CRWRC has been working in Tanzania since 1990. Through partnerships with various organizations, CRWRC was able to provide programs for 8,302 community members in the past year.
Fast Facts
Population: 39,384,223 (July 2007 est.)
Area Comparative: slightly larger than twice the size of California (945,000 sq km)
Literacy Rate: 69.4%
Life Expectancy: 50.71 years
Population below the povery line: 36% (2002 est.)
Gross Domestic Product per capita: $800 (2006 est.)
Religions: mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim
Languages: Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguja (name for Swahili in Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce, administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in Zanzibar), many local languages
(From the World Factbook. Click here for more information on Tanzania.)
African Inland Church in Tanzania (AICT)
CRWRC works with AICT in a variety of ways throughout the country.
a) Through the AICT National office CRWRC is reaching out to Church leaders at the Diocesan levels with leadership training initiatives. Development workshops aimed at improving the responsiveness of the Church to the needs around them are planned annually. Leaders increase their skills in planning and in assessing the how well the Church is living out her vision and mission. Through the National office CRWRC reaches out to the Diocese of Shinyanga to train community people on how to work together through savings and credit projects that generate income for members. From July 2007, CRWRC will start working directly with the Diocese of Geita in community development projects that will address HIV/AIDS, care of orphans and vulnerable children and income generation.
b) Through the AICT Coastal Diocese, CRWRC is reaching out to school dropouts, single parents, and other low-income individuals in the coastal region. In Tanzania, school dropouts and single parents are some of the poorest individuals in each community. To assist these at-risk individuals, AICT provides vocational classes, which help people hone their individual skills and find employment. AICT also trains community members to form savings and credit groups. These group members save together and loan out their savings to a few members at a time. All group loans are invested in income generating activities and group members share successes and challenges each month during their monthly meetings. CRWRC also facilitates workshops for AICT Christians on stewardship and support for the Lord’s ministry. CRWRC and AICT Coastal Diocese have been facilitating awareness on widow’s rights to inherit property. Stories have been collected, compiled and shared with Churches. In conferences that bring many people together, victims of injustice interviewed have shared their painful stories that help couples to make decisions to document their wills.
c) Through the AICT Mwanza Diocese, CRWRC is reaching out to communities in the rural and urban areas of Mwanza. To assist farmers, AICT encourages them to organize into groups which can then receive training and tools to grow new crop varieties, use drought-tolerant seeds, and try new agricultural techniques that will improve the soil and increase crop yields. AICT also helps community members to form savings groups. Group members meet weekly and make deposits into their savings accounts. All members have savings books with deposit amounts and dates. Once members have achieved a certain level of saving they can request a loan. The strength of the loan program is that each loan will be backed-up by four other members of the savings group. When group members repay the loan with modest interest, additional funds are available for future loans. Right now, there are about 200 people participating in these projects. Similarly, AICT Mwanza trains approximately 300 people each year in basic employment skills, record keeping, and business planning. These community members can then go on to start and run small businesses within the community. Lastly, AICT Mwanza helps communities care for widows. In Sukuma culture, which is the largest tribe of Mwanza Region (and the entire country) it is not uncommon for the family of a deceased husband will often take all of the husband’s possessions and leave nothing for the widow. AICT holds annual training events for widows that focus on the basic legal rights of widows in Tanzania, along with the Biblical principles that should influence the church’s involvement on widows’ rights. Through this program, widows are taught how to successfully defend their legal and civil rights and churches are taught to support them. Leadership training is also provided for the present and future leaders in all of the different programs of AICT Mwanza Diocese.
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT)
CRWRC works with parishes of ELCT in a variety of ways in two geographical areas.
a) In Ipogolo Parish of Iringa Diocese, CRWRC works with Wende Women Group. This group have a Savings & Credit account where members save and loan to each other at an interest. Interest earned is used in various community outreach projects: one, school supplies to orphaned children; two, start up of small income generating projects like chicken rearing, goats and pigs for families that foster orphaned children; three, tree planting in public places like health centres and schools, and four, care for people living with HIV/AIDS. CRWRC works with Wende to increase their capacity to operate their Savings & Credit and in financing some of the community outreach projects.
