Contributing towards the self-reliance of disadvantaged
Tanzanians through education and mobility

Hosanna Lutheran Church partnered with the Anglican Church of the Tanzania-Kagera region to help orphans in extreme poverty attend secondary school.

The Kagera Scholarship Fund grants scholarships to 30 orphaned high school students living in extreme poverty. $200 scholarships (on average) cover school fees, room rental, food, books and uniforms for one student for the 2006 school year (January - December. Finalists have been selected and, pending results of November final exams, approved.

How finalists are selected

The Anglican Church of Tanzania (ACT) selected Mugoma and Muyenzi High Schools, both in remote and poor areas of Ngara district. Neither has existing scholarship programs and both have a high percentage of orphaned students.

ACT asked the principals to identify those orphaned students who live with guardians unable to cover the cost of sending the student to school. Teachers nominated orphans who are performing well or are academically talented with good behavior.

Principals completed recommendation forms and each nominated student completed a student profile form and wrote an essay on their future hopes and dreams. ACT interviewed each student, verified provided information and chose finalists.

Most finalists said they were barely able to scrape together school expenses for the current year; many are still indebted to the school. Without scholarships, they will be forced to drop out of school.

Thank you, Hosanna, for making education possible for the youth of Kagera!

 Ester Hatungimana

Ester is a student at Muyenzi Secondary school in Rulenge, Ngara and she writes to the members of Hosanna, in a letter dated March 30, 2006:

I am very glad to give my thanks to you for assisting me. I am very happy to inform you that the assistance reached me. By God's wishes I promise you that I will study hard. I still thank you because I did not expect to continue with my studies due to lack of educational funds.

Now I thank you again, Yours truly in Jesus,
Ester Hatungimana

 Deus Marianus

Deus is 19 years old and lives in Muganza Village. His father died of tuberculosis in 1999; his mother, according to him, "has got mental illness."

"I always eat beans and stiff porridge (ugali). Our house is made of mud brick and is covered by grasses."

If it will be possible I whish to be a professor. I like this occupation very much. I am very interesting to educated other people so s to overcome illiteracy in the society. Without education nobody who can improve his/her life status, especially in this world of science and technology.

Education is the mirror of human being. It can improve the life of any person. To my side education is very important in my life than other things. For instance, in my form three level, I have discovered a lot of knowledge of the things which surrounding the human being and his environment.

Through education we get to know how the person can master and control the environment. In education I have acquired various knowledge of improving the life standard of my future. For example, without education nobody can establish the vegetable garden project. This activity needs a lot of knowledge. Also education can lead me to conserve the environment from destruction.

Normally the illiteracy people cut down trees randomly with replacing them by planting other trees. This process causes soil erosion and shortage of rainfall. Illiteracy led to the shortage of needs in the society. That is why even in our family there is poverty. This is due to the lack of education. Without education nothing which can be performed properly. Everything is being performed poorly. I am very eager to study hard in order to avoid the poor life of my future.

Therefore, education is the mirror of my life. I believe that, if I will get all necessary materials, I shall win in my future life. And through studying hard by using efforts and skills things will be clear in the future.

 Allan Cosmas- Kagera Scholarship Fund Finalist

9th grade student Allan Cosmas lives with his grandmother and grandfather, who act as his guardians, and three siblings in Shanga village in Ngara district. Allan's parents died in 1996 and his father in 1998 due to illness. When Allan was 10, he and his siblings went to live with their grandparents.

Allan's grandfather is a peasant and relied on subsistence farming to provide a small income for the family. Now that he is old, he farms only a small plot of land. They have a diet consisting mainly of bananas and beans. They live in a house made of pressed mud and grasses and collect water from the local source nearly 1.5 miles from their house. The family's biggest problems are adequate housing, food and clothes.

According to his teacher, Allan has performed well in school. He has excellent grades and a positive attitude. While Allen is extremely keen to continue his studies, he will not be able to continue with school unless he has a scholarship. He is the only family member to attend secondary school. Because of the family's financial situation, Allan's grandfather can no longer justify spending money on education when money is needed to meet the family's basic needs.

 Lydia Leonard - Kagera Scholarship Fund Finalist

9th grade student Lydia Leonard is from Mkakgugu village. Both Lydia's mother and father died of HIV/AIDS. Lydia's official guardian is her uncle, yet he cares for 7 other children and cannot also provide for her. Lydia lives with her grandmother whose house is about a 2 1/2 hours walk from school. Her grandmother's financial situation is dire-Lydia considers the family's biggest need to be food.

Lydia's academic performance is average, but her teachers feel she has a lot of academic potential and has an excellent attitude towards school. Lydia believes a scholarship would enable her to improve her grades by allowing her to board close to the school. Now, because of her daily 5 hour commute, Lydia arrives home late and then helps her grandmother with the household chores. They don't have enough money to buy kerosene to keep a lantern lit at night, so she is not able to study after dark. If she were able to board, she would have the time, energy and light needed to do her homework and get ahead in her classes.

