Thursday, August 11, 2016

Staff Spotlight: Mzee Kitula

Editor's Note: In continuation of our Staff Spotlight segments, JBFC would love to introduce our supporters to a man that is very much part of the backbone of our campus operations in Tanzania. Mzee Kitula is our Campus Manager, and oversees all of the farm workers on campus, building projects, and maintains our physical campus. Mzee is an example of another amazing local leader who is helping lead the charge for community empowerment in rural Tanzania. 

How long have you been working at JBFC?:

I've worked for JBFC for seven years.

What is your job title and what responsibilities come with your job?:

I am the Campus Manager. My first responsibility here is to make sure that all the workers and guests are safe and to make sure that everything in this campus runs properly: maintenance of buildings, solar power, water pumps, etc.

What is the biggest challenge you face?:

The biggest challenge for me is to make sure that all the workers know their responsibilities and tasks on a daily basis. Sometimes they are here, ready to work, but they don't know what they have to do.


What do you enjoy most about your job?:

I love everything. I like being a manager because I've been working here for a long time so I can show the workers how to do things.

What changes have you seen at JBFC since you started working here?:

I've seen very big changes! We started with six girls and two buildings...but now we have a lot! Also, there were only a few workers and now we have almost 100, so the change is huge!

Have you seen any sort of changes in the local village (Kitongo)?:

Oh yes, there have been huge ones. When I arrived here there were around ten houses with tin roofs, only five people had bicycles and during the rainy season (March-May) it was impossible to use the road, so communication was really difficult. Those are a lot of changes! Even in the village center there was only one house, and now look! There are so many!

What are you looking forward to in the future?:

I would like to see JBFC continue to grow. I'm really excited about the VETA program [at Papa's] (VETA is Tanzania's vocational education system. JBFC is opening a vocational program through its campus restaurant Papa's to train students in hospitality and training. JBFC just broke ground on the new classroom last month.)! That's going to change the lives of a lot of our students and girls. They are going to get a better education!