Sean’s return mission

Feb 9 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

A LITTLE more than a week after returning from an “exhausting” project to refurbish an African school, a North East fundraiser is already planning his next mission.

Last month Sean Murphy, of Gateshead, led a team of project workers who renovated a school building in Mahida, in rural Tanzania.

And while the project was a huge success, such is the volume of work to be done in Mahida that Mr Murphy said he was already looking for project workers for the next trip to the village.

He said: “While we were out there, we struck up such a bond with the people of Mahida that we decided to focus our attentions on that village alone.

“We now know about the village politics and the issues with materials, so next time out things should get easier.

“We have also built some important contacts with people living in Mahida, so we have more chance of succeeding with even more ambitious projects.”

Mr Murphy said that anyone was eligible for a place on the team – regardless of their DIY ability – as long as they could raise the required sum of money before the next trip.

He said: “The team we have just taken out proved that you don’t have to be a construction expert to make a real difference.

“We will have a couple of experts as part of the next team, but all the others can come from any walk of life.

“We are particularly interested in taking our first North East woman to Mahida, as the previous team was all male.

“We are also looking for any corporate sponsors who want to get involved, who may wish to send members of their staff. It will be a fantastic experience for anybody.”

Next on the agenda for Mr Murphy, founder of An Ethical Difference, is building a dormitory for pupils at the village school and giving the nursery a makeover.

To contact Mr Murphy, email sean@anethicaldifference.com