Education is key to help the children escape poverty and become productive citizens.

Sister Afra Mgwama, with extensive training as an educator and administrator at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL USA, returned to Sumbawanga, TZ in February 2012 build and develop an elementary school. This thriving institution, still developing, now provides quality, well-rounded education for more than 300 students.

Sister Fausta Mtweve also completed her undergrad and graduate education at BenU and returned to Tanzania in 2019. She has opened a school in a small village about 50 miles south of Dar Es Salaam where the impact of high-quality education will bring immense improvements for all in the area.

Friends of Imiliwaha (FOI), with guidance from Sisters Afra and Fausta, will support specific educational and related projects, like providing school supplies and teachers' materials. FOI will provide funds for classrooms, dormitory construction and will continue to support needs at the secondary school at Imiliwaha.

Health Care Focus

Health Care is vital to ensure that the children, villagers and Sisters thrive...

The rural Imiliwaha community lacks access to trained medical personnel or medical facility to handle basic surgical procedures.

Sister-Doctor Beatrice, who worked in her village as a nurse, completed her training as a medical doctor at Poznan University Medical School in Poland in 2014 following her undergrad and premed studies at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL.

Sister-Doctor Beatrice interned at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar Es Salaam, TZ. She finished her residency in December 2020 and now works there as an Oncologist.

Friends of Imiliwaha collaborates with medical professors and students at Benedictine University and with those who want to share their skills with the people of Imiliwaha.

Updates

Sister-Doctor Beatrice now works in Dar Es Salaam at Muhimbili National Hospital in Oncology.
2 operating rooms are being utilized.
The Tanzanian government provides 2 doctors for the surgery center.
Housing for the