Tanzania Project & Eric's Dream
Started in 2021 after the sudden death of Eric Msechu, beloved member of our congregation, this project supports the Shambalai Secondary School in Tanzania. Eric grew up in Tanzania where the level of poverty is unimaginable to many of us. Eric attended the Shambalai Secondary School where a teacher encouraged him to become an engineer, which he did after earning a scholarship to the University of Minnesota. Eric worked as an Intel engineer in Folsom and he strongly believed that the best way to eradicate poverty is through education. It was his dream to return to the Shambalai Secondary School to teach and provide a library.
Eric's wife Aisia and their children, Aika, James, and Andrew, along with a group from Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, have taken on the task of making Eric's Dream a reality. This team continues to work collaboratively to enhance the education of the students at the Shambalai Secondary School. To date we have helped build a water-well providing access to clean water so children no longer have to spend time fetching water from a stream. With a reliable source of clean water at the school, they can now spend that valuable time studying instead, enabling them to lift themselves out of poverty. Our efforts now continue with a project to furnish a library and we are accepting donations to support our ongoing work.
Library Construction Update November 2023!
During the month of November the existing shell of the library was turned into a complete building – doors, windows, and electrical connections were installed It took several weeks because all the windows and doors had to be constructed by hand onsite. Thankfully we found skilled workers to complete the job. Didn't they do a great job? Now that the building can be secured we can begin ordering tables, chairs, shelves and books. Imagine how thrilled the students will be to have a safe, secure, and quiet place to study.
All of this is happening because of all of you, and your generosity toward making Eric’s Dream to support education at the Shambalai Secondary School a reality. Thank You All!
Praise God From Whom all Blessings Flow!
We are excited to announce that as of October 17, 2023, the borehole has been completed and the Shambalai Secondary School now has a constant, dependable supply of clean drinking water! In the students' words, "The days of trips to the streams is now behind us!" We will now turn our attention to completing the Library part of the Project.
We thank God, and all of you who have contributed, to help bring this from a dream to a reality!
