Scholarship Season is Here!

As the leaves turn from green to yellow, red, and orange, the members of the Scholarship and Education Working Group of the Iringa Committee begin to think about how your congregation’s pledges will provide scholarships and educational opportunities for secondary students in the Iringa Diocese. Over the past challenging year, your generosity has been at work in the lives of over 1,000 secondary school learners in Iringa. As your congregation prepares to make your 2021 pledge of support for secondary students in your partner congregation by Nov. 3, please keep these other areas in mind as well:

The BKB Equity Fund provides scholarships for students in un-partnered congregations. In 2020, you supported 52 students at a cost of over $14,000. Most of these students are in Forms 1-3 and want to continue their education for the 2021 school year. The great news is that the Lutheran Church in Tanzania is growing by leaps and bounds. There are 45 un-partnered congregations in the Iringa Diocese. Our goal is to provide up to 1.5 million shillings ($700) for each of these 45 unpaired congregations who have qualified students. For this reason, we’re asking you to consider an additional donation for these deserving Equity Fund students.

This year, the BKB Post-Secondary Fund is providing scholarships for 41 students continuing their education after completing secondary school. This number includes 26 continuing and 15 new students. In September, the post-secondary review board met to interview 31 students in Iringa. St. Paul review board members listened to the interviews and together with members in Iringa awarded the 15 available scholarships to men and women studying in the priority areas of health care and education. Scholarship recipients often remain in the Iringa area to work in their chosen fields after they complete their studies. In the future, we hope to tell you some of their stories. This area typically needs $30,000 - $35,000 each year to remain viable. Please consider an additional contribution to the Post-Secondary Fund.

In the past, we have helped to fund projects to update and upgrade the learning environment for students at Iringa Diocese Secondary Schools through the Education Capital Projects Fund. We have built science labs at Lutangilo Secondary School and put a roof on the multi-purpose building at Mtera Secondary School. These projects typically cost between $20,000 and $30,000. Our partners in Iringa are selecting our next project, which will be funded in 2022. Help us get a head start with an additional pledge to the Education Capital Projects Fund.

You also help fund training for teachers at the Iringa Diocese Secondary Schools. This area is currently well funded, so we respectfully ask that you consider a donation to one of the other areas.

During this scholarship season and throughout the school year, your generous gifts change lives of students in the Iringa Diocese. All of us on the Scholarship & Education Working Group thank you in advance for your generosity!

Rev. Lynda Thompson
Scholarship & Education Working Group Chair