24th September 2020

Dear Friends,

2020 hasn’t been the year any of us planned for.  Covid-19 has impacted every corner of the globe and every facet of our daily life.  We know that bad news has been unwavering and unrelenting this year and at Testigo Africa, we’re trying to focus on the positives.  In this (good) newsletter, we’ve decided to share some positivity and good news stories from all around the world to thank our loyal supporters, and spread a little happiness.

At Testigo, we’re (almost) business as usual.

Testigo projects are designed, managed and implemented to operate autonomously without our ongoing direct supervision.  Despite our founder and CEO, Tracey Sawyer, being stuck in Melbourne because of stage four lockdown restrictions, our projects 11,000 kilometres away continue to thrive.

These photos were taken only a few months ago.  The project has continued throughout this time, and the school has flourished using our train-the-trainer system.  Students that Testigo originally trained are training new students starting at the school, passing on their knowledge.

The food that has been grown is used in school lunches, ensuring students have access to organic vegetables and nutritional meals.  The project has increased health, food security and has economic benefits for the school and community. The headmaster of Lowassa Secondary School was so impressed with Tracey and Testigo that he told the Tanzanian Education Commission, who now endorse Testigo expanding our training to more government schools.

Our projects work and make long-lasting impacts in communities that want and need them.  This year may have thrown us some curveballs, but we are as ambitious and motivated as ever.

We have plans to extend training at Lowassa Secondary School, including developing a food forest.  We are confident in our product and our mission and our goal, and we need your help to put our plans for expansion into action.

Good News From Around the World

• In Australia, Meyne Wyatt has become the first Indigenous man to win any of the prizes at the Archibald prize
• Sudan’s government and rebel groups have signed a historic peace deal, looking to end 17 years of conflict in the country.
• Eleven new penguin colonies have been spotted from space
• Africa has eradicated the Wild Polio Virus from its Continent
• There’s an elephant baby boom in Kenya
• This Nigerian boy won a scholarship after video of him dancing went viral
• Rare turtles known for their permanent smiles have been saved from extinction in Myanmar

Brighten your day with these recommendations

• On Netflix: My Octopus Teacher.
  My Octopus Teacher follows the journey of a man and his bond with an octopus, who teaches him how to reconnect with the world and his family, and gain an appreciation for life and the environment.
• On Netflix: Love on the Spectrum.
  This heart-warming show follows the lives of young adults on the autism spectrum as they explore love and dating.  It is sure to bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your face.
• Read: Alicia Keys, More Myself.
  This part autobiography, part narrative documentary tells the story of Alicia Keys, her triumphs and her heartbreaks, and her journey to discovering her true identity.
• Read: Michelle Obama, Becoming.
  Former First Lady Michelle Obama takes us on a journey from her childhood to her time in the White House.  The book is a joyful read and like the rest of Michelle’s work, a powerful and inspiring contribution to woman and girls around the world.
• Podcast: Time Sensitive. Ep 35: Julia Watson on the Power of Indigenous Technologies to Transform Our Planet.
  Julia Watson is an anthropologist, environmentalist, activist, and landscape designer who is leading the field in search of Lo – TEK indigenous, nature-based technologies for climate-resilient design.  In this podcast episode Julia speaks about how we can indigenise our technologies to adapt better to our changing environment.
• Podcast: Just the Gist Listen as the vibrant and very funny Rosie Waterland and Jacob Stanley tackles a different topic every week in this light-hearted but informative podcast.  Topics include the Great Emu War and Loch Ness Monster.
• Watch: the Labradors Olive and Mabel battle it out in various competitions, all commentated by sports broadcaster Andrew Cotter.
• Watch: This man found a creative (and very entertaining) way to stop squirrels from stealing his bird seed.
• Follow: @testigo_africa to stay in the loop and have your feed brightened by our wholesome content.  Many of our photos have been taken by the talented photographer Simon Scott.  You can check out his work @simonscottphoto.

Finally, doing good feels good, so please support us and the work we do by donating if you can.  Testigo has exciting plans for expansion within Tanzania and into Amboseli in Kenya.  We need your help to make them a reality!

DONATE