Midland - Checkbob [Autonomous Africa Vol.2] by Midland

Why Autonomous Africa?

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Many of the problems Africa faces are a result of outside interference by other countries, and as the 21st century progresses we will see the continued pillage of African resources to feed the global capitalist machine on an unprecedented scale. Corrupt and greedy regimes gladly sell their land and mineral wealth to finance their own extravagant lifestyles while the vast majority of ordinary people see little or no improvement in their own lives. An autonomous Africa run by the people for the people, where African land is predominantly used to feed African people and Africa's vast wealth of resources is used to benefit the people of Africa seems the only logical way forward. Autonomous Africa's goal is to highlight this message and here presents to you 4 tracks of African inspired grooves.

We fully realise a small run, independently released 12" is going to make very little difference to the world, but doing something has to be better than doing nothing. The idea of an autonomous Africa may be naive and unrealistic, but at some point the world we live in will have to change or future generations are going to be left with very little as we consume way more than our fair share. We have collectively buried our heads in the sand thinking we are powerless to engender change. Individually we have little power but collectively, the power is ours.

JD Twitch, June 2013.

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About The Mtandika Mission
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Mtandika is a large village in the dry Ruaha river valley, 400km west of Dar es Salaam. It is a very poor village.

One of the prime movers in the village is Sister Barberina Mhagala. Since she retired from being Headmistress of the Primary School in 2005, Sister Barberina has been developing a Trade School at Mtandika to provide skills training for girls who are either orphans or have no fees for secondary education. She started by building a classroom and dormitory for the Trade School girls who were given sewing lessons and learning to make garments to sell.

Because many of the children do not have homes locally, accommodation is critical. So Sister then built extra accommodation blocks, not only for some of the girls attending the Trade School but also for some 80 girls attending the local Lukosi Secondary School where there was no accommodation.

The girls are taught to be as self sufficient as possible and as well and grow their own food and rear animals in the school grounds.

Water supply is critical, as water is not only required for every day purposes at the school but for irrigating the shambas [allotments]. Water is currently pumped from the nearby perennial Lukosi river some 500 metres away using a petrol pump. Investigations into a cheaper alternative are being investigated.

Education is essential if Tanzania is to fully develop its full potential and anything is possible given the opportunity. As well as supporting Sister Barberina in her capital expenditure, some 10 of the children at the Trade School and 30 at local Secondary Schools who cannot afford the fees are sponsored by funds raised by the charity.