“We have been able to deliver some life-changing and life-saving projects, but there’s more to be done,” said Mr Carey.
“Our focus will remain improving basic needs, especially in water, sanitation and hygiene. Access to an improved water source, effective hand hygiene and improved sanitation go much further than just improving health, important though that is. They improve education outcomes and economic activity and provide the opportunity for whole communities to develop.”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Eleanor Foundation out of tragic circumstances.
Late in 2011, Allister’s daughter, Eleanor, was killed while cycling in London. Eleanor was 22. She was studying international development and was passionate about sustainable development. The Foundation was set up the year after Eleanor’s death by family and friends who wanted to honour her legacy by working on the issues which were of greatest importance to her.
Pictured: Since its creation nearly a decade ago, the Eleanor Foundation has improved the lives of tens of thousands of children and adults in Tanzania.
“We – the family – decided quite soon after Ellie’s death in December 2011 that forming the charity was simply the right thing to do,” said Mr Carey.
“Ellie was very determined to follow a career in international development and her particular interest was in the improvement in access to basic needs, most notably WASH [water, sanitation and hygiene]. I remember questioning her about her reasons for choosing this path and her firm answer was always: ‘Dad, it’s got to be done’. And those words have resonated with me over the years.
“From the outset, we’ve been overwhelmed by the level of support and encouragement received both from individuals and organisations without which we would not have got to the position we are now in. I don’t recall that we set any targets or goals at the beginning. It has all evolved over time. I don’t think any of us in 2012 would have dared to anticipate where we are now in 2022.”
Mr Carey was informed about his MBE at the end of October.
“The call from Government House certainly took me by surprise,” he said. “I was initially a bit dumbstruck. I can’t really remember what I said although it was a hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck experience. The challenge was keeping it a secret, but we managed that ok.
“I’m hugely proud of what we have managed to achieve since the establishment of the Foundation and to receive this recognition is clearly a great honour. Whilst we’re naturally delighted with this, other emotions do come into play given the underlying reasons behind the formation of the Eleanor Foundation.
“The MBE award has been enthusiastically received by our team in Tanzania and I have emphasised to them the significance of their contribution to the success of the Foundation.”
Since 2014, the Foundation has been working in North-West Tanzania, principally in rural communities in the districts of Chato in Geita region and and Biharmulo in Kagera region.
Pictured: A water pump is installed in a village in Chato district – one of eight put in by the Eleanor Foundation in 2021.
For a charity from a small island, the impact of the Eleanor Foundation – measured in the range of projects it has completed and the lives it has improved and indeed saved – has been truly extraordinary.
Maternity wards and school blocks have been built. Back-up solar power has been installed at a health centre. More than 100 shallow wells have been dug. A dozen schools have been provided with new toilet facilities and nine more are expected to be this year.
More than 100,000 people now benefit from access to clean water from the wells dug or funded by the Eleanor Foundation. Muganza Health Centre, which thanks to the Foundation now has a secure supply of clean water, provides services to around 60,000 people. Nearly a thousand students at Rusabya Primary School had half their school rebuilt by the Eleanor Foundation after it was extensively damaged in a violent storm two years ago.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of our work in Tanzania has to be the sense of partnership that has been developed with the district governments and individual communities,” said Mr Carey.
Pictured: Children at Rusabya Primary School now have access to improved toilet facilities thanks to the Eleanor Foundation.
“We first visited Tanzania in 2014 and we remain especially grateful to the Tumaini Fund and Dr Susan Wilson for their support in those early years.
“We set up Eleanor Foundation Tanzania as an non-governmental organisation in Tanzania in 2016 and we are increasingly accepted as a local [Tanzanian] institution with a permanent presence within the community.
“Through the efforts of our team based in Biharamulo, we have been able to build strong relationships throughout both districts. As a result, we receive close cooperation and increasing contributions from individual communities.
“These contributions take the form of the provision of building materials – bricks, sand and aggregate – for shallow wells and other construction projects. More recently, we have been receiving financial contributions towards shallow well construction, which is a hugely significant development and is a clear demonstration of the value that clean water brings.”
Pictured: In its most-recent annual report, the Eleanor Foundation said: “At Mutundu, construction work on the maternity ward is now completed and the facility is ready to be handed over to the Chato District Government. The maternity ward is an additional facility to the adjacent dispensary both of which were the subject of a grant from the Overseas Aid & Development Commission. The Eleanor Foundation has plans to install a deep borehole at this site to ensure a secure constant water supply.”
Mr Carey can’t wait to return to Tanzania to see close colleagues and cherished friends with whom he and other local supporters share this moving, compassionate, life-changing journey of sustainable development. They look forward to “visiting many completed projects, meeting with local government and community leaders and assessing further projects”.
“Going forward we will continue to work in the same two administrative districts in Tanzania – Chato and Biharamulo. Our intention is to do this for as long as there is a need and as long as we continue to receive financial support from individuals and organisations.”
For more information about the Eleanor Foundation or to donate to its work, you can visit its website HERE.