Lydia hopes to become a teacher because she believes education is the key to any person's future.

 Godfrey Phillimon - Kagera Scholarship Fund Finalist

Godfrey is a 9th grade student from Murutabo village. Godfrey's father died in 2000 and his mother died in 2002 from malaria. Godfrey lives alone with his 81 -year old grandfather who acts as his guardian. Murutabo village is 9 miles from Mugoma Secondary School. Because he cannot afford to board, Godfrey walks 3 hours each way to and from school, 6 hours per day. He leaves his grandfather's house at 5 am, walking 2 hours in the dark before the sun rises.

In order to pay school fees, Godfrey spends his school breaks seeking casual labor. His grandfather has also assisted by asking community members to contribute to his grandson's education. While the pair has not been able to raise all of money to cover the school expenses, they have made a valiant effort.

Godfrey is studying hard in to "be a professor of Christian ethics." His academic performance is above average and attitude towards school is good. In what little spare time he has, Godfrey reads books and attends church. A scholarship will enable Godfrey to board close to the school and allow him to concentrate on his studies.

 COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION'S MOBILITY FUND (CBR)

Hosanna Lutheran helped establish Community Based Rehabilitation's Mobility Fund (CBR) which buys handmade orthopedic devices from the hospital's workshop for disabled patients. Technicians fit clients with orthopedic aids and teach them how to use them.

CBR's Work

The Community Based Rehabilitation program started at Murgwanza Hospital in 1994, assisting disabled patients unable to come for treatment and receive medical care. Success led to expansion and today CBR's 18 staff work in 16 villages in Ngara district assist some 2000 patients. Nurses make daily visits to villages and hold clinics. They administer medication, conduct physical therapy and teach patients how to live with their disabilities. Rehabilitation workers living in the village provide follow-up services.

CBR's Clients

The patients in CBR are among the poorest in their remote villages and lack mobility. education and income. Economic impoverishment has caused or exacerbated the disabilities of CBR's clients, further complicated by lack of medical treatment.

CBR's Mobility Fund

The CBR Mobility Fund provides orthopedic aids to disabled patients. Mobility enables them to work and earn income for their families, meet basic needs and live healthier, more productive lives, creating brighter futures.

 Joyce Buginginya - CBR Mobility Fund Recipient

Twenty-five year old Joyce Buginginya lives with her parents and 7 siblings in Ngara. When Joyce was 5 years old, she developed swelling of the knee. Because her parents lacked money, they were not able to take her to the hospital right away. The injury festered. By the time the family was able to take Joyce to the hospital, her knee was in very bad condition. An operation was performed, but it left one leg much longer than the other. Joyce was not able to walk or work because of the imbalance.

The CBR Mobility Fund bought special shoes for Joyce, which compensated for the difference in the length of her legs. She is now able to farm and contribute to the family. Joyce believes that because she now has only a slight disability, she will not be seen by others as disabled. She hopes that she will be able to marry and start her own family one day soon. Joyce's mother is also hoping her daughter's dream will come true.

 Triphon Macusi - CBR Mobility Fund Recipient

3 year old Triphon Macusi was born with two club feet. His father passed away when Triphon was 6 months old and the mother abandoned him later the same month. Triphon is now cared for by his grandmother and aunts.

The CBR Mobility Fund purchased special shoes for Triphon, which were hand-made in the hospital's orthopedic workshop. In October, Triphon's luck changed; a visiting surgeon who comes to Ngara once a year operated on Triphon's feet. The CBR Mobility Fund will purchase another pair of shoes for Triphon after his casts come off. The CBR nurses will conduct physical therapy with him as he learns to walk with his new feet.

Triphon's relatives are caring for him for the moment, but Triphon will need to learn to take care of himself. Now, he will be able to attend school and eventually become selfsufficient- important traits for an orphan.

 Matilda Karori - Future CBR Mobility Fund Recipient

30 year old Matilda Karori developed polio as a child and had to have both legs amputated. Her parents, who had her when they were older, have both passed away. While she still lives in the family house, her brothers and sisters have all moved away. Matilda has one nephew who lives with her and helps to care for her. Matilda now has limited mobility. She uses her hands to push herself on the ground. Matilda cannot cultivate but she does some hand-sewing for neighbors and others who bring the material to her house.

The CBR Mobility Fund will build a tricycle for Matilda so that she can be mobile. The CBR workshop is waiting on parts, which have to be ordered and shipped to Ngara. Matilda's house is located very close to the main road to Ngara town. When Matilda has the wheelchair and learns how to use it properly, she will be able to transport herself to Ngara town, where she wants to be a seamstress.