The Anvil Updates – May 2026

🌍 Here’s a story told by one of the many artisans we support in Tanzania, having received both tools and training. Mr Alfons Muta, in his own words:

‘I am Alfons, 29 years of age and a carpenter. In fact I did not know anything about Kalwande or the project until 2021 when my friend who attended a short course there in electricity informed me. Then I remember you visited this area that year and you were talking with my neighbours. When I heard you mentioning Kalwande and another difficult name which sounded European I came closer. To cut the story short, later on I joined a two weeks training course in January 2022 there at Kalwande. It was a very interesting and enjoyable course and our teacher was excellent, though a bit old. I learned many new things which I did not know before including types of wood, new and modern machines and various furniture designs. You can’t believe that teacher knows even how to determine age of trees! So at the end I came out a new person, and what impressed me more was the certificate. I did not expect it and on coming back to my work it really added on my CV since customers now trust me more. After two month I went back to Kalwande not for training but to obtain some tools. I got very strong and durable tools which really improved my carpentry work. In just two years I manage to produce and sell quality furniture and other items which enabled me supporting my two young sisters who are in secondary school, repair my mother’s house and above all, I now have my own office! It has a store, working space and a display area; the environment which also enabled me to accommodate two young trainees.
Please send my gratitude to your friends in Europe; I have forgotten the name but you said they are in UK. Tell them Alfons is very happy with their support and is expecting them to continue helping others as well. Of course don’t forget to greet Fr Akriatus for the comfortable accommodation and good meals during our stay at Kalwande. Welcome again, Mr. Michael’

Container 23 is on the move

We’ve got the container on the truck and it’s heading for Dar es Salaam aboard the Vancouver Express (I like this. I’m from Vancouver originally). Below are some photos of the swap from c23 to c24. The Wednesday crew including Phil, Simon, Paul and Ian all stayed late into the afternoon and were assisted by Gerry from the Thursday crew who just had to see it happen after loading all those 15 plus tons. That was 31,000 tools heading around the Cape again. Many thanks to those generous folks who helped with the expense of this endeavour.

Speaking of Gerry…

Gerry has been one of our local volunteers now for many years and has found a real calling to fill containers. And here’s a photo of me being amazed at how much stuff he can get in the container!

Gerry Whit has been volunteering with us since 2021, alongside his work with the Repair Café in Abergavenny. With a varied career spanning communications, commercial driving and gas engineering, Gerry describes himself simply as “practical”—someone who enjoys fixing, making and figuring things out.

A regular in the depot, Gerry is part of the depot crew alongside Alec, Simon, Paul, Ian and more recently Phil. For him, volunteering is the perfect combination of purpose and activity—getting out of the house, keeping active, and doing something hands-on.

Over the years, Gerry has become a key part of one of our most important operations: packing shipping containers bound for Tanzania. Having helped load six containers, he’s honed the process to what he proudly calls a fine art.

His guiding principle?
“We don’t ship air.”

Gerry takes real satisfaction in making sure every inch of space is used—carefully packing tools and equipment into even the smallest gaps. For him, the ultimate measure of success is the final weight of the container: the heavier it is, the more he knows they’ve maximised their impact.

But beyond the logistics, what matters most to Gerry is simple:

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“You’re doing some good in the world.”

Double your impact!

TFSR Cymru is taking part in this year’s Big Give Small Charity Week (22nd-29th June) when donations to us will be doubled. A link to where you can donate will be available on our website and all social media channels for that one week only. Make your donation to us count and play your part in making our training in Tanzania this year happen.

Local Events in May and June

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Be sure to join us, if you can on the May 23, 2026 in the Crickhowell Courtyard. We’ll have two or three trustees selling garden tools, answering questions and taking donations for the charity. It’s one of the best villages in Britain and I can confirm some of the finer coffee shops are here, too.

Also, we’ll be at…

• St. Michael’s Hospice, Hereford – May 16 -17
• Fire In The Mountain Festival – May 27 – June 1

Thank you / Asante Sana / Diolch yn fawr