Peace Lutheran Ministry to AIDS Victims in Tanzania
In 2002 Peace Lutheran Church in Pella, Iowa, established a companion relationship with Mwanga Parish in the Pare Diocese in Tanzania. Aware of the devastating effects of AIDS upon the peoples of East Africa, Peace asked if there was anything that the two partners could do together to minister to victims of AIDS. What they discovered was that Mwanga Parish already had a ministry to AIDS victims, but lack of funds confined that ministry to counseling and encouragement to AIDS widows and orphans, with occasional financial help in desperate cases. The ministry was carried out through the parish health center and a women's group led by members of Mwanga Parish. Peace and Mwanga planned together how Peace's advice and financial support could be combined with Mwanga's knowledge of the problem and its people willing to carry out the plans.
The ministry of Peace and Mwanga focused first on keeping orphans in school. It began with plans to help the over three hundred AIDS orphans in primary school with tuition, uniforms, and school supplies. When the government discontinued tuition for primary school students, the ministry was expanded to paying tuition for some sixty students in secondary school. The members of Peace gave over $16,000 in 2003 to support this ministry. Under the leadership of the Mwanga Parish Health Center, a committee set up within the parish located all of the AIDS widows, widowers, and orphans within the area served by the health center. They measured the students, hired tailors to make the uniforms, purchased shoes and school supplies, and paid the secondary schools for the orphans' tuition. Over the following years they expanded the ministry to include HIV/AIDS testing kits, diapers and mosquito nets for newborns, and nutritional supplements for babies and those seriously weakened by AIDS.
It became clear that keeping children in school was not sufficient, since young people who had only secondary education had very little chance of securing work, particularly if they were orphans with no one to help them get started. The tuition support was expanded to include trade schools and teacher training centers for those who would continue their education, even though the tuition was higher than that for secondary school. All of the orphans who have graduated from these schools have found jobs. In 2009 it was expanded to cover three orphans who passed their exams at the end of high school and were accepted into universities, though this involves even greater expense per student than the teacher training colleges and trade schools.
Mwanga Parish was able to acquire on their own about 50 acres of land as a site for housing AIDS widows and orphans. With generous help from a number of congregations and individuals in central Iowa, a well was drilled on that land and a solar pump was installed there in September, 2008. Plans call for installing pipe to take the abundant, clear water to three neighboring villages and building houses for orphans and their care givers on the land near the well. They will also be given land for gardens and animals (probably chickens and goats) so that they can be self sufficient. As the beginning of an effort to help AIDS widows become self sufficient, three widows have been trained to sew and now have their own business together in a building owned by the Parish.
The number of primary school orphans has stayed fairly steady, but the number of secondary school and trade school students has increased each year as students were kept in school. In 2009 there were over 200 secondary school students and 20 trade school students. In addition, the tuitions have almost doubled, from around $140 per year to around $170 per year. While the support from members of Peace has increased each year, the costs are getting beyond the ability of Peace to support and expand these ministries.
The families of Peace have felt the blessing of a real relationship with the people of Mwanga as they sponsored orphans and met members of the Mwanga Parish who visited Iowa. We invite you to join us in this ministry. We know where the money is going and we know the good that it is doing. Every dollar goes for support of orphans.
For further information please contact :
Dick Whitaker
1198 Highway S71
Knoxville, IA 50138
(641)628-4360
rwhitaker@iowatelecom.net.
Or
Bev Meyer
809 Hazel
Pella, IA 50219
(641)620-1604
bameyer@lisco.com
Please send gifts marked "AIDS Orphans" to:
Evangelism Committee
Peace Lutheran Church
410 W. 5th Street
Pella, IA 50219
Average for 1 year of support:
Primary School Student $30
Secondary School Student $170
Teacher Training College $365
Trade School $385
University $1700