"Next project there will be piped water supply, as they still send the pupils down the hill to bring water up from the river. We've managed to get all the info and costs about that.(about £3.5k)." So reported Mary Kipling in 'Electrifying Finish' (below). Kisondela School had received its supply of electricity, making it possible to use modern technology and go to bed safely with electric lighting instead of relying on paraffin lamps, but its pupils still had to break off their lessons to fetch polluted water from the river.
In closing the Egremont Today acounts we have released £3K to provide a supply of clean piped water to this remote rural school in Tanzania. It is difficult to find many consolations for reaching the end of the road as a unique local newspaper, but it is some comfort that we have made a lasting difference to one school and its students.

Electrifying Finish

It is a great consolation to us that just as we cease publication we have heard that our most cherished project has at last been accomplished. Four years ago we made a substantial donation to Copeland Rungwe Link to provide an electricity supply to Kisondela School in a remote part of Tanzania. It was not possible to achieve this immediately because of a sudden spike in the costs of connection, but the money was held in a secure investment and increased by another large collection from well-wishers at Peter and Connie's golden wedding celebrations. Imagine our joy on receiving the following news from The Link's wonderful blog:

crcl2010.blogspot.com

"Before writing anything else the big project news is that we have finally reached agreement and paid for the provision of electricity supplies to Kisondela Secondary School. It was four years ago when Peter Watson first gave a generous donation of £4500 from Egremont Today for this specific purpose but crises in the industry and escalating costs put the idea on hold for 2 years. With costs stable again and with extra project funding we were able to meet the full requirements and two days ago materials started to be delivered.

Over the last three weeks, in amongst everything else we have been doing, I have been busy discussing the project proposals from our partner schools and agreeing which ones we would sponsor. We did not have enough money to fund all the projects and we decided to focus on the ones that had been best thought out and would give the best value for money. Lots of hard work has gone into raising funds over the last two years and we wanted to make sure the money was allocated in the best possible way. Having decided on the projects the next task was agreeing prices and buying materials.

Secondary school projects undertaken included fitting out the laboratory at Mpugoso school, which we funded the construction of in 2008, upgrading of a boys dormitory at Lutengano and completion of a dining hall at Lubala. We also funded projects at 5 primary schools which included work on new classrooms. All in all we were able to allocate over £28,000 – a fantastic outcome."

This was confirmed in an email from Mary Kipling, who writes:

"Just to let you know that KISONDELLA WILL SHINE.

We combined the Egremont Today donation with your Golden Wedding
donation, and added this visit's Kisondella project money, and bit the
bullet with TANESCO. Not only will the school have electricity, but
locals along the line will be able to connect too if they can afford to.

It was all a bit of a mission, and I'll tell you all about it when I've
caught up on sleep, but it's going to happen at last.

Next project there will be piped water supply, as they still send the
pupils down the hill to bring water up from the river. We've managed to
get all the info and costs about that.(about £3.5k)

Then a laboratory....."

This news is enough in itself to justify the whole of ET's existence.

Now how about a special celebratory effort to provide the piped water supply?