Tanzania Partnership

There are 70 congregations in the Saint Paul Area Synod (SPAS) partnered with congregations from the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.  Shepherd of the Valley and Tungamalenga are one of these 70 partnerships. These partnerships provide Tanzanian congregations with a basic gift of $1000 each year for parish projects -- like construction of chapels -- and may also provide the parish with a number of scholarships for secondary students. Many, many SPAS congregations provide the basic $1000 annual gift plus six to twelve scholarships at $360 per scholarship per year. The partnership between Shepherd of the Valley and Tungamalenga Parish is not a typical one.  SOTV has resources that go far beyond those of most SPAS congregations.  At the same time, Tungamalenga Parish with its 20 village congregations, located far away from the diocese center, has needs that exceed many Iringa diocese parishes. In recent years, Shepherd of the Valley has sent between $

The 11th Annual Ilula Hospital Benefit is coming up Thursday, April 11, 6PM at Central Lutheran Church.  This year's event will support nursing education in the Iringa area. Since 2002, Shepherd of the Valley members Kari and Randy Hurley, and Mollie and Lyn MacLean have been involved with the organization Shoulder to Shoulder, supporting health care in the Iringa region.  Their work was instrumental in upgrading the facility at Ilula from a health center to a regional hospital.  In recent years, the group has focused on building a school of nursing on the Ilula campus. Nursing school classrooms and offices have been constructed. Furniture, books, and equipment are in place. The dormitory and kitchen will soon be completed.  This year's benefit funds will be used for scholarship assistance for certificate level nursing degrees for Tanzanian women at the Ilula Nursing School. Your generous donations benefit not only a young Tanzanian woman and her family but also the vill