Community Centre Opening Ceremony Speech

It has taken 8 years of blood, sweat and tears but we are almost there. This community centre has been a dream but now it is a reality for my son Brendan, Caroline and myself.

You will see from the sign at the front that this is the AUDREY PRIEST COMMUNITY CENTRE not the Team Vista community centre – it is YOUR COMMUNITY CENTRE. It is named after my mum, who was one of my biggest supporters when I started this journey many years ago – here in Tanzania.

When my mum died, I used my share of her legacy to buy this plot for Team Vista and so the journey began. My dream is that you will use the community centre with many different activities such as tailoring (we will have some sewing machines here) soap making and jewelry making groups, playgroup for young mums and their babies, healthy cooking classes and making meals for those in need, adult lessons in reading and writing Swahili, computer lessons – and just a place for you to meet for a chat with each other, share a chai or kahawa , for weddings and funerals. dance, yoga, self defence classes, maybe even art classes and a Kaloleni choir…who knows?? In fact this will be all up to YOU as it is your centre.

For the children there is always afternoon tuition classes, use of the computer room, a place for quiet work, or just to get together with friends – A SAFE PLACE FOR ALL

This centre would not be possible without the support and financial help from my 5 sons – Clayton, Damian, Lincoln, Brendan and Hayden…..from Jim Higgins and Steve and Jenny Cook from Will Allot, Josh Manning and David Campbell, from W and G Engineering, Claytons company  Popthis, Lincolns company  AllCap Securities and Rotary clubs of Camberwell and Hornsby District. Also a massive thank you to Headmaster Peter Grimes and the boys of Mosman Prep school who gave up 30 cubic metres of school furniture.

Through our website there has been many many more supporters from Australia and the UK who have given funds so that we can stand here today for this official opening. To them I say ASANTE SANA – with all my heart!

Yes, as you can see it still needs windows, a kitchen, the outside finished as well as landscaping but it is POLEPOLE here in Tanzania…. So keep those funds coming.

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