The
village of Kizara is located in the Eastern Usambara mountains at the edge of
the Nilo Nature Reserve. This reserve was established in 2007 as a haven for
almost 800 species of plants (including 8 species of African Violets) and 100
species of birds. This mountainous rain forest has been a traditional source of
firewood and food for the local inhabitants and plays a critically important
role as a water catchment area. Bishop Weston was a frequent visitor to these
mountains and the village of Kizara. Three Kilometers from Kizara village is
the site of a Holy Water Point. Local legend has it that water first began to
flow from the point after a thirsty bishop (Frank Weston) blessed the area.
The
original Kizara clinic, a dispensary, was established over 100 years ago near
the site of the Kizara Anglican Mission. It served the area well until 2002
when the villagers realized that they needed a new building to serve the health
needs of the growing population of Kizara and surrounding villages and, in view
of their remote location, to provide better health care for pregnant women,
women in childbirth, children and people with HIV/AIDS. The plan that was
developed envisioned a modern village health center with three buildings: a
main building housing examination rooms, a surgery, laboratory and pharmacy; a
maternity unit to provide prenatal care and a delivery ward; and an in-patient
building with wards for women, children and men.
The
Anglican Diocese of Tanga provided the land and the government of Japan
provided an initial grant of $36,000. In February 2008, following a mission
pilgrimage led by brothers of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, members
of the mission group, along with others, decided to adopt the Kizara Health
Center as a fund-raising project. In 2010 this group founded the Friends of
Tanzania that, in turn, adopted the Heatth Center as its primary project going
forward. Since March, 2008, almost $96,000 has been raised for construction,
equipment and supplies.
Donations
have come from a variety of sources including the three founding parishes of
the Friends of Tanzania, friends from Texas, Massachusetts Jubilee Ministry,
and United Thank Offering of the national Episcopal Church. The UTO and Jubilee
grants supported the installation of solar power and water at Kizara while the
remaining funds were used to complete the building phase, to buy medical
equipment and supplies and to reimburse expenses incurred by our local project
manager (Father William Mbuji).
In
December, 2012 Bishop Tom Shaw of the Diocese of Massachusetts led a mission
pilgrimage to Tanga. One of the highlights of the trip was the blessing and
dedication of the Kizara Health Center by Bishops Shaw and Mndolwa on Friday,
December 7th. Bishop Shaw preached at a High Mass celebrated by
Bishop Mndolwa in Saint Francis Xavier parish church followed by the blessing
service and lunch in the parish church. The group returned to Korogwe via the
Nilo rain forest conservation area with spectacular views of the plains below
as far as the city of Tanga and the Indian Ocean.
Photos: Colin Johnstone, Heidi Marcotte, Sara Irwin