Kalalasi is a poor and remote village in the Sumbawanga region of Tanzania. With a population of 2,500, the main occupations are peasent farming, cattle herding, pottery and basketry. There is a village school and a small dispensary. The dispensary, however, is quite inadequate for the needs of the village, let alone the wider region it also serves. Through our Lent appeal, we hope to raise the £7,800 needed to assist the villagers build a medical clinic and health centre.
It was the success of the kiln project that lead to the formation of Sumbawanga Development Action to extend such practical, collaborative activities in the region. SUDA’s next major project is to assist the people of Kalalasi to build the new health centre. The cost of building the clinic can be kept low by the fact that most of the work will be done by the villagers themselves, including making by hand the 456,000 bricks needed.