Mothers in Tanzania Learn Income-Generation Skills

Pictured above: caregivers from FPCT Katesh Student Center make soap as a way of generating income for their families.

 

Church at Brook Hills, thank you for your support of caregivers and babies at FPCT Katesh Student Center and Betheli Kiwalani Faith and Mission Student Center in Tanzania. Your support of these Survival programs is crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Compassion activities are currently on hold in Tanzania, church staff continue to minister to mothers and children. Over 52,000 food packs and 84,000 hygiene kits have been delivered to Compassion-assisted families, and church staff are providing educational materials to families through socially distanced home visits. Church staff are also being diligent about conducting follow-up visits where there are suspected cases of abuse.

Centers are working hard to ensure that each family’s health and safety are a priority. Please keep these communities in your prayers as they navigate uncharted circumstances, and continue to be ministered to through the love and hope of Jesus. This update includes Survival statistics, letters from caregivers in the program, and photos of the most recent Survival Activities.

Survival Statistics at FPCT Katesh Student Center (January – June 2020)

A Letter from a Caregiver at FPCT Katesh Student Center

Dear Friends,

I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ! My name is Mary and I am 22 years old. I am a part of the Nyaturu tribe and I live in the town of Katesh, which is surrounded by mountains and valleys. My husband’s name is Aman and he works at the bus station where he is collecting tariffs from passengers using the restroom. He earns very little. I have two children named Benson and Brayan. Benson is registered in the Survival program and he is currently 11 months old.

We prefer to eat corn, porridge, beans, meat, cucumbers, and potatoes. Most people in Katesh speak local languages and dance during harvests and weddings. I feel very proud and thankful to God to be a part of the Survival program with my child. I am also grateful to you for making a contribution to this program, and for all of the Survival staff who love and pray for my family.

In the Survival program, I receive nutritious food from the center such as milk, flour, sugar, fruits and eggs which helped my baby’s health. The center helped my child get a health screening and paid for treatment costs when he was sick. I would not have been able to afford the treatments on my own and I feel very blessed. I learned about allergy awareness for babies. I was taught to be careful with certain foods, pollen, dust, and fur because they can harm a baby’s immune system. I learned about bonding and attachment with my baby, and how I can form values from the Word of God. I have also learned about immunizations, and how to prepare a balanced diet for my family.

The Survival program has helped me to increase my social networking. I have had the opportunity to meet different people during the group meetings. I am involved in different income generating courses such as gardening, making liquid and bar soap, cooking and juice making. These activities have helped change my life for the better. Before joining the Survival program, I was depending on my husband for our income. After I gained knowledge on income generating skills, I am now capable of producing goods and selling them which has improved our economic situation. I thank God for this program, for your generosity, and for all of the Survival staff. I am a very blessed person. God bless you all.

Recent Survival Activities at FPCT Katesh Student Center

Survival Statistics at Betheli Kiwalani Faith and Mission Student Center (January – June 2020)

A Letter from a Caregiver at Betheli Kiwalani Faith and Mission Student Center

Dear Supporters,

I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My name is Getruda, and I am the mother of Briyanna. I am 28 years old, and I joined the Survival program in April 2019 at Bethel Kiwalani Faith and Mission Student Center when I was pregnant. My heart is filled with joy and gratitude for being chosen to be a part of the Survival program at this Church. I have seen God walking with me from the very beginning. By the grace of the Lord, I have been kept safe and I am experiencing the love of God. I would like to thank the donors who contributed to this program. Your gift has had a great impact on our community.

I have received so much support from the church since I joined the program. I am able to get medical treatment when I need it. Right now, I have no doubt I’ll be able to pay hospital bills because the church has generously provided for me. The presence of this program is crucial to us. I witnessed a pregnant woman have health complications and she couldn’t deliver at our clinic. She received the kind support of Survival services and now she and her baby are doing fine.

Before joining the program, I was very poor because I lacked skills that could help me get a decent job. After registering in the Survival program, I gained knowledge on various areas of my life. For example, I learned how to create a schedule for my child. I did not think about giving my child a balanced diet before, but now I see the importance. Family planning lessons also helped me to become self supporting before I had more children. After giving birth, a woman should have strategies in place to generate income. All of this was new knowledge for me. After I gave birth, I enrolled in a tailoring class and now I can make clothes like skirts, shirts and dresses. This skill has helped me improve my income and changed my standard of living. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I designed face masks according to the standards given by the Ministry of Health using cotton materials. It was an opportunity for me to make a product in bulk to sell. I thank God for this skill because now my life has changed and I have enough income to support my family. Briyanna is happy and joyful all the time. Her health is good too. God bless you and keep you safe always.

Survival Activities at Betheli Kiwalani Faith and Mission Student Center