INTRODUCING LUHOMBERO, TANZANIA

Enormous challenges, even bigger hopes

Tucked away in the lowlands of a mountain, Luhombero village is 375km from the closest Chalice-supported community.  It is one of six tiny villages that form a region called Ilonga. The rural community faces many grave challenges, but there is also reason for lively hope. Through the tireless efforts of Fr. Kidata, our Mbinga site team and African regional staff, Chalice is bringing the gift of sponsorship to hundreds of children in our newest subsite.

The first challenge Luhombero families face is their size – most have seven to twelve children, and many are single mother households. Secondly, the rate of illiteracy is high because many left school by early elementary. Looking at the state of the local schools, it’s easy to see why: 60-80 children are squeezed into dilapidated classrooms with no books, pencils, or learning materials. 147 kindergarteners run around the fields because there is no indoor learning space for them.

There is also only one main teacher in Luhombero: Fr. Kidata.  A priest from the Mahenge Diocese, he is Luhombero’s solo teacher, medic, driver, and pastor. He teaches at the school, runs the dispensary, drives the only car, and says Mass for the Catholic faithful in all Ilonga. He also grows the crops that feed the children at school. He does all this without an assistant!

Fr. Kidata’s dispensary serves three villages, and it is in deplorable condition. The closest hospital is 20 km away, and the only way to get there is by calling Father. The community cannot handle emergencies or complicated deliveries; with a high rate of young mothers, complicated deliveries are common. 

Luhombero’s final hurdle is livelihood and food insecurity. Half of the families belong to farming tribes and the other half are pastoralists (cattle husbandry). Their land is fertile, and they can grow corn, rice, and cotton. But they are so secluded, they rely on middlemen from larger towns. The families must settle on throw-away prices because they are desperate. The farmers sell everything they can, leaving little or nothing for their families to eat. There are long months of hunger.

But while Luhombero’s challenges are steep, we are poised to bring about dramatic change. With the support of Provision Charitable Foundation, the community is building St Peter Clavers Primary School.  Through sponsorship, even the most marginalized parents will be able to send their children. Sponsorship will encourage them to stay in school and achieve a greater education than the generations before them.

There are currently 150 children available for sponsorship in Luhombero. At the outset, the site staff will be focused on the bare necessities, such as their nutrition and sanitation at home and essential school supplies. Each child will receive a thorough health check and deworming. Doctors will identify any chronic conditions or serious conditions that need further treatment. The Mbinga site will also prioritize refurbishing and equipping the dispensary with medication for common childhood ailments such as malaria and typhoid.

In the first year, Chalice staff will start the mothers and guardians off with the basics. They’ll form family circles and introduce the idea of savings. Slowly, we’ll build from there: to small enterprises, small business training and financial literacy. In a few years, the staff are excited to see the mothers standing on their own two feet.