Here is a photo of the scholarship students as well as their headmaster, Pastor Frank Mauyo, and the vice principle. This is 27 girls and 11 boys.
You have changed the life of these students.
Asante Sana!
The Northwest Intermountain Synod has a companion synod relationship with the Ulanga Kilombero Diocese (UKD) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Due to the generosity of this synod, we recently sent $21,600 to Tumaini Lutheran Secondary School (TLS) for scholarship support. The school currently has 223 students and because of your support, NWIM Synod is able to sponsor 38 students. The NWIM Women of the ELCA has sponsored 10 female students for many many years. However, as congregations get to know our companions in the UKD, there is growing interest in helping support the most vulnerable and poorest of the students that attend TLS. Pastor Moses Nwaka, director of TLS, sends the following thank you letter.
My Dear Rafiki (friends),
I hope all sisters and brothers there are doing well.
On behalf of Tumaini Lutheran Seminary, I from the most bottom of my heart sincerely appreciate for your love, kindness, and support for Tumaini. I am so moved, so thrilled with your kind hearts. It is not easy for me to find right words to express what I feel in my heart. We are here and we have gone this far because we do have our sisters and brothers at Northwest Intermountain Synod of the ELCA. We are so fortunate to have you as our sisters and brothers. Please convey our sincere appreciations to all. I wish I was there physically to say Asante sana (Thank you very much). The support you gave, gives the opportunity for many of whom their future was uncertain. Dear Rafiki, here in Tumaini we don't just work as teachers and leaders, we take parental role for these kids. I personally sometimes meet with some who cannot even afford to buy bites for their tea. I in fact have many of them who I support from my personal little fund. See now Rafiki, if they cannot afford even bites, how can they pay the school fees? Now we have 223 students in total. There are many who are helpless, they want to study here but their parents and relatives cannot support them. Now you can see how vital your support is. It determines the future of many, without which their future is in jeopardy. Therefore Rafiki your scholarship support for these kids makes a HUGE difference for them and for us.
Asante sana Rafiki
We love you all.
Yours sincerely
Pr. Moses
If you would like more information about scholarships, please contact Deacon Heidi Cryer, co-chair of the Companion Synod Team at hacryer@gmail.com