TASMANIAN HELP FOR TANZANIA

A DEDICATED Tasmanian nurse is throwing herself once more unto the breach, travelling to Tanzania in subSaharan Africa on Friday to continue the lifesaving work of the charity she founded in 2007.

Launceston’s Diana Butler, who in 2016 was awarded an OAM for her work with the charity she co-founded, Care for Africa, said her three weeks in the impoverished Tarime district, home to about 32,000 people, “will go very, very quickly”.

Among other programs established by the charity that need checking in on, are dozens of water bores and sanitation blocks that have been installed in schools, breakfast programs, three women’s centres and 23 sponsored children.

“We travel out to the communities every day, meeting with the schools, visit our women’s centres, look at their programs and how we can improve them,” Ms Butler said. “Meeting with government bodies, UN agencies, Rotary, community leaders, taking lots of photos and data collecting.”

Taken together, Ms Butler said Care for Africa was focused on “developing an integrated community development model which will enable the people to become self-sufficient”.

“They actually know how to fix their problems, they just need a hand up, the ear that listens and enables sustainable change,” she said.

“They know they want water, I’m their voice, their advocate for them.”

Ms Butler will travel with charity chairman Dr John Wettenhall and RN/midwife Suzanne Godfrey, both of whom are colleagues of Ms Butler’s at the Launceston General Hospital.

She will also travel with Rotary Club of Central Launceston treasurer John Carswell, project co-ordinator for the Water Bores for Tanzania program. Donations can be made at careforafrica.org.au.