The proposed St.  Luke English Medium Nursery School in Mateves. Work in progress.

St. Luke Church in Mateves is an outstation of SVD Epiphany Parish in Burka, Arusha. Though it is only 5 km from Arusha city, Mateves is so different. Majority of its dwellers are the Waarusha who speak the same toungue with the Maasais.

Their economical activities include keeping of cattle and farming, both of which depend purely on the rains. When there is not enough rains, these people suffer a great deal.

Another predicament facing Mateves is lack of proper education for the children. The government has recently constructed a secondary school near the only existing public primary school. And as it is the challenge in Tanzania in general, learning in English has just began taking shape with the efforts from the private sector and more recently the government has started embracing the great demands of proficiency in English in the job market. This has limited a great deal those who complete school from public schools in find jobs especially in the tourist sector, which is now booming in Arusha.

After studying this need, I shared with KIPEKEE an NGO that was born 4years ago, of some medical students when I was doing my OTP experience in Spain. These have been collaborating with us in our mission during the last three years in Kenya and Tanzania.

Concerned of this enourmous need, they have this year offered to support a project of an English Medium Nursery School which includes of two classrooms, an office and a kitchen.

This facility will be also used for offering short courses to the youths of the area, including a course in English to extend their horizons.

The work has already started and progressing well. Many thanks to the KIPEKEE fraternity and especially to its leadership led by Miss Lorena Sarjado.

Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD

For 8 months since the blessing and groundbreaking by the His Lordship Bishop Prosper Lyimo, auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Arusha, Epiphany SVD parish in Burka Arusha have commenced the construction of the Parish House. Since the coming of the SVD in Arusha, the confreres working here have been staying in a house that used to house the first bishop of Arusha.

However, due to the proposed expansion of the Dodoma Road along which the house is Located, the house has been marked for demolitions because according to the city plan, half of the building is sitting on the road reserve area.

The parish through the Parish Council have decided to use the little funds available from the collections to begin the foundation before they call for fundraising.

We wish the entire Burka community blessings and successful completion of the project.

Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD

Friends of SVD meeting with Fr. Samy after attending the final vows in CFC Langata, Nairobi

Friends of SVD is a lay faithful group under the Divine WOrd Missionaries (SVD). The main calling of the group is to help the Divine Word fathers and Brothers in their service to the people of God in our parishes and institutions. They collaborate in our activities both materially and spiritually. They meet every third Monday of the month in the house of one of the members in a rotating program to pray, share the Word of God and deliberate on the mission and how to serve the people better.

Friends of SVD in a prayer meeting in one of the member’s home in Arusha, Tanzania

We thank our lay partners for their collaboration in our mission.

Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD

For the few years, since our newest Parish Elect in Morombo, Arusha, was named, Our two confreres working there: Frs. Peddy Castellino and Norman Labutan have been living in Olasiti Parish. We have been calling them “day-scholars”. Very soon they are going to have somwere to lay there head and serve the people much more efficiently. Yesterday, 20 August 2017, the Parish Elect held an Harambee (fundraising), to complete the remaining part of the house.

According to the Parish Priest, the people of Morombo have been amazingly generous. apart from the parish house, the people have also contributed toward the building of a Primary School which is now operational.

We congratulates our two confreres for the good work they are doing in Morombo.

Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD

Spanish Medical Practitioners in a medical camp Mateves and Simanjiro

Volunteering has become the way to offer charity by the 21st century generation.  People who go out of their way to reach out to their less privileged fellow humans.

This week,  a group of spanish medical practitioners under the organization Medical Expeditions of the YOUCANYOLE,  are camping in our missions in Arusha, Tanzania.  They are holding a free medical camp. So far they have attended more than 400 patients with different kinds of illnesses.

It is a collaboration that has improved the health of our people greatly.  Many have receive a second chance to be able to see clearly after they received spectacles.

With them is a team of translators from our youth group here in Arusha.  The young translators tells me that it has been a wonderful experience to interact with people from other parts of the world and work together. Their horizons are widening.

We thank the YOUCANYOLE group for their generosity.

Fr.  Lawrence Muthee, svd