Leeds Diocese has a link with three dioceses in north-west Tanzania - the Dioceses of Mara, Rorya and Tarime. The link is about:
- Friendship - through visits, letters and emails
- Prayer - we pray for each other often by name.
- Practical Support - in whatever way we can
Around 80 churches in West Yorkshire are linked to churches in Tanzania as well as school to school links. There have been many visits in both directions. Many parishes pray for their link church every Sunday. Schools exchange letters and photos and learn about each other. Clergy training is supported and agricultural projects funded. Click here to download a leaflet.
WYAD Talking Tanzania Link Facebook
Act Mara Safe House: The Story So Far …Keeping girls safe from FGM
The practice of FGM is still carried out in Tanzania, despite being illegal in that country since 2009. In a few tribal cultures, this act is seen as ‘purification’ before marriage, and may lead to a larger wedding dowry.
In 2009, the Anglican vicar of Mugumu took a young girl into his care in order to protect her from FGM. From this one act, the idea of a ‘Safe House’ was born. With funding from the Anglican Diocese of Mara and the UK based Tanzanian Development Trust, a building was constructed that can house 80 girls. It is especially busy in the ‘cutting season’ of November and December in alternate years.
The Safe House provides the following for the girls in its care:
- Food, shelter and a home
- Access to education
- Family reconciliation work
- Raised awareness of FGM in the communities which it serves
- Currently, all funding for the Safe House comes from the Anglican Church of Mara, with support from the Leeds Diocese Tanzanian link, and some other church funding in the UK. There are plans for income generating projects to help it become more self-sufficient
The Tanzanian Link Committee – in the Leeds Diocese – has a sub-committee focused on the Safe House. We have a small number of members who look to support the project by:
- Giving talks on the Safe House and FGM practices in Tanzania to groups- in order to raise awareness and generate donations/ regular giving.
- Fundraising activities – the Safe House is currently very short of funds, for even necessities such as food and staff salaries, and that’s why we need your help.
How can you be part of the story:
- Pray for the work of the Safe House and the Anglican Church in Tanzania
- Donate – funding is desperately needed for staff salaries, medicines, clothes, school supplies, bedding, food, transport costs. We have a standard letter and leaflets that can be posted out to you, if you want to do your own fundraising initiative. Contact Rebecca on the email below.
- Invite us to give a talk – to raise awareness of FGM practices in Tanzania – and to encourage people to make regular donations/ one off donations to the Safe House.
A standing order commitment of £5 or £10 a month could make a real difference.
BACS payment to Leeds DBF, reference - Safe House. Sort code 09-02-22 Acct No. 10466302.
Send cheques to Leeds DBF, 17/19 York Place, Leeds LS1 2EX payable to ‘Leeds Diocesan Board of finance’; write ‘Safe House’ on the back.
For further information please download our leaflet or read a PowerPoint presentation about the Safe House initiative.
Contact details:
Rebecca Cain (rebeccaacain@outlook.com)
Tanzanian Link Committee Officer for the Safe House
Latest News
February 2020: Close friendship and deep ties were seen during a team from the diocese’s recent trip to Tanzania. 16 clergy and laity from the Diocese of Leeds spent two weeks travelling to and across the Mara region of the country. Follow this link to read a full report about their visit.
October 2019: 5 members from St Mary’s Church, Luddenden with Luddenden Foot visied their sister parish of St Mary’s Mmazame in our link diocese of Mara, Tanzania, on a working and fact-finding trip. To keep everyone up to date Jane Evans, who is part of the group, write a blog. Follow this link to read what they got up to.
February 2019: Diane Norton, Schools Adviser for the Education team, last year travelled with a group of teachers to Tanzania to explore work which has been supported by our dicoese, specifically with schools. The trip saw eight members of our diocese visiting a range of schools across Tanzania.
January 2018: Latest Tanzania Link Update
Harvest Appeal 2017: A borehole for Bwasi.
June/July 2017: Arthur Mauya, Melinah Galibona and Joseph and Benta Nyamgoncho (headteacher at Issenye) and his wife visited Leeds Diocese.
April 2017: Bishops of Overseas Links visit UK More.
February 2017: Teachers in Tanzania Follow their blog. Latest bulletin.
February 2016: Bishop Nick and Linda visited Tanzania with others. More here and here.
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Ven Cat Thatcher Archdeacon of Pontefract |
