Through the AICT National office World Renew is reaching out to Church leaders at the Diocesan levels with leadership training initiatives. Development workshops aimed at improving the responsiveness of the Church to the needs around them are planned periodically.
Leaders increase their skills in planning and in assessing how well the Church is living out her vision and mission. Currently, work with the National office is limited to Constituency Development through placement of volunteers (who are always in demand) and Leadership Training through Timothy Leadership Training (TLT) curriculum. The Church has health and educational institutions that are always seeking volunteers and in the past, AICT National office has hosted several WR volunteers, most of whom have been in the medical field.
Though the AICT Mara and Ukerewe Diocese, World Renew reaches out to Church leaders through training on the role of the Church in Development reflecting on Jesus’ ministry to a hurting world. In this partnership, focus on community development majors in;
i) Income generation – where community people are trained on group formation, saving together and loaning to each other, identifying local resources, their own strengths and using those to meet most felt needs;
ii) HIV and AIDS awareness creation and caring and working with people living with HIV/AIDS;
iii) Agriculture - training farmers in “Farming God’s Way”, a combination of principles from Conservation Agriculture and Biblical teachings to improve harvests in spite of increasingly difficult climatic conditions;
iv) Church and community leadership development - equipping leaders with skills to work with the whole community to carry out activities that transform living conditions for everyone.
Through the AICT Geita Diocese, World Renew reaches out to Pastors and Evangelists through training on the role of the Church in Development reflecting on Jesus’ ministry to a hurting world. The main focus in community development projects is continued training on the killer HIV and AIDS – addressing questions as to what HIV and AIDS is; who is vulnerable; how it is contacted; how people can keep safe; and how to live with and help those affected and infected.
The Diocese cares for over 2000 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC); train older OVC and infected and affected adults in forming support groups and in income generation and most are already involved in income generating activities that help them earn income. The partnership also focuses on income generation through savings and credit programs, adult literacy training for those who were denied the opportunity to attend school, agriculture - Farming God’s Way, and church & community leadership skill development.
Sengerema Informal Sector Association (SISA) which is a spin-off from our previous community development work with ELCT Mwanza. SISA maintains an interdependent relationship with World Renew Tanzania after graduating from direct funding due to successful capacity growth and ability to continue on their own. We are currently in the third year of a Land Rights and Food Security project with SISA to train and assist farmers in obtaining legal titles for their land in order to increase their security to invest in it. We are also training farmers in improved agricultural practices and the value of planting trees to protect their farms. This project is multiplying harvests, and attracting widespread interest from other organizations, radio and tv, other regions of Tanzania, and even the national government (including the President and Prime Minister). Due to SISA members’ high capacity in community development, SISA is highly recognized by the District and Regional government offices and has been awarded various tenders to train many communities. SISA is an offshoot of World Renew’s work with the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of East of Lake Victoria and maintains a good relationship with the Lutheran Church as well.
Wende Women Group: World Renew works with Wende Women Group in an interdependent relationship. Wende Women Group is one of the many community organizations that World Renew and the ELCT Diocese of Iringa (former WR partner) helped to build capacity to operate of their own. Wende is registered national as a development Non-governmental organization (NGO).
The NGO has a Savings & Credit account where members save and loan to each other at an interest. Interest earned is boosted by World Renew through Over & Above fund-raising to fund various community outreach projects that Wende has which include a) care of orphans and vulnerable children; small income generating projects and revolving small animals project with guardians of the orphaned children as well as Wende members; tree planting in public places like health centres and schools, and care for people living with HIV/AIDS. World Renew works with Wende leadership to increase their capacity to reach their potential in community outreach through monitoring five organizational capacity areas which are: a) leadership and management, b) resources, c) mission for orphans & vulnerable children, d) ownership and e) networking.
Embracing HIV and AIDS: World Renew Tanzania is implementing an Embrace AIDS program in Dar-es-Salaam region focusing on 4 zones. Using “Stepping Stones” and “Choose Life” curriculums and “Our Child” training manual. World Renew Tanzania has trained trainers (community facilitators) who include Church Pastors in all the zones and who work together with the trained trainers to address issues related to HIV & AIDS in the community and in schools.
R&D Partners
Mennonite Church – Eastern Diocese – World Renew Tanzania has just started year two of R&D partnership with the Eastern Diocese of the Mennonite Church through the Mennonite Church development organization – Jamii Enterprise Initiative (JEI). With JEI, WR is helping the Church to improve its capacity to minister to God’s people in the Coastal and Morogoro regions through leadership development with Church leaders and community development projects that include food security, village savings & loan groups, environment care, and HIV & AIDS awareness creation.
New R&D
WR Tanzania is in the process of engaging with a new R&D partner who will help continue with the gains achieved through the EAIDS project which is on its final year and currently implemented directly though WR country office.
