MISSIONER NEWSLETTER – Spring 2025

Joanne Miya, Tanzania

Thanks to support from donors, Uzima Centre was able to buy new school sweaters for students (left), Stella (top right) was able to save through a savings-and-loan program to buy a small solar panel and light for her kids to do their homework in the evening, and Latifah (bottom right) is able to continue receiving the antiretroviral drugs she needs.

MWANZA, TANZANIA—Greetings from Uzima Centre. I hope this finds you doing well and staying hopeful! Since this is my first newsletter of 2025, I’d like to tell you about some of the wonderful things that you made possible last year. Some of you supported us through your prayers, others were donors, and still others helped to spread the word about the work we do. Each of you has been an essential part of Uzima Centre.

Last year your donations provided $1,170 in assistance to 95 students. These funds enabled primary school students to pay exam fees and to receive basic school supplies and new school sweaters.

When Emmanuel passed his exam to go to secondary school, one of his teachers helped to secure a placement for him at a government boarding school that offers classes for students who are hearing impaired. Not only is Emmanuel HIV+, he also has significant hearing loss. This opportunity was a real blessing. Unfortunately, it would cost close to $90 for him to enroll. His grandmother, who is raising him, came to us confused and overwhelmed.  We were able to help Emmanuel with the basic supplies he needed. He is a bright, young man and hopefully an education will help him to have a better life and to eventually take care of his grandmother.

Your donations also covered the cost of all home and school visits. Our social worker visits all our students at their schools every two months. He also visits the homes of all the clients. Since this often requires travel by local minibuses, motorcycle taxis, and sometimes bicycles, the clients really appreciate these visits.

To respond to our clients’  financial struggles, we have organized “village savings and loan groups.” In the past year, 114 people have participated. One of our staff members attends all the meetings and your donations pay for her transportation. Our goal is for people to realize that no matter how little they have, putting aside even a small savings can make a big difference.

Stella is a member of a savings and loan group for guardians. Little by little, she managed to save $35. That was enough to buy a small solar panel and light. She shared with the group that previously her three children had to go to a neighbor’s house in the evenings to do their homework because their home had no lighting. Stella worried about them walking home in the dark. Now they can study in the safety of their own home. Her participation in the savings and loan group was making a difference. We do what we can, and our clients are doing what they can.

When a grant that pays for the cost of medical care for our adults living with HIV was delayed for months, your donation provided $1,450 in critical medical care.  Without private donations, projects like ours are forced to stop services when grants are late or cancelled. Around the world, HIV clinics have been forced to close their doors after USAID funding was abruptly stopped. Several of our clients have lost their jobs as HIV counsellors at local hospitals due to a mandate by a president on the other side of the world. It is hard to accept that vulnerable people are being made even more vulnerable by the stroke of a pen.

In Tanzania, antiretroviral drugs are still available, but we don’t know for how much longer. Our clients live in fear. If they miss even a few doses of their daily antiretroviral treatment, there is a high risk of  drug-resistant strains of the virus developing. This would be a medical disaster of global proportions. All the progress of the past 40 years could quickly be undone. It is a very real question of life and death. Nothing is more humbling (or scarier) than when your very life depends on the compassion of others.

I’ll end with a quote from Henri Nouwen: “We cannot love issues, but we can love people, and the love of people reveals to us the way to deal with issues.” May the love of Christ be your compass. Thank you and God bless.

Peace, deep breaths and gratitude,
Joanne Miya
[email protected] or [email protected]

Please consider supporting my mission work at the Uzima Centre with a donation through the link below.

I invite you to walk with me as a “COMPANION IN MISSION.” Companions in Mission are friends and generous donors who give financial gifts on a regular (usually monthly) basis. For more information, visit Become a Companion in Mission. Thank you so much for your generosity!