Photo courtesy of Mercy World Organization.
By Andrea Miller
In Tanzania, 4.4 percent of the adult population is HIV-positive, and more than a million Tanzanian children have been orphaned due to AIDS-related deaths. Mbeya, one of the country’s largest regions, bears the heaviest burden, with the highest number of children affected. Ostracized by society, many of these kids live on the streets, leaving them vulnerable to sexual abuse and to being manipulated by drug traffickers. Others have been taken in by caregivers who, despite their compassion, lack the resources to provide even basic necessities—food, education, and healthcare.
Based in Mbeya City, Tanzania, Mercy World Organization (MEWO) is a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting vulnerable populations, including orphans, women, and people with HIV/AIDS. With the goal of improving the national standard of living, MEWO provides services such as counseling, vocational training, sustainable agriculture, and education on gender-based violence, violence against children, and nutritious food. The organization is led by director Tuntufye Anangisye Mwenisongole, an ordained minister in the Moravian Church of Tanzania.
In partnership with Buddhist Global Relief, MEWO is providing school uniforms and supplies, health insurance, school lunches, and counseling to 35 orphans. This project, called Save Their Dreams, also includes quarterly food distribution for the children and their caregivers.
Nine of the children were born HIV positive, including Agnes. With her immune system compromised, her growth was stunted, so she’s significantly shorter than her twin sister who does not have HIV. With MEWO’s help Agnes and eight other children are now receiving free anti-viral treatment, transportation to clinics, and calendars to help track medications.
Recognizing that access to quality education is key to breaking cycles of poverty and fostering national growth, MEWO works to overcome the various barriers that keep children from attending school.
Without food security, Tanzanian children are at risk of being forced out of the classroom and into child labor, so the school lunches and food distribution that MEWO provides to the 35 orphans is life-changing. Yohana, for instance, was a 14-year-old boy who had to crush stones for a living until he became a MEWO beneficiary and could start attending school regularly.
In Tanzania, menstruation also contributes to absenteeism; many girls miss school when they’re having their period because they lack menstrual pads. MEWO distributes pads to all of the menstruating girls in their Save Their Dreams program and also provides educational workshops on menstrual health, to reduce stigma and promote health and hygiene.
At just 13 years old, Amina needed to earn money to buy her school supplies and food for her family. So, she worked for her neighbors, washing their dishes. But this caused her to miss many classes, and she was falling behind. Then she became a MEWO beneficiary, and she could finally focus on her education. Amina became one of the top-performing students at her school.
Catherine is also 13. After her father died, her mother was unable to take care of her, so she sent Catherine to live with her grandmother. Unfortunately, her grandmother—struggling with alcoholism—could not provide the care that every child deserves. When the MEWO team first met Catherine, she was not attending school and often went hungry. Now, with MEWO’s help, she receives school support, menstrual pads, health insurance, and regular counseling. This has helped her return to the classroom. Her teachers describe her as gifted.
Rose, age 18, was born with a health condition that causes her hands to tremble, making it difficult for her to write. Because of this condition, as well as her family’s financial hardship, Rose couldn’t continue with her secondary education or acquire any vocational skills. Just when hope seemed lost, MEWO enrolled her as a beneficiary and she was able to receive vocational training in tailoring and dressmaking. Now, Rose plans to establish her own tailoring shop.
MEWO’s work demonstrates a powerful truth: When vulnerable children are met with compassion, resources, and opportunity, they can thrive.
Andrea Miller is editor of the Buddhist magazine Lion’s Roar. She is the author of Awakening My Heart: Essays, Articles, and Interviews on the Buddhist Life and the picture book The Day the Buddha Woke Up. She serves on the board of directors for Sierra Club Canada Foundation.
