The Health Center at Kizara

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 7^th. 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

The Leprosy Care Center at Misufini

rainwater collection

The leprosy care center is located at Misufini, 30 kilometers from the coastal city of Tanga, The center currently houses 86 residents including 42 elders with a range of leprosy-induced disabilities (the first generation whose illness drove them to Misufini) and their descendants. The Center is managed by a Development Committee, a group of volunteers that includes a doctor, a government livestock officer, community development officers and social welfare workers, as well as the priest and a lay volunteer from  St Francis of Assisi Anglican Parish in Mapinduzi. The center is currently supported by three other charities: the St. Francis Leprosy Guild in the UK, Tanga in Touch (UK) and the Leprosy and TB Relief Association of Germany.

Tailoring students

Funding delays by the government mean that the Center sometimes runs critically short of funds in providing residents with their basic needs, but the Development committee has a long-range plan to address some of the Center’s chronic problems with isolation, limited access to employment, and scarcity of water.

The Friends of Tanzania adopted Misufini following a mission trip to Tanzania in June 2011. Since then a total of $3,995 has been raised for Misufini and donations have come from parishioners at Trinity Episcopal Parish, Melrose, All Saints Episcopal Parish, Brookline and St Alban’s Episcopal Parish in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas. These donations have supported the following projects: the purchase of a pregnant heifer to join the small milking herd at Misufini, establishment of a poultry flock, tuition fees and sewing machines for 2 young women attending tailoring school as well as rain gear to protect them while walking to school during the rainy season, a rain water harvesting and storage system and vaccines and other medicines for the children. During the next year, the hope is to raise funds to help with improving housing. The St. Francis leprosy Guild has recently funded the construction of a dam to provide permanent relief from the chronic water shortage. When filled with rainwater, the dam will not only provide water for Misufini residents and their livestock but also serve as a much-needed water source for area residents and local farms.

Three members of the December 2012 mission group – Bishop Shaw, Rev. Tom Moussin, Rev. Sara Irwin and Dr. Colin Johnstone – visited Misufini and were given a tour of the center by Mr. Martin Simtenda, the secretary of the management committee.

Housing--a mission goal for 2013

Concrete construction for dam