Tanzania Task Force

PARTNERS IN TANZANIA

St. Paul has been connected with our sister church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) since the mid 1980s. We currently partner with four ministries, three of which are located in the Arusha Diocese of the ELCT and one in the city of Dar es Salaam.

A brief description of each follows together with some photos of a parish trip made to Tanzania in February 2014.

Children's Time

The Maasae Girls Lutheran Secondary School (MGLSS)

Located at Moduli on a coffee plantation about 45 miles outside of Arusha, the school was established to provide education opportunities to young women from the pastoral peoples of Tanzania, primarily the Maasae people but also girls from other tribal groups. The school enrolls about 350 girls; members of St. Paul provide scholarships for a number of these girls that cover housing, uniforms and food, as well as education.

Kid's at Felt Board

Arusha Lutheran Medical Center and Plaster House

Since the mid-1980s we have raised money to support the work of the ELCA medical missionary serving at these two facilities, Dr. Mark Jacobson, in his work with AIDS orphans. Plaster House (so named because so many of the children are in casts) provides care to young children who have been brought to Arusha for surgery and need a place to stay before returning to their homes in distant parts of the country.

St. Paul members have provided financial support for the construction of the Arusha Lutheran Medical Center, which was finally completed and dedicated in 2009, and a new facility for Plaster House.

Nkoaranga Secondary School

This non-governmental school is located in the foothills of Mount Meru. It affords 325 students the opportunity of attending a secondary school. This school was started in 1987 under a tree. The school is dedicated to improving life by educating and empowering village youth and providing special opportunities for girls to excel.
Pr. Sam and Cindy Wolff, members here at St. Paul and former ELCA missionaries serving in Dar es Salaam, were among those who founded this center for street children. It provides lodging, food and education for young children who were living on the streets. Members continue to contribute funds to sponsor the children.

In 2020, Obeni Ndosi, the headmaster of Ngkoranga Secondary School received a master’s degree from Makumi University. St. Paul members provided scholarship assistance for his education.

To learn more about grass-roots efforts to help educate children in Tanzania, visit: Operation Bootstrap Africa