(TANZANIA) “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6. This is exactly what we did in January with our partner organization, the Wende Women’s Group of Iringa. With an HIV and AIDS Innovation grant, we trained Peer Educators, ten- to eighteen-year-olds from eight schools in Iringa, using the “Choose Life” manuals.

This is exactly what we did in January with our partner organization, the Wende Women’s Group of Iringa. With an HIV and AIDS Innovation grant, we trained Peer Educators, ten to eighteen-year-olds from eight schools in Iringa, using the “Choose Life” manuals.

But, as more and more awareness is being raised about the deadly virus known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), more and more new infections are occurring all over the country, especially among youth and the most vulnerable people in communities.

The Wende group in Iringa was awarded a one year grant from World Renew for an innovation intervention related to prevention of HIV and AIDS infections. Wende selected eight schools, four primary and four secondary schools, for this training. Each school selected four students who were influencers with self-confidence who were willing to be peer educators in their schools. Each school selected two boys and two girls and also appointed one teacher as a champion for youth affairs to come along for the training.

For the primary school trainees, we used the “Choose Life” manual for ages 10 to 14 years and for secondary school trainees, we used the “Choose Life” manual for 15 years and up. For the eight teachers (one from each school) and the Wende members, we used both manuals to give a detailed overview and talk about how they will help peer educators in their respective schools. 

To crown the week-long training, we went to one of the secondary schools and one of the primary schools and the “graduated” peer educators introduced Choose Life to the whole school with a song that summarized of all lessons they had learned. Within a short time, all the students were learning and singing it.

The Ward Counselor who closed the training said that the song will be a second school song in all schools in his Ward.

It’s our hope and prayer that there will indeed be a reduction in HIV infections among the youth in these schools and beyond. 

Praise requests:

  • Praise the Lord that a volunteer couple from Toronto will be coming to Mwanza in October to live and work with us to help our partners in our development projects (esp. agriculture) and as a nurse at the nearby medical clinic of our Africa Inland Church of Tanzania headquarters.
  • The recent elections of our neighbor Kenya went peacefully.

Prayer requests:

  • Pray for the leaders of our partners, that God continues to transform them towards more faithfulness in and commitment to ministry.
  • Pray for health and strength for us (Chris and Margaret) as we carry out field visits, assessments, and evaluations of most of our partners in the next few months.
  • Continue to pray for the Christian church in Tanzania, for safety of church leaders and all Christians and for peaceful co-existence of various religions.

Margaret Njuguna

Country Director
World Renew Tanzania