All Saints - Songoro Partnership

Songoro Lutheran Church, a vibrant congregation in the Meru Diocese of Tanzania, has an official partnership since 2005. Situated high on Mt. Meru, Songoro also serves a second preaching point at Angaza.

The families of Songoro are primarily subsistence farmers, cultivating small plots of land (3-5 acres) to grow essential crops like corn, beans, and bananas. With an average annual income of $500, many also cultivate coffee as their main source of cash. Their aspiration is to grow high-quality coffee that can be sold to the Mt. Meru Coffee Project for export to the United States, offering significantly better prices than those at regional auctions. Recognizing Tanzania’s history as a former colony that limited infrastructure and trade opportunities, this partnership offers vital support.

The partnership between All Saints and Songoro Lutheran is thriving. Through the generosity of All Saints members, Songoro farmers are receiving resources to improve their livelihoods. In turn, the All Saints community gains valuable insights into lives of faith beyond consumerism. This relationship is built on empowerment, offering a hand up towards greater self-sufficiency.

At All Saints Lutheran Church, we believe that Christ’s love unites us all, across geographic barriers. We aim to live out this love through our worship, outreach, and daily interactions. We warmly welcome everyone, from all walks of life and beliefs, to experience the life-changing love of Christ within our community.

Education

Investing in Future Generations: Education for Songoro Youth

Our partnership prioritizes the education of Songoro youth, believing education is the key to increasing their income and raising living standards within their community.

While the government doesn’t fully cover secondary school fees, most farming families in Songoro struggle to afford them. To address this, the Songoro-All Saints Scholarship Program has provided crucial financial assistance to 60-75 students annually since its inception. These scholarships enable students to attend both state-run and private boarding schools, with the latter often providing an education that increases opportunities for meaningful employment and further learning.

Funding for the Secondary School Scholarship Program comes from an annual appeal at All Saints. In Songoro, a dedicated scholarship committee reviews student applications, considering past academic performance and family income to determine individual award amounts. All Saints receives a comprehensive annual report detailing the program’s financial distribution in Tanzania, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Building on the success of the secondary school program, a Higher Education initiative was established in response to students seeking support for university costs. Recognizing that these expenses couldn’t be covered by existing secondary school funds, this program connects individual students with sponsors willing to invest in their entire college journey.

To date, 20 students have pursued higher education through this program. These scholarship recipients share a strong commitment to giving back to their congregation and the wider Songoro community.

Health Care

The Songoro-American Clinic

Previously, residents of the Songoro region faced a challenging hour-long walk to the nearest healthcare facility in Nkoranga. Tragically, this distance contributed to preventable deaths. When the Meru District Government presented an opportunity for a local clinic in Songoro, it required a significant contribution from Songoro Lutheran Church and the community.

Through collaborative discussions involving Songoro village leaders, Meru District officials, and representatives from both Songoro Lutheran and All Saints Lutheran (including a former Songoro scholarship recipient now working for the district), a solution emerged. The district government offered to cover a portion of the construction costs if the community could raise the remainder and build the clinic in Songoro. In return, the district pledged to staff the facility and ensure affordable service fees.

Thanks to a successful appeal at All Saints and generous individual donations, the necessary funds were secured to make the Songoro-American Clinic a reality. Local Songoro volunteers actively participated in the construction, keeping the project within budget. Further support from All Saints provided essential medical equipment not covered by the district government.

Now, healthcare is significantly more accessible for the people of Songoro – a crucial improvement in a region where personal transportation is limited for most. This clinic represents a vital step forward in community well-being.

Building Bridges: The Journey of Partnership

The Beginning:

In 2005, a visit by Ron and Hannelore Bohrer, while volunteering with the Mt. Meru Coffee Project, marked the beginning of a meaningful connection. Their worship at Songoro Lutheran Church and a pivotal meeting with Pastor Anate Pallangyo laid the foundation for a partnership focused on empowerment rather than simple monetary aid. The guiding principle was to fund programs providing the tools necessary for Songoro to improve their own standard of living. This vision has been embraced by subsequent Songoro pastors. Ongoing personal connections between members of both congregations have fostered mutual learning and deepened understanding of each other’s faith experiences.

Mutual Visits and Learning:

Delegations from All Saints have journeyed to Songoro Lutheran and other significant sites in Tanzania, including the Meru Diocese Headquarters, Allanga Junior Seminary, Meru Diocese Rehabilitation Center, Songoro Secondary School, Mulala Coffee Processing Co-op, local coffee and subsistence farms, the Nkoranga Clinic, Olduvai Gorge Museum, Lake Manyara National Park, and the Ngorongoro Crater National Park.

In 2019, Emmanuel Makoninde, a Songoro scholarship recipient and a long-standing member of the All Saints-Songoro scholarship committee, made a reciprocal visit to All Saints Lutheran and other sites within the Greater Milwaukee Synod. As a staff member of the Tanzania Agriculture Ministry and a leader at Songoro Lutheran Church, Emmanuel shared heartfelt appreciation from the Songoro congregation, emphasizing the pride and dignity fostered by the partnership. He engaged with All Saints members in various settings, strengthening the personal bonds between the communities.

Tangible Impact:

Since 2005, numerous Songoro Lutheran Church members have benefited from scholarships. This increased access to education and the commitment of recipients to support their church have led to greater financial contributions within Songoro Lutheran. These increased funds have, in turn, supported vital community programs such as:

  • Self-Supporting Scholarship Program
  • At-Home Elder Care
  • Food for the Needy
  • Occupational Training

The partnership established in 2005 is demonstrably successful. Songoro Lutheran Parish is now recognized as a progressive leader within the Meru Diocese, and the overall standard of living in Songoro Village has improved. With the ongoing support of All Saints Lutheran, the educational opportunities for future generations in Songoro are poised to surpass those in other parts of Tanzania. Furthermore, enduring personal connections are fostered through long-term email exchanges between members of both congregations.