The Carpenter's Kids eases the plight of vulnerable children in Africa
A first-person report from one of our missionaries
By Sarah Dailey
In August of 2008 I arrived in Dodoma, Tanzania, with an invitation from Bishop Mdimi Mhogolo to begin working with The Carpenter’s Kids program in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika.
Begun in 2005 as a partnership between the Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT) and the Episcopal Diocese of New York, The Carpenter’s Kids program seeks to ease the plight of an estimated 40,000 orphans and vulnerable children within the diocese. Thus far, over 5,000 children in about 85 of the diocese’s 200 parishes have been provided with support through direct parish-to-parish partnerships.
The program links parishes in DCT with a supporting parish in the U.S. and elsewhere for five years, and at least 50 children in each parish are provided with school uniforms, school supplies, shoes, breakfast each school day, mosquito nets, and are given access to emergency healthcare and the opportunity to attend secondary school.
At the beginning of my eight-month journey, I was unsure of what to expect. I had prepared myself for a challenging, life-changing experience, and I was excited by the opportunity to serve in and gain insight into a foreign culture.
I found myself quite unprepared, however, for how much I would be given in return. Though the people of the Dodoma region and DCT may be lacking in monetary resources or material possessions, they are indeed rich in their faith, rich in their generosity, and richer still in the warmth of their welcome.
Throughout my time working with The Carpenter’s Kids I was continually humbled and touched by the unselfish nature of the Tanzanian people and by the loving demeanor of their children. The Carpenter’s Kids program is providing the children of DCT with an opportunity to rise out of challenging circumstances and earn an education, and I am so grateful to have had the chance to join the number of dedicated individuals who work each day to ensure the program’s continued success.
The program has grown exponentially over the past three years, and we are looking forward to the growth that is to come. Close to the end of my time in Tanzania, my home parish of Grace Episcopal Church in Gainesville became the first parish in the Diocese of Atlanta to support a DCT parish.
I look forward to hearing of more Atlanta parishes joining in the support of this wonderful endeavor.
Sarah Dailey has returned from Africa and is living in Gainesville.
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