Mwangaza
Education for Partnership
Education for Partnership
Mwangaza Reflections Newsletter: Winter 2007: Page 1
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Mwangaza’s constituency has grown and grown since its inception in 1996. As more and
more people learn of its international mission, more and more people are moved to
respond through prayers that Mwangaza flourishes, through U.S. volunteers who work on
its behalf in the United States and/or in Tanzania, through invitations that request
speakers make presentations about Mwangaza’s work, and through donations that enable
its programs to grow. Lately, individuals have taken the reins in their own hands to ensure
Mwangaza’s sustainability. We are grateful for their gifts. Their stories unfold below.
more people learn of its international mission, more and more people are moved to
respond through prayers that Mwangaza flourishes, through U.S. volunteers who work on
its behalf in the United States and/or in Tanzania, through invitations that request
speakers make presentations about Mwangaza’s work, and through donations that enable
its programs to grow. Lately, individuals have taken the reins in their own hands to ensure
Mwangaza’s sustainability. We are grateful for their gifts. Their stories unfold below.
Individuals Creatively Seed Mwangaza’s programs:
How, Why They Did It Reflects Faith in Education’s Power
How, Why They Did It Reflects Faith in Education’s Power
| “Church Ladies” Coffee Brews Monthly International Outreach It’s 7:00 Thursday morning. The local coffee shop with fair trade coffee has just opened one-half hour earlier. Slowly, the Church Ladies, whose ages span thirty- five years, begin to arrive. Sometimes there are two or three and sometimes there are twenty, all depending on the day, the weather, the time of year – you name it! But one person is always “hostess” for a specific month. And the “cup” goes out in the middle of the table, and donations are graciously slipped into it (the guideline suggests matching the cost of your cup of coffee or your breakfast meal). And here’s the dessert: What gathers in the “cup” supports the programs of Mwangaza! The check that the hostess writes to Friends of Mwangaza and sends to Treasurer Linda Milton even becomes a tax deduction! Over time, everyone benefits! By 8:00, the Ladies begin to disperse, heading for jobs or meetings, taking care of grandkids or completing other activities appropriate for some of the retired Ladies. In May 2005, Lynda Minnick, a member of the Friends of Mwangaza Board of Directors, came to Madison WI to meet with the “Church ladies” from Advent Lutheran Church. She shared the “story” of the Mwangaza Education for Partnership programs and the need for additional support for them. The Church Ladies listened and decided that collecting $125 each month for the next three years was very doable. So the project began. The women not only support Mwangaza’s programs, but have collected books and materials that can be modified or used as resources for the Binti/Mama, Mwana/Baba, and HIV/AIDS programs. The Church Ladies were grateful for an opportunity to meet Director Seelah Kissioki and Dr. Shoonie Hartwig last summer when they included Madison on their whirlwind summer “tour,” providing an opportunity to get a first-hand update on the work of Mwangaza. If you are connected with some group within or outside of your church, consider matching a gift to yourself (a cup of coffee or dessert or glass of wine) with a gift to Mwangaza. Little by little the fund grows. Programs and needs at Mwangaza keep growing. By choosing to replicate our “Church Ladies” format, you can help build support for Mwangaza, too. |
Memorial donation Continues
Teacher’s Legacy and Passion
Deb Weitzel was a teacher who
loved books and reading. She was
credited with hundreds of acts of
kindness when she taught second
grade. Her principal identified
learning as the top priority in her
classroom. She also sang and
played handbells at St. Paul’s
Lutheran Church in Grand Island,
Nebraska.
Among her passions were the
Central Nebraska Reading Council
and the International Reading
Council. When those groups
donated money to buy books for
students in Africa, Deb said to her
husband Bob, “It’s not enough!”
Cancer abruptly ended Deb’s life
this past fall, and her family
wanted to honor her memory in a
special way. Because of the
Nebraska Synod’s connection with
MWANGAZA since its inception in
1996, Deb’s husband Bob was
referred to fellow Nebraskan Mary
Jo Huelle, chairperson of Friends
of Mwangaza.
