Tanzania Partnership

Every so often, I receive an email message like this one: Hi! Kirsten, I'm WEDSON KIHWELE, one of the students whom you were sponsoring from 2004 to 2007, at Ipalamwa Secondary School. I'm relative to Pastor ALFRED KIKOTI. I would like to thank you and the family who supported in paying the school fees in the then days. But unfortunately I lost their contacts before I could thank them directly. Now, I'm a second year student in Mkwawa University College of Education, taking bachelor of education in arts (Geography).     Congratulations on your academic achievements, Wedson, and may God bless you in the days and years to come. We are so grateful that you keep in contact and update us on your progress in school.

  Soccer is a favorite sport for our Tanzanian partners. This young man made his soccer ball from rags, plastic bags, and twine.  It's a solid, heavy thing to kick around, a little smaller than regulation, but hey, it's better than sitting on the sidelines with nothing to do.   Our travelers usually take at least a dozen soccer balls when we visit Tungamalenga, to give to the children at each village congregation.  They are one of the most popular gifts we carry.   But the terrain is not kind to our inflatable soccer balls.  They puncture easily and deflate.   We've found a source for INDESTRUCTIBLE soccer balls and we'd like to invite you to help us buy some to carry with us in August.   The soccer balls are produced by a company called One World Futbol  and cost about $20.  We invite you to go to their website to learn more about what they do and how the ball came to be.  You can purchase a ba...

With the news that our partner congregation has split into two parishes ( read more here ), our SOTV partnership steering committee has decided we need to re-brand the partnership. We have used "Tungamalenga Partnership" for many years to identify this ministry.  It has been a tongue twister for many.  It also prompts questions -- "Where's that?" and even "What's that?" So how do we go forward, identifying this ministry?  The ministry encompasses Tungamalenga Parish and Makifu Parish.  Yet we also give support to other needs in the Iringa Diocese -- medicines for other dispensaries, scholarships and gifts to the diocese orphanage, scholarships for individuals outside our partner congregation. Here are some of the possibilities we're considering.  Please leave a comment below to tell us what you think! Tungamalenga and Makifu Partnership -- this one got eliminated early; it's just too long. Tanzania Partnership or Tanzanian Partner...