Mtera Food Distribution

Bega Kwa Bega has been bringing maize to areas affected by drought and we went out to Mtera for one of these food distributions. Mtera is about 100 miles from Iringa on dirt road and is low, hot, and dry. There is a large reservoir (about 40 miles long) there and a hydroelectric dam that supplies electricity for much of southern Tanzania. The reservoir is also famous for fresh tilapia fish but you need a license to fish for them.

On the way we visited Mtera Secondary School for a 11:30 AM “breakfast” of fish, mondazi doughnuts, and bananas. The assistant head master then gave us a tour of the school where they have about 430 students and 17 teachers. Students were still arriving at the boarding school, coming in with a bed roll and a small bag of possessions. The school makes their own desks and beds from welded square iron bar and lumber and also sews their own uniforms to save on cost. They had a nice library with students reading National Geographic magazines and have about 10 students per textbook which for Tanzania is a good ratio even though the national standard is for 1 to 1.

Class schedule for teachers, subjects, and Form Level (grade level):


Bug on chair where they were building furniture for the school:


Students reading National Geographic and other books in library:


Students working in the Science Lab:



We continued driving over the dam, where signs are posted to not take any pictures, and up to the church in Mtera. The pastor was there and a couple others but we did not see any of the maize or people waiting. There was a discussion on how to proceed because the government had also been there for a food distribution and caused a controversy because they handed out maize and ran out with half the people not getting any. They had a list of all households (not just parish members) in Mtera and it was decided to give an equal amount to each one. First we had to eat of course even though it had been not much more than two hours since breakfast so we went to an evangelist’s house for rice and fish. The house was a metal box that was built originally for dam workers but now were used by people in the village. The houses were meant to have air conditioners but did not have any so it was nearly 100 F in the house. We watched a momma cat feed her three kittens and then fuss for fish. She tried to climb up on the table, as she seemed comfortable doing, but was shooed away.

After eating we went to the house by the church were a room was filled with 79 100 kilo (220 lbs) bags of dry maize kernels. Some people had gathered and people started coming from all over the village as word had traveled fast. After introductions and prayers, the food distribution started with people one by one going through the house and receiving a bucket (5 kg) of corn. Corn is distributed by emptying one of the big bags on the floor and scooping with the bucket into bags that each person brought. Each of us filled a bag and then we got out of the way so the distribution could proceed more smoothly. The corn kernels will be taken to a place that will mill it into a flour to make ugali. Ugali is the staple that is like mashed potatoes with less taste. We drove back in about 2 and a half hours and got home before dark.

100 KG bags:


Old Couple getting corn, woman led blind husband:


Sue filling a bag: