Proposed: NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDING FOR THE AFRICAN BENEDICTINE NUNS

CONSTRUCTION PROJECT AT ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC HOSPITAL

IKELU MTWANGO PARISH DIOCESE OF NJOMBE

Ensure health care for prevention and treatment, sufficiently widespread to be equally distributed,
accordingly.

Prepared by:
MACDEC Foundation
P.O.Box 545,
NJOMBE.
macdecfoundation@yahoo.com

Submitted by:
Hospital Administrator
St. Joseph Hospital,
African Benedictine Sisters of St. Gertrud Convent
P.O.Box ……..,
NJOMBE, TANZANIA.
Tel. Mobile No: + 255 762 377 364
E-mail: imiliwahasisters @ yahoo.com

27, DECEMBER, 2023

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 PROJECT SUMMARY

PROJECT TITLE: PROPOSED NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDING COSTRUCTION

PROJECT FOR THE AFRICAN BENEDICTINE SISTERS AT ST. JOSEPH
HOSPITAL IKELU MTWANGO PARISH DIOCESE OF NJOMBE

i) PROJECT OWNER: AFRICAN BENEDICTINE SISITERS, ST. JOSEPH

HOSPITAL – IKELU, DIOCESE OF NJOMBE.

ii) CONTACT ADDRESS: Sr. Neema Mwinuka OSB.

Hospital Administrator
St. Joseph Hospital – Ikelu
P.O. Box
MAKAMBAKO, NJOMBE, TANZANIA.

iii) PROJECT LOCATION: Ikelu village, Mtwango, Njombe, Tanzania.

iv) TARGET GROUP: Population of Mtwango division, Wanging’ombe District

v) TOTAL PROJECT COSTS: TShs. 94,282,660/= = (USD 60,827.)

 St. Joseph Hospital will contribute TShs. 28,782,660/= = (USD 17,097.)

 Expected amount from donors is TShs. 49,000,000/= = (USD 31,612.)

 Local contribution is TShs. 13,500,000/= = (USD 8,810.)

 Diocese of Njombe is TShs. 3,000,000/= = (USD 1,935.)

vi) Official Hospital Registration No113211 on 5th June 2012. by the Ministry of Health
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

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1.0 INTRODUCTION.

1.1 Historical Background Information.

The St. Joseph Hospital at Ikelu village in Wanging’ombe district, Njombe region, began its
services on 20th February 2012 and obtained official registration on 5 th June 2012 with the
number 113211. The hospital is own and managed by the congregation of African Benedictine
Sisters of St. Gertrud Convent, aiming to improve health services and cultivate more spiritual
life in the Diocese of Njombe.

The Catholic Christians along with other people including community leaders have all along
been appreciating the marvelous work done by the St. Joseph Hospital. This document is to
respond to the request of the population, while at the same, we feel it is our obligation to
respond to the cry of people by constructing a House for the Benedictine nuns to serve both the
nuns and the patients, as well as people near the hospital centre.

The worrying and developing spread of HIV/AIDS, recorded in the last two decades, has deeply
aggravated the situation spiritually in this area, resulting in the spread of heavy
immunodeficiency conditions among the population. If follows the dramatic reduction of the
workforce and increased incidence of sexually transmitted disease and opportunistic infections,
such as respiratory infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, intestinal infections, ophthalmic infections,
urinary tract infections, tuberculosis and cancer. In addition to HIV/AIDS, other leading causes
of death recorded in this area are: respiratory infections, congenital heart diseases, cirrhosis,
typhoid fever, malnutrition, measles, meningitis, malaria and hepatitis. Among children, the
main causes of death are: HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, malnutrition, anemia,
gastroenteritis, measles, typhoid fever, hepatitis, meningitis and malaria.

St. Gertrude convent has various fields in which different activities are operated. Religion
Vocation and volunteering- St. Gertrude community has put the religion vocation activities as
first priority where they put more efforts than other areas following the spirit of our patron St.
Benedicto ‘’Ora Et Labora’’ (Pray and Work) Every activity which is done is precedes by the
word of prayer and ends by the word of prayer. St. Gertrude community are living the gospel,
teaching catechesis, reducing the people’s sufferings through volunteering themselves to offer
services to the people in needy.

The Congregation of the Benedictine African Sisters of St. Agnes found in 1938 by Bishop
Gallus Steiger a Benedictine Missionary of St Ottilia, at the prior house of St. Gertrud Convent
in the Diocese of Njombe found in 1968 located in the region of Njombe to the Southern
Highlands part of Tanzania. With our vision of the conversion of people of Africa, and

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providing social services through Catechesis, Education and medical care, the community has
realized that, poverty alleviation requires a missionary spirit. Therefore, our mission is to work
and to commit oneself to improve a human life of the poor.

2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT OF THE PROJECT.

The need to construct a at St. Joseph Hospital Ikelu area arise from the importance of house for
the Benedictine nuns along with hospital services as well as expected sheer growing number of
nuns and followers after completion of the Hospital buildings including house for the nuns who
are providing different hospital service for the people, so that they could experience the love of
GOD.

The project is in line with government efforts to establish as many pre-schools, primary schools
and secondary schools as possible so that many children get access to education. Quality basic
education is very important to even the poor children. People of Tanzania constitutes
empowerment; and it is one of the tools that will empower the country in different aspects of the
war against poverty (Refer to Education and Training policy of 1995)

Priority need

The priority need of this project proposal is to have an education institution which will join
hand with the ministry of education’s effort of having a nation with high level of education at
all levels; a nation which produces the quality and quantity of educated people sufficiently
equipped with the requisite knowledge to solve the society’s problems in order to meet the
challenges of development and attain competitiveness at regional and global at large at
affordable costs.

Project objectives

This project proposal has two main objectives as mentioned here under:

To respond to the needs of a rapidly growing business and education sector in Shinyanga
municipality by producing the quality and quantity of educated people sufficiently equipped
with the requisite knowledge to solve the society’s problems in order to meet the challenges of
development and attain competitiveness at regional and global at large at affordable costs.

The following objectives will be implemented after getting approval from the Ministry of
Education and Vocational Training.

The School will provide subsidized healthy meals daily to children attending this Centre School.

This Centre will continue to raise funds for running the operation of the school by requesting
sponsorship for educating the children attending this centre.

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The hospital site needs somehow a bigger House for the Benedictine nuns, more room for more
Church functionaries including the patients, Catholic followers and missionary nuns (sisters).
The St. Joseph Hospital is very famous in the diocese for the quality health services in the
region, our Development Strategic plan is based on continuation of missionary spirit laid down
by our Lord Jesus Christ, which is implemented by the church through provision of services in
compassionate manner. Also we are very much aware and we have taken into account on
national and international reforms regarding the health sector which have taken place in the past
15 years. Some of these reforms are based on key policy documents such as the Tanzania
Development Vision 2025, the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP
– commonly referred to by its Kiswahili acronym: MKUKUTA), and the Global Strategic
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The action is to fulfill the congregation’s vision and mission under the light of St. Benedictine
the founder and patron of our spiritual life. We are pleased to present to you this financial
request so that we could construct a new house for the benedictine nuns to accommodate 20
nuns who are there at the hospital services and 200 church followers.

3.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION.

3.1 Brief description of the project.

The Project concept is based on the fact that the management of the hospital has decided to
construct a house for the Benedictine nuns at St. Joseph hospital Ikelu in Njombe region, aiming
to deliver effective spiritual service to the hospital staff, patients and other people around. The
hospital involves a number of nuns and other catholic followers; the congregation’s authority
has also approved the idea in order to save spiritually a number of nuns and other catholic
follower within the catchments area of the hospital and create the atmosphere of the dependence
to \our Lord Jesus who heals first.

The Catholic Christians along with other people including community leaders have all along
been appreciating the marvelous work done by the members of St. Gertrude Convent. This
document is to respond to the cry of the people, while at the same, we feel it is our obligation to
respond to the cry of people by constructing a house for the Benedictine nuns which improve
and motivate our spiritual life according to the rules and guidance of St. Benedict.

The followers and good wishers people, have been pressing on to the action towards
construction of the hospital house for the Benedictine nuns so that they could access spiritual
care and support. They are ready to contribute local building materials such as stones, sand and
other unskilled labour. This shows how the people themselves see the need of the house for the
benedictine nuns and our services. Seeing the seriousness of people the hospital administration

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without delay we have been struggling to get financial assistance or materials, to supplement
the efforts of the people in the area towards achieving the project objectives.

3.2 Project Location.

The ecclesiastical Territory of the Diocese of Njombe is situated between Longitude 34’E and
Latitude 8’30’S. It found in Njombe Region south west of Tanzania. The Diocese takes one the
political boundaries of the four districts namely Njombe, Makete, Wanging’ombe and Ludewa.
It borders with the Diocese of Iringa in the North, Mahenge Diocese in East, Songea
Archdiocese and Mbinga Diocese in the South, Lake Nyasa and Diocese of Mbeya in the west.
The total area is about 20860 square Kilometers. In view of its physical features, it is 75%
mountainous with a landscape that rises up to 2500m above sea level. The climate varies
according to the height of the place: from warm temperatures along Lake Nyasa to very cool
temperatures in some parts of Njombe and Makete districts between May and July. It is still
potential for agriculture activities and livestock.

The proposed St. Gertrude Missionary station’s House for the benedictine nuns will be
constructed in St. Joseph hospital- Ikelu catchment area in Njombe town, Mtwango Ward,
Wanging’ombe district in Njombe region –Tanzania. It about 5km follows the direction of
Makambako - Songea road.

3.2.1 SOCIAL CONDITIONS:

(i) Housing.
With the earned income the people of Mtwango Division are virtually competing to build
modern houses (of cement blocks with iron roofs) properly ventilated and with sanitation
concern. There is a shift from the traditional house units of wooden poles and grass thatch, and
this has been one way of protection the environment. On the average, the size of the family in
Mtwango Division is eight, two adults and five children, excluding two to three dependent
members from the extended African family.

(ii) Education.
Almost all households, which number about 50000, use part of the income for education of their
children. These are a primary school in each of eight villages in Mtwango Division. Children
enrolment and literacy rate in the area is encouragingly. There is three secondary schools at
Mtwango Division, and is assured of full attendance and fairly good performance.

However, as time goes on secondary education is becoming very expensive and some parents
are failing to afford. As a result many primary school leavers in the villages, the majority of
whom do not seem interested in agriculture, decide to migrate seeking paid employment, but
only to end up in disappointments.

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Unfortunately there is no trade or vocational schools in Mtwango Division Ward where primary
school leavers can learn skills in any trade for their future. But, however, one impressive
phenomenon of the Mtwango Division community is the active spirit of participation (and
sometimes contributions of materials or money) in communal activities. All the schools,
including the secondary school, and all the dispensaries in Mtwango Division and nearby
villages, have been built by the villagers themselves on self-help. It is their responsibility also to
maintain or rehabilitate these buildings and the facilities

(iii) Health and Sanitation.

Mtwango Division has three dispensaries, but there is one hospital in the area but it seems to be
not enough compared to the entire population. With time it would have been expected a
reduction of killer diseases in the area and in the district. But instead the diseases continue to
prevail and increase with increasing number of victims and deaths. Malaria remains the number
one of the ten killer diseases in the area and in the district causing about 30% of all deaths in
year 1999, followed by AIDS/ARC (AIDS related cases) 22.7%, pneumonia 13% , anemia
12.6%, T.B. 6.9%, diarrhea 5.5%, severe malnutrition 4.4%, cholera 2.3%, ARI (Acute
Respiratory Infection) 0.9%, dysentery 0.8%*.

Most of the drinkable water is supplied from shallow wells while piped water is available only
few areas. Public health education needs to be more extensively disseminated in order to reduce
cases of water – borne diseases.

(iv) Availability of Infrastructure.

The TANESSCO electricity grid is available from Makambako and at the moment Mtwango
village is also the Division and ward headquarters is being supplied with electricity. These are a
(long term) program to supply electricity to all villagers along the highway.

Mtwango Division is traversed by the tarmac highway from east to north and to south, along the
highway radiates a dense network of rural roads to almost all villages beyond them. Except for
the highway, all other roads are earth roads, and a few of them being murram road facilitating
the movement of people, and products and service. These roads help also to facilitate
communication and mass-media availability in the villages, such as newspapers, postal services
etc. While mobile telephones are increasingly being introduces, in Njombe region and it’s all
district by private telecom companies.

3.3 Objectives of the Project.

3.3.1 General Objective.

Construction of a House for the benedictine nuns at St. Joseph hospital - Ikelu, in Njombe
region, is one of the important buildings along with Health services.

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3.3.2 Specific objectives:

(i) To construct a house for the Benedictine nuns in order to facilitate spiritual life for
the nuns at St. Joseph Hospital.

(ii) To assist the marginalized sector of the community by providing them with relevant
education and information in order to assert their rights and seek improvement of their
living conditions with particular emphasis on women, street children, orphans, disabled
and HIV/ADS victims.

(iii) To promotes health and nutrition in rural and urban so that they could attain full of life.

3.4 Components of Buildings.

(i) Construction of strong foundation and wall structure according to the laid down
approved plan.

(ii) The house for the benedictine nuns building will need roofing materials and all the
corrugated iron sheets.

4.0 MEANS AMD RESOURCES TO HELP IN PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION.

(i) Personnel:
 The congregation is having trained and skilled masons and carpenters who will be able
to work on the reconstruction works on the buildings. This will give them further
experience in doing the job while retaining the original church building designs and
architecture.

 The project construction and the management team have keen interest in construction
works and are already involved in some works at the hospital area. These will be the
immediate supervisors of the project. The Sister-in Charge Sr. Neema Mwinuka OSB
has good experience in construction projects.

 The House for the benedictine nuns and the living house are important establishments
accommodating many people at a time. For this reason qualified civil engineer and an
architect from the Diocesan headquarters will be involved in the project from early
stages and will be the technical advisors of the project.

(ii) Availability of materials.

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  All construction materials are available within the Country. Some at the site others
within the district and some from the Diocesan headquarters in Njombe and others
from bigger towns like Mbeya or Dar – es – Salaam. All the materials will be purchase
in local currency.

(iii) Initiatives shown towards the project.

 Many people in this project they are ready to participate in voluntary works such as
preparation of bricks, stones and sand. This is encouraging and makes external
assistance more meaningful supplementing what the beneficiaries themselves are
having or doing.

 The access road (37 Km) from Njombe town, to St. Joseph hospital Ikelu is tarmac
road. This will facilitate transportation of some building material by road from Njombe
and other big towns like Mbeya or Dar es Salaam.

5.0 PROJECT COMPONENTS.

(i) Acquisition and transportation of new building materials, timber, corrugated iron sheets,
and nails. Cement, sand, stones flacks, oil paints etc.

(ii) Site clearing and trench excavation to receive the house for the benedictine nuns
foundation and wall Structure,

(iii) Fixing ceilings into the roofs.

(iv) Windows and doors.

(v) Plastering and painting of the building and external works.

6.0 BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT.

(a) Evangelical.
The house for the benedictine nuns will be used for prayer and for spiritual life for the
patients, nuns and Catholic Church followers.

(b) Social, Economic and Cultural.

(i) St. Joseph hospital House for the benedictine nuns at Ikelu sub area will once again
come back to life: It will be an important meeting place for many people to enjoy quality

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 medical services, best practice in service delivering, discussion on their social and
economic development issues.

(ii) Social services such as health service education and training will be expanded to benefit
more people.

(iii) Assurance of compassionate service delivery to the needy will attract more people to
visit the Hospital whether as duty or on leisure, bringing support to the hospital.

7.0 SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROJECT.

(i) The proposed project is not a commercial project but is will have to be sustain with
resources from the Catholic followers and from service delivered in terms of cost
recovery .

(ii) Many people, together with Mother Superior of St. Gertrud Convent Imiliwaha, have
effectively demonstrated the will to support the initiative made by the hospital
management team to various buildings despite the meager resources they have.

(iii) Once the construction of the buildings is completed, the congregation’s authorities will
reinforce their Project maintenance committee (PMC), which is entrusted with the
responsibility of looking for local resources for maintaining, repairing and renovating
the building. The local resources are mainly contributions from different people in the
Parish and the Diocese. The contribution can be money or materials.

(iv) To achieve the goal the PMC will set target of contribution for each substations of the
congregation, to make contributions half-yearly, for the costs of building maintenance.

8.0 MONITORING AND EVALUATION.

(i) Close monitoring will be done on cash transaction and banking operations. The project
will have a separate bank account. While bank reconciliation will be done monthly,
balance sheet and final accounts will be done at the end of the year.

(ii) Monitoring and evaluation system will be built within project cycle management as an –
going process. Monitoring and evaluation will be used to identify strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats in the project implementation, to offer immediate feedback and
hence improve project performance.

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 The project Management will, from the initiation of the project, build effective
monitoring and evaluation system in a participatory manner whereby some key
Secondary stakeholders would be involved to assess performance against goals, share
results and use them in decision making process.

(iii) In addition, the Diocese Authorities through its office (Njombe Development Office –
NDO) will assess the process of the project activities according to the implementation of
the work plan, and by analyzing strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the
project.

8.0 FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

8.1 The Budget:

The total project Budget amounts to Tshs. 94,282,660 (USD 60,827) in order to
implement the indicated project components and activities.

8.2 Financial Plan:

(i) Local community will contribute or participate. Both contributions and participation will
worth about Tshs. 13,500,000/=
(USA 8,710)

(ii) Njombe Diocese headquarters will assist in providing transport facilities and some few
building material, all worth about Tshs. 3,000,000/= (USD 1,935)

(iii) The requested amount from donors is Tshs. 49,000,000/= (USD 31,613).

(iv) African Benedictine Sisters, St. Gertrud Covent, Imiliwaha TSHS. 28,782,660/= (USD
17,096)

8.3 Costs Breakdown (Budget summary).

Tshs US$

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(a) Material Costs
(i) Local materials by Catholic local community
contributions Stones, sand, burnt bricks 8,000,000/=
(ii) Material from outside Njombe
Cement, Timber, Iron Sheets, Ceiling boards etc 49,000,000/=
(iii) Tools and equipments Saw, hammers, wheelbarrows
etc 2,000,000/=
Sub total 69,000,000/=

(b) Labour Costs

(i) Beneficiaries participation value at 5,500,000/=
(ii) Wage Laborers (semiskilled) 12,500,000/=
(iii) Supervisors and Technicians (Civil engineer, Two
Assistants & Consultant) 4,282,660/=
Sub total 22,282,660/=

(c) Freight / Transport charges.

(i) From Mbeya town by road 1,500,000/=
(ii) From Njombe and Makambako by road 1,500,000/=
Sub total 3,000,000/=
Grand total 94,282,660/=

10.0 DECLARATION.

We, the undersigned, we declare that the information provided in this proposal is correct and
that will be responsible to give any additional information and the progress report of the project.

……………………………
Sr. Neema Mwinuka OSB
HOPITAL ADMINISTRATOR

…………………………
Sr. Sylvia Kilonge OSB.
MOTHER SUPERIOR

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