A meeting in December provided
Weitzel with information about
Mwangaza and Tanzania’s
educational famine. After
considering the needs of
Mwangaza and the educational
light that had shone so brightly in
Deb’s life, the Weitzel family
decided to make a $5,000
donation. They asked that the
funds be used to provide the seed
money for the unification of the
Mwana/Baba and Binti/Mama
programs into one which will be
inclusive of family health and
environment.
This generous donation honors an
exceptional educator and helps
the light of Mwangaza burn more
brightly.
Students such as these are among
the thousands of Tanzanians who
reap the benefits of Mwangaza
Programs which are offered
nationwide. Besides working with
secondary school teachers,
Mwangaza presents seminars
dealing with HIV/AIDS,
Computers, and Health,
Environment, and Family.
Teacher’s Legacy and Passion
Deb Weitzel was a teacher who
loved books and reading. She was
credited with hundreds of acts of
kindness when she taught second
grade. Her principal identified
learning as the top priority in her
classroom. She also sang and
played handbells at St. Paul’s
Lutheran Church in Grand Island,
Nebraska.
Among her passions were the
Central Nebraska Reading Council
and the International Reading
Council. When those groups
donated money to buy books for
students in Africa, Deb said to her
husband Bob, “It’s not enough!”
Cancer abruptly ended Deb’s life
this past fall, and her family
wanted to honor her memory in a
special way. Because of the
Nebraska Synod’s connection with
MWANGAZA since its inception in
1996, Deb’s husband Bob was
referred to fellow Nebraskan Mary
Jo Huelle, chairperson of Friends
of Mwangaza.
A meeting in December provided
Weitzel with information about
Mwangaza and Tanzania’s
educational famine. After
considering the needs of
Mwangaza and the educational
light that had shone so brightly in
Deb’s life, the Weitzel family
decided to make a $5,000
donation. They asked that the
funds be used to provide the seed
money for the unification of the
Mwana/Baba and Binti/Mama
programs into one which will be
inclusive of family health and
environment.
This generous donation honors an
exceptional educator and helps
the light of Mwangaza burn more
brightly.
Students such as these are among
the thousands of Tanzanians who
reap the benefits of Mwangaza
Programs which are offered
nationwide. Besides working with
secondary school teachers,
Mwangaza presents seminars
dealing with HIV/AIDS,
Computers, and Health,
Environment, and Family.
| Ornaments Become Textbooks Through Magic of Commitment Five dollars doesn’t go very far these days, does it? Five dollars can’t buy much of a gift for a colleague or friend at work in a Christmas gift exchange. But in Tanzania, five dollars can buy an official, government- written textbook for a student, opening the door to education, enabling students to have the resource needed to succeed on important National Examinations in their schools. In Tanzania, limited resources restrict textbook purchases, so then students sharing one text is the norm. With this knowledge in mind, the Christmas Tree Ornament Project was started in 2005 to purchase more textbooks for students. The project creates and makes available Christmas tree ornaments and sells them for five dollars each. Money collected is forwarded to Friends of Mwangaza and from there, wired to Mwangaza Centre for the sole purpose of buying Tanzanian textbooks. In 2005 six hundred ornaments were made and raised in excess of $3,000 dollars which purchased 600 textbooks. Begun by the Tanzanian Task Force at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wyoming, MN, a group gathers to construct the ornaments. Mailing envelopes are attached to make donations easy. A thank you and receipt for tax purposes is sent to the buyer. Donations can be made in honor of others. A card states: “A gift of a book was given in your name to a student in Tanzania.” In 2006, the Project expanded to include Christ Lutheran (Marine on St. Croix, MN); Incarnation Lutheran (North Oaks, MN); Faith Lutheran (Forest Lake, MN); Prince of Peace (Roseville, MN); Bethel Lutheran (Northfield, MN); United Redeemer (Zumbrota, MN); Calvary Lutheran (Minnocqua, WI); Trinity Lutheran (Moline, IL); and Bethany Lutheran (Crystal Lake, IL). Imagine the possibilities if even more teams join in this worthy project! Will you join in this effort in 2007? Please contact Tanzanian Task Force; St. Paul Lutheran Church; Wyoming, Minnesota 55092. You will receive complete instructions, a prototype, envelope enclosure, alternative gift-giving card, and the front and back design of the 2007 Christmas tree ornament. |