Tanzania Partnership

Yesterday we visited Huruma Centre, the diocese orphanage whose name means mercy.   We played with the children, spoke with Mama Chilewa who runs the place, and we learned about the many challenges here. Our youngest travelers really shined during our visit. Micah, 13, was playing catch and showing kids all kinds of fancy moves, catching around the back, under legs, from behind.  Rheis, 13, told the children how he had started making wristbands to raise funds for a gift during this trip.  Rheis ended up raising $450 and he is considering several needs that the orphanage has -- a bike for a student whose secondary school is far from the home, a milk goat or two to help boost the children's nutrition, boys' clothing which is needed for growing kids. The children at Huruma Center listened to Rheis tell his story, and cheered when he told them that he had also made some wristbands for them. In our visits to Tungamalenga and Makifu last week, Pastor Naftal was eager t...

This post was written by Mollie and Lyn MacLean    Bibi Joan and family dressing Maasai style    Last week we spent four energy-packed days sharing our Tanzanian experience with twenty-five grade school students.   It was not only a culture camp for the students to get to know about four Tanzanian families (who we as adult leaders know rather well); but it was also a cultural experience for our students to get to know us, who are at least 50 years older than they are.   Bibi Mollie and the "Kahwage" family collect water   Each student was placed into one of the four Tanzanian families groups.   Each family group had a picture of the family and some items commonly found in the home of that specific family.   We talked about life in Tanzanian and life in that family:   what each family member does, how they dress, and the opportunities and challenges for each family.      Babu Richard and the "Kuyaa"...

Suzanna, age 8 One of our favorite places to visit while in Iringa is Huruma Center, the orphanage owned by the Iringa Diocese.  Huruma means mercy. Right now there are about 34 kids at the center, with another 28 who live outside the center while attending schools.  Kids can come and go from this place -- some are dropped off or found living on the streets when parents or family cannot care for them, others leave the center when staff are able to locate other relatives willing to take them into their own homes. Shepherd of the Valley provides gifts to the center when we visit and at Christmas time.  I asked Mama Chilewa what the children need this Christmas and she immediately said, "a new set of clothing for each would be nice."  She explained that the children make do with hand me downs most of the year, but at Christmas she would like them to have something new. Can we make this happen, SOTV?  Sure we can.  Our Christmas gift funds fo...

Shepherd of the Valley's 3 year olds through fifth graders are learning a little about malaria this summer as they attend Vacation Bible School.  They're finding out that the mosquito is one of the most deadly creatures on earth because it can carry malaria, which is one of the leading causes of illness and death for children under age five in parts of the world. Tungamalenga, Tanzania is one of those places in the world. So our VBS kids are collecting coins to send with SOTV travelers at the end of July.  Our travelers will purchase several hundred mosquito nets treated with a mosquito killing insecticide.  The nets will be delivered to the Tungamalenga Dispensary, where Doctor Barnabas and his staff will distribute them to pregnant moms and to families with children under age five. These are life-saving gifts! Thanks to Mim Campbell, Jeanne Mikulski, & the Children's Ministry staff for their enthusiastic partnership!  Thanks to ki...

Tungamalenga Partnership is teaming up with Shepherd of the Valley's Children's Ministry staff for another couple Tanzanian immersion experiences for kids. Dr Saga and Dr Randy Hurley talk about malaria and the importance of sleeping under anti-malarial mosquito netting Building on some hands-on experiences in Godzone last year and the year before, Vacation Bible School students will collect money to buy mosquito nets for children in Tungamalenga.  Malaria is one of the top killers of children under age five.  Malaria can be prevented by sleeping under mosquito netting that is treated with insecticide.  A group of Shepherd of the Valley members traveling in July will take the funds raised by the VBS donations, purchase nets, and deliver them to the Tungamalenga Dispensary, to be distributed to pregnant moms and families with children under age five. A second opportunity to experience Tanzanian life and culture more deeply is available to kids in grades...

Beatta, with her t-shirt and school bag 'Tis the season of giving.  Here's an opportunity to give in a way that makes a real difference in our world. Shepherd of the Valley has a Christmas Gift Giving program that provides opportunities to make a difference both locally and globally.  Funds that are given through Christmas Gift Giving to Tungamalenga Partnership are used to provide extra gifts outside our normal partnership ministries of education, evangelism, healthcare and economic development. This year, a portion of the funds will be used to purchase food --corn flour and vegetables-- for the children at Huruma Centre, an Iringa diocese owned orphanage.  Beatta, the girl pictured above, lives at Huruma and appreciates the gift of a t-shirt and school book bag that was delivered by travelers a year ago. Another portion of the Christmas funds will be used for a special gift to the evangelists at Tungamelenga.  We purchase goats that are ...

Luke & Micah add their coins to the Maji Money collection Week Three of Shepherd of the Valley's Vacation Bible School is complete, and the count is in: this week, children in grades Kindergarten through five collected an additional $777.97 in coins to support the Walk for Water to bring water to the village of Mahove. That brings the total collected by SOTV kids to over $3000! WaHOOOOOO!!! Thanks to all the SOTV kids and VBS staff for their amazing gift of love to our partners in Tanzania! Thanks to Mim, Jill, Julie, Jeannie and Pastors for your leadership. Walking for water in Tanzania is the daily task for many children. They are amazed and grateful that children in Apple Valley, Minnesota--half a world away--are thinking of them, praying for them, giving to support and help them. Come to worship this weekend and bring your bucket and walking shoes! You, too, can participate in our Walk for Water !

In just two weeks, children have raised over $2000 for the Mahove water project . Shepherd of the Valley's children, preschoolers to fifth graders, are attending Vacation Bible School this summer. In addition to having fun learning about God's love for us, they have heard about the need to bring water to the village of Mahove in Tanzania. They collected 'Maji Money' in plastic bottles ['maji' means water in Swahili]. In the first week, children ages 3-5 collected $570. In the second week of VBS, elementary school children collected $1560. And there's one more week of VBS scheduled in early July. Our partners in Tanzania are amazed at this generosity. First of all, it is amazing to them that children in our society would even have access to money, much less the amount that was raised. Second, they are amazed and grateful that our children would share their resources with people halfway around the world, whom they've never met. But thanks to Mim Campbell ...

children's daily chores: carry water dressing up in Tanzanian clothing pounding corn into flour clothing from the Hehe tribe, jewelry from Maasai tasting ugali hearing about children's health issues and sleeping under a mosquito net About 700 SOTV children in grades 1-5 had the opportunity to experience Tanzanian daily life and culture during our guests' visit. Pastor Diane and Mama Anjelina taught them Tanzanian songs and dances, as well as the custom of greeting elders with the word "shikamoo" and receiving the blessing, "mara haba." Dr Saga and Dr Randy Hurley helped the children understand the importance of drinking only boiled water to prevent diarrhea and other water borne illnesses, and the importance of sleeping beneath netting treated with insecticide to prevent malaria. Dora Saga helped children try on kitangas and other traditional Tanzanian clothing and jewelry. In other rooms, volunteers showed children the variety of fruits and...