Tanzania AIDS Orphans

Rev. Larry Johnson, Executive Director of Youth Encounter joyfully presented Anna Mkapa, the First Lady of Tanzania, a check for $45,000. The funds were used toward the building of the first house in a complex for AIDS orphans near Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Land was donated and detailed plans drawn up for a campus designed to house, feed, educate and give medical help to over 100 young children whose parents have died from the AIDS epidemic, a huge issue in this poverty-racked country. Youth Encounter (http://www NULL.youthencounter NULL.org/), through benevolence offerings taken at several dozen youth events throughout a year, raised the funds for the group home for these children.

First Lady Mkapa organized the campus and group homes to simulate family life as much as possible. Each home, operated by a house “parent” accommodates up to 10 children, a “family” of various ages and genders. Construction on the Youth Encounter/LPGM home was completed and a Youth Encounter Side-By-Side group of high school youth traveled to Tanzania in the summer of 2003 to visit the project.

This is a great example of three organizations partnering to do something that none of them could do alone. Congratulations, Youth Encounter, and God’s blessings as you seek to serve the children of Tanzania.