TANZANIA
Karagwe, Kagera District
Volunteers to the Karagwe area of Tanzania will find themselves in a remote, mountainous town where the majority of people are farmers subsisting on less than $100 a year. Tanzania is known throughout East Africa for having years of peaceful conditions often credited to the unifying national language of Swahili.
Sadly, the AIDS epidemic, malaria, and other health crises have touched this vibrant community. Volunteers will be impressed by the dedicated work of community organizers, caseworkers, hospital staff, and church members as they work side-by-side to improve people's lives.
The Partnerships
In Tanzania, Amizade partners with three community-based organizations, all of which are working to better living conditions and empower people in the region.
Nyakahanga Hospital - Nyakahanga is the main hospital for the region and a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania. They have instituted a number of vital community health initiatives including an AIDS Control office.
Family Alliance for Development & Cooperation (FADECO) - This grassroots community organization focuses on empowering local community members to support themselves economically, increase nutrition and preventative health, & provide educational technology and resources that will lead to community-driven plans for sustainability.
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Women Emancipation & Development Agency (WOMEDA) - This women's organization focuses on increasing economic and human rights by supporting members of the community through legal procedures and training programs.
The Commitment
Since 2003, Amizade has partnered with the Nyakahanga Hospital and the Lutheran Church to begin the construction of an orphanage for street children and AIDS orphans in the region. The vision for this orphanage is to provide a center where children could stay while waiting to be placed in foster care and to provide education and training for the children. The orphanage will be staffed and administered by the hospital.
The Impact
Over the past few years, volunteers have participated in projects around issues of community health including:
Orphanage construction: To date, the foundation and the first set of walls have been completed.
Community Health Research: Service-learning students have completed short-term projects on various health topics such as observing disinfection techniques and compiling statistics for the hospital.
AIDS Education Children's Book: Dr. Linda Winkler, a professor from the University of Pittsburgh, and (WHO from the community, AIDS Control Office) have designed and published a book in swahili to educate youth about AIDS prevention. The pictures for the book were completed by Tanzania school children.
Tanzania Program References
Charl Ann Kapp - deaconkapp@csonline.net
Jack Wonner - jmwonner@velocity.net
Danille
Kobet - dkburgh@hotmail.com or danillekobet@hotmail.com or 917.797.2016
"I personally believe that cross cultural programs are very important in that, they contribute enormously towards making the world a better place to live in. When two or more cultures (or peoples) meet or interact, they share their life experiences. 
So these offer a learning opportunity for those involved to realize their identities while at the same time, appreciating the other. And then, this opens the door for the recognition of man as a human being among human beings."
- Joseph Seiku, Director of FADECO