Sisterhood project to help women and girls in Tanzania
A women’s initiative is hoping to help impoverished women and girls in Tanzania by providing them with dignity packs and information on women’s health.
Volunteers from Mitchell’s Plain will be among the women from God Chasers Church who will be making their way to Tanzania from Friday September 1 to Monday September 11 as part of the I Am My Sister ZA: Woman to Woman Tanzania Mission.
They will share the love of God through restoring dignity to women and girls, addressing issues like gender-based violence, ending period poverty, and hosting arts programmes, food distribution, toiletry and stationery drives, said Pastor Lauren George, from Parow.
Ms George, 46, heads up God Chasers Church in Cravenby, with her husband, Pastor Shawn George. The sisterhood will travel under this banner to serve in Tanzania, she said.
They’ve currently raised R96 534 out of the R300 000 donation amount for their Tanzania project. They've also collected 100 dignity packs for women's hygiene and 100 stationery packs for children.
They’re wanting to feed 100 families for one week. They will be buying food at the markets in Tanzania and making food crates for the families, as well as providing 100 girls with washable sanitary towels, she said.
Ms George has been involved in the arts for more than 20 years, facilitating dance workshops in various areas on the Cape Flats, as well as the creative arts conferences during the September school holidays through the Prophetic Praise dance network.
She says she is passionate about development of women and girls and hosts a Girls Chat women's conference, throughout the year. This work has been taken into other parts of South Africa and will also form part of their mission to Tanzania.
“Tanzania has been on my heart before Covid-19 hit us. We’re now presented with an opportunity to impact the landscape of this community. This has been a journey of prayer and waiting for the right doors to open. God led us here and we are excited to fulfil our mandate,” said Ms George.
“Witnessing girls on the streets, hungry children with hopelessness on people’s faces breaks my heart. It’s very personal. I have two girls of my own and this could have been them. This is an act of Ubuntu. They will be better positioned because of us,” she said.
Volunteer Chane’ Rangoli, from Portland, said she feels blessed to be part of this mission.
“It’s so much bigger than us, and I deem it a privilege to go into the nations - make disciples and spread the love and gospel of Jesus Christ. It's time for us to rise up, and prepare the way for the next generation. If not me, then who?”
Volunteer Ulene van Neel, from Ravensmead, said being part of this impactful and transformative initiative is humbling.
“This mission trip will enable us to be the change in someone's life that will hopefully have a ripple effect in generations to come,” she said.
For more information or to make a donation to their project contact Ms George on 083 922 0856 or email them on iammysisterza@gmail.com