ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, MAPINDUZI

St. Francis of Assisi, Mapinduzi, is the Tanzanian parish linked with Whitbourne. This link was started by our rector, Rev. David Howell, on his visit in 1999. Mapinduzi is one of the poorer areas of Tanga and its people are suffering, like most of the rest of the country, from poverty and disease.

In 2003 we helped with the cost of new pews for the church and with the kindergarten. Look how empty the shelves were! We have sent teaching materials - pens, paper, jigsaw puzzles and building blocks.
In January 2003 we talked with the St.Francis Mothers' Union, under the mango tree where they held their sewing classes with just two machines. We sent them two more. They then rented a room and paid the rent from what they produced. Then they had a room in the unfinished hostel building, and now they use the kindergarten when the children have gone home.
This was the hostel building in 2001, 2002 and 2003. It was bought with the idea of providing safe accommodation for girls coming to Tanga for work or training. We wanted to help them build a roof, so that sewing and computer classes could also be held on their own premises. We intended to start with just the front part, but by the end of 2004 the complete building was roofed and some doors and windows were in place.
This is the hostel building in 2004. It still needed electricity, plumbing, plastering and some doors and windows - but it was already being used for meetings, choir practice and sewing.
GREAT NEWS! In 2006 the hostel was opened and began operation in January 2007, providing accommodation for forty trainee teachers.

In 2007 a Christmas Appeal in Whitbourne raised £800 which assisted AIDS orphans with their education as well as providing home-based care for people bedridden with AIDS.

Our next big project is raising money for a small vocational training centre, at first providing sewing and computing courses. At last the ladies will have a permanent base!