parents of five grown children.  So far they have taken out two loans and are waiting for their third.  Using their loans they purchased a milking goat and sold the milk, plus they planted 4 acres of corn, beans, and potatoes.  The profits from these loans have allowed them to build their “retirement” house and install solar panels – so for the first time they have lights!  (Ugesa does not have any electricity)

Following our home visit we had dinner with the pastor and the SACCOS leaders.  It continued to rain and rain.  Following dinner there were gifts and then, as soon as polite, we started for Iringa.

As often seems to happen in Tanzania, available space in our vehicle was occupied by Ugesa residents needing a ride.  In this case our riders were the pastor, a neighbor girl, and a sack of potatoes.  (The pastor was taking the girl to Iringa to see a doctor.)  So, we were off at 2:30 hoping to get back to Iringa by 5:30 or so. 

Shortly after leaving we discovered that the road had swelled the “water holes” to small to midsized ponds extending beyond the edges of the roads and of indeterminate depth.  We should have been driving a Duckboat from the Wisconsin Dells.  The engine sputtered more than once as the water rushed over the hood.  Once it cut out completely and Tom had to push in the clutch while we all prayed it would coast to the other side (it did).  Dirty water came in under the doors giving Tom a wet foot.  After a few hours of this we were very happy to see the asphalt appear in the distance.

Unfortunately our relief was cut short.  The road out from Iringa is undergoing work.  As a result there are several “turn outs” going around areas of the road.  The very first one we came to was just coming to a stop.  We eased around a truck, snuck down the turn out, and promptly ran into a solid wall of trucks stopped on a hill.  There were trucks in both lanes, cars stuck on the sides, and nothing was moving.  It turned out that the turn out we had just come over was too muddy for the trucks which kept getting stuck.  To make things worse, the trucks that did get out had covered the road with mud making it too slippery for the other trucks to make it up the hill.  Well, two and a half hours later we finally got going again and made it to Iringa.  Another busy day tomorrow.

We arrive at the Ugesa church.  The membership meeting will be held here.

The chairman (far left) calls the meeting to order.  The secretary (middle) and treasurer (far right) are at the table with him.

Itiweni makes a point during her discussion.

A member asks if she can call a meeting of the SACCOS - the answer is YES!

We meet with the pastor, the chairman, the treasurer, and the church secretary to discuss their need for more capital.

These empty nesters have built their retirement home and put in lights with their profits.  (Sylone Mwalongo is 62; Anna, his wife, is 50)

I would guess that there were 70 trucks stuck going up this hill and blocking the road.

Sandy did not mind too much - she's knitting a prayer shawl!  In this case the prayers may have been for making it through the pot holes and home in a safe and timely fashion.