Mwangaza’s team consists of: John Kavishe (senior program coordinator), Salome Lally (senior program coordinator), Richard Mbwambo (program coordinator), Allen Ephraim (driver), Nemayan Kin'Gori (bursar), Eva Elibariki (office assistant), and Johnson Laizer (communications). They also have a full in-country board of directors.

To learn more about the Mwangaza team, visit: mwangazapartnership.org/who-we-are.

Since 1995, LPGM has been working - and walking - with global partners to provide access to quality education for people at the margins, especially women and girls. LPGM currently works with global partners in the Central African Republic, Guatemala, India, and Tanzania. LPGM also leads transformational travel experiences to build global connections.

LPGM’s U.S.-based staff offices at the Minneapolis campus of Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities. The staff is composed of The Rev. Dan Ruth (executive director), Bethany Krepela (development director), Shannon Mahedy (communications coordinator), Laura Feile (international program manager), and John Anthony (finance & office administrator). LPGM’s India-based team is located in Tamil Nadu, India. The team is made up of Elangovan Mu See, Keerthiga M., Aswini Subramani, Praveen Kumar, and Victor Prince. LPGM is governed by a board of directors made up of 19 members.

To learn more about the LPGM team, visit: lutheranpartners.org/who-we-are.

LPGM has supported Mwangaza since 2018. In partnership with LPGM, Mwangaza started the Safe School Initiative program in 2018. The goal is to create safe and peaceful learning and teaching environments. Mwangaza’s staff work with parents, teachers, and administrators to encourage positive classroom management, teaching, and learning attitudes and supportive decisions that positively impact student learning.

The connective tissue between the United States and Tanzania is Dr. Shoonie Hartwig, or “Mama Shoonie.” She founded Mwangaza in 1996. Mama Shoonie has lived in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Tanzania as a professor, researcher, program facilitator, and writer. While Mwangaza is now led by Tanzanians, the organization began as a teacher exchange between American and Tanzanian teachers. Mama Shoonie laid the foundation that would lead to the separate fundraising arm, FOM.

FOM's contractors are Chloe Ahlf (development), Phillip Wilder (advisor), and Daudi Msseemmaa (advisor). Until this merger, a board of directors supported the work of FOM.

For years, LPGM and FOM have collaborated informally through overlapping supporters and board members. Due to their related missions, supporters, and geographic focus, unifying these two organizations was a natural fit.

By joining forces, these organizations will deepen their impact and ensure long-term sustainability for Mwangaza. As a unified organization under LPGM's name, they will be able to do more for Mwangaza together.

FOM gains the experience and structure of paid LPGM staff, a larger donor base that can learn about and support the work of Mwangaza, and greater confidence that Mwangaza will have the funding they need for the foreseeable future.

LPGM gains the energy and passion of FOM’s board members on its committees, experienced contractors who know Mwangaza well, more donors who can learn about and support the broader work of LPGM, and deeper connections to the Mwangaza team.

In late 2023, The Rev. Daniel Ruth (LPGM executive director) and Mark Cutler (FOM board chair) had an informal conversation about the possibility of working more closely together. Later, members of the FOM board approached LPGM to discuss this in more detail.

The two organizations felt that their missions, values, and synergy were aligned, so they decided to keep the conversation moving forward. Representatives from both organizations—with each board’s approval—met throughout 2024. Eventually, both organizations affirmed the long-term goal of a single organization supporting the work of Mwangaza and other partners (those currently supported by LPGM).

The process accelerated in 2025, and a “Letter of Intent” was signed by all parties. LPGM engaged legal counsel to help draft the necessary legal agreements. Each board voted at its respective November 2025 board meeting to approve the merger. The merger was officially approved at both board meetings. FOM officially folded into LPGM on January 1, 2026.

The merger became effective on January 1, 2026.

As of January 1, 2026, FOM no longer exists as a separate legal entity. The organization folded into LPGM, which continues to exist as a nonprofit corporation. Three FOM board members will join LPGM's board in April, and all other board members have been invited to join LPGM committees. LPGM will continue to work with FOM's contracted staff members to ensure Mwangaza has the support it needs.

Mwangaza will continue to operate as an independent registered NGO in Tanzania, with its own board of directors, staff, bylaws, and practices. LPGM will engage with Mwangaza as it does with all its global partners: listen, respond, and bear witness to local needs and priorities. LPGM plans to raise the financial support previously raised by FOM, in addition to the funds LPGM has already committed to raise for Mwangaza, in accordance with our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mwangaza.

LPGM plans to continue contracting with these folks, subject to renewed agreements and scopes of work.

Supporters who previously supported Mwangaza through FOM can continue supporting Mwangaza through its website, or through LPGM.

When making a one-time, online gift through LPGM’s website (www.lutheranpartners.org), select the "Elevate Excellence of Education" fund. To support Mwangaza with a monthly gift, become a Sustaining Neighbor. Gifts may be mailed to LPGM at 4100 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409. When sending a check, please write "Mwangaza" on the memo line.

Beyond gifts of cash (credit cards and checks), LPGM gladly accepts gifts via Donor-Advised Funds, gifts of appreciated assets (such as stocks), gifts through IRAs (such as Qualified or Required Minimum Distributions), life insurance policies, or gifts of life insurance.

LPGM’s Legacy Circle honors donors who have included LPGM in their estate plans. Planned donors may designate Mwangaza as the beneficiary.

If you have included FOM in your estate plans, please update your estate attorney that the beneficiary name should be changed to:

Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry, Inc.

4100 Lyndale Ave S

Minneapolis, MN 55409

EIN: 41-1818525

You may designate your gift to benefit Mwangaza. We encourage donors to review and update their estate plans and to notify LPGM of their plans to ensure their wishes are fulfilled.

To learn more, or to inform LPGM that Mwangaza is included in your estate plans, please contact Bethany Krepela, LPGM development director, at bethany@lutheranpartners.org or 612-806-0733.

LPGM is working closely with folks from FOM - former board members and contractors - to collaborate, learn, and strengthen our mutual commitment to Mwangaza in Tanzania.

FOM folks have been building deep relationships with Mwangaza for decades. We value their expertise, insight, and institutional knowledge. To ensure that Mwangaza continues to get a similar level of exposure and attention, LPGM will continue to work with FOM’s contracted advisors Phillip and Daudi, as well as FOM’s contracted development staff member, Chloe.

Additionally, as part of the merger, three FOM board members will be joining our board in April 2026, and all other FOM board members have been invited to join LPGM committees. While we intend to eventually fold FOM communications into LPGM communications, we will still send out separate Mwangaza-specific emails and newsletters for the time being to ease folks into the transition.

Mergers come with a healthy amount of uncertainty. We can't promise to be perfect, but we are doing everything in our power to treat this unification with intention and care. Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

By continuing to work with former FOM staff and board members, we will increase our capacity to emphasize Mwangaza, while also giving ample attention to our other four partnerships. At LPGM, each of our partnerships is valued.

We purposely limit our number of partnerships to prioritize each existing partnership. We go deep instead of wide, making sure that we can make a real impact with each partner over many years.

We have transparent relationships with each partner, and we will communicate about this merger and will invite feedback if a partner has needs to express.

We seek to create mutual, reciprocal relationships, and we are confident that the trust we've established will help us navigate this time of transition.

We will continue to share impact stories, photos, and videos from all of our partners.

FOM supporters may reach LPGM by emailing office@lutheranpartners.org, calling 612.823.5058, or sending mail to 4100 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55409.

Please contact the Rev. Daniel Ruth, LPGM executive director at dan@lutheranpartners.org or 612.806.0730.