b) Through the ELCT Buhumbi & Magu Parishes, CRWRC reaches out to communities in need in the Buhumbi and Magu region. In one program, 300 men and 300 women were organized into farmer groups and taught about new crops and agricultural techniques. They learned to plant new crops such as pigeon pea and amaranth, and were encouraged to plant traditional crops such as pearl millet, sorghum, and cowpea. Another program gave farmers a chance to visit other farms and learn about improved methods of raising and selling small animals. More than 240 farmers are currently enrolled in a correspondence course in sustainable agriculture practices. The men and women in this program have demonstration farms and have committed themselves to teaching others what they have learned. There is also a large tree planting and fuel efficient stove construction program. About 600 community members gathered seeds from useful local trees and started tree nurseries. These trees will be sold to increase family income. Almost 500 women also received training in how to make, use, and repair fuel-efficient stoves. ELCT also helps community members form savings and credit groups. Group members meet weekly and contribute some savings to their own savings account. They can then use loans from the group’s savings to invest in income generating projects. When group members repay the load with modest interest, additional funds are available for future loans. Other community members also received training in employment skills, record keeping, and business planning so that they could start and run small businesses in the community. The community based health care program is one of the strongest programs in Buhumbi and Magu. Currently there are 33 local village health care workers assisting mothers and infants with monthly growth monitoring sessions and vaccinations, information for mothers on many subjects including child care, nutrition, gardening, and sanitation, and soon they will begin training on life-skills for men and women. Last, but not least, there are literacy circles and classes taking place all across the parish every week for adults, both men and women, teaching them to read, write, and learn mathematical skills. Leadership training is given to all the leaders who work in each of the different programs.
Hope Project for the Disabled
Hope Project for the Disabled (HOPD) reaches out to mostly neglected people with physical disabilities to help build their self acceptance, self worth, and self confidence. Those who willingly attend these training sessions are encouraged to form into groups and HOPD and CRWRC train them to build their capacity towards healthy Community Based Organizations (CBOs). Members of these CBOs are engaged in small income generating activities, adult literacy and social support clubs like drama and singing/dancing groups. The skits and songs are mostly messages that tell the painful stories of being rejected and neglected by their families and the society at large and how that could be corrected. HOPD and CRWRC also facilitate HIV/AIDS awareness training to all CBOs and in the past year, have been working with a network of disabled people living with HIV/AIDS. CRWRC networks with Hope Haven International to provide walking aids to those who crawl on dirt or have difficulties moving around.
Sengerema Informal Sector Association (SISA)
SISA is an association of small business operators and owners who come together to join the work of community development. Group members receive training in business skills, record keeping, and businesses planning. They also work to develop business plans for their own businesses and receive support from other group members as they carry out these plans. Small loans are also provided to help businesses grow. When these loans are repaid with modest interest, additional funds are available to other group members for future loans. Within the past year, the work of SISA has broadened to include community development programs that are similar to the work of other partners in the Mwanza region such literacy, agriculture, health, tree planting and stoves. A good portion of the group’s energy is also spent on developing leadership skills and abilities among its leaders and potential leaders.
CRWRC would like to introduce its Tanzania team:
Steve Michmerhuizen
Steve Michmerhuizen is married to Jan Sipple and they have three boys (Gerrit, Henry, and Sam). They have been in Tanzania since April of 2003 and have been working with CRWRC since 2000. Steve and Jan live and work in Mwanza, Tanzania located on the southern shore of Lake Victoria. Steve studied Forestry at Michigan State University (M.Sc. 1997) and Conservation of Natural Resources at Northern Michigan University (B.A. 1986). He and his boys are Detroit Tigers fans and they enjoy plenty of games after work in the yard. Steve likes to read biographies and is currently reading a double volume on Thomas Jefferson.
EMAIL: crwrcmwanza@spidersat.com
CRWRC Mwanza
PO Box 2960
Mwanza, Tanzania
+255-28-250-0095 (office)
Margaret Njuguna
Margaret hails from Nairobi, Kenya and has worked for CRWRC since the end of 1983 when she started as a Finance and Administration Manager. After 8 years of working in Kenya, Margaret went for further studies to the U.S. She has a Sciences Degree from Calvin College and a Masters of Business Administration from Century University. Since early 1995, she has worked with CRWRC in Tanzania in different capacities, the current being the country director since June 1998. Margaret is an adoptive mother to 12 year old Marvin Njuguna.
EMAIL: njugunam@africaonline.co.tz
CRWRC-Tanzania
Old Bagamoyo Road
Mikocheni B, Plot # 62,
P. O. Box 7615
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
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