At the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, the legendary lady of the mist, lies the community of King'ori/Legaruki. In 2008, when Executive Director, John Kenworthy, was doing site visits, he traveled to this region to assess the possibility of lifting up King'ori as one of the causes that Brick by Brick for Tanzania!, Inc. could support.

 

The congregation of Capitol Drive Lutheran Church (CDLC) beautifully accepted this challenge. As a way to honor their 75th anniversary, CDLC did bake sales, fundraising and used an innovative website called 'Project 12 Baskets' to help raise the moneys for this two-room preschool that will serve 30-40 children in this impoverished rural region. Through the efforts of the congregation along with the students of Milwaukee Lutheran High School, they submitted two incredible donations equalling $10250 that put this project over the top.

 

In December 2009 thanks to those efforts, the fundraising phase was thus complete and the moneys were transfered to the workers on the ground in King'ori. Though initially set back by a rainy spell - much needed during a time of severe drought! - the groundbreaking took place in January 2010. (Photos of work in progress will be shared here as they are received.)

 

Pastor Malaki and the children of King'ori send their thanks and love to CDLC and the Milwaukee Lutheran High School students.

 

Asante marafiki! (Thank you friends!)

 

In November 2009, Pastor Matthew Short of St. Luke's Lutheran Church invited Brick by Brick to speak to the congregation regarding the need for preschools in Tanzania. The Executive Director was pleased to join Brick board members, Terry and Karen Berg, in two beautiful services and an invigorating question and answer session.

 

The Director in his talks with the congregation compared an Old Testament telling of Elijah invoking God to fill the meal jar of a poor widow with his own experience with poor HIV widows in Tanzania. "It is easy in contemporary society," he said, "to question where are those miracles now. But we need only look to ourselves to see that WE are the miracle people today." He related that the compassion of good people - like those that support Brick by Brick and other worthy causes so graciously - are indeed the miracle people continuing to fill meal jars for those in need.

 

One way that St. Luke's helped to fill those meal jars was by having a competition between the adult members of the congregation and the children in Sunday School. For each donation, a real brick was stacked on a palette outside of the church as a visual reminder of the progress. Overall the congregation raised $1,029.86 for Brick by Brick. These funds were enough to put the fundraising efforts for the Young Roses School in rural Arusha over the top. Construction will begin shortly on that one-room preschool.

 

Thanks to the miracle people of St. Luke's - and to ALL miracle people for helping the youngest children of Tanzania get a headstart to the educational process while allowing their mothers to supplement the family income so that the older siblings don't have to prematurely join the workforce. Your gifts are so gratefully appreciated.

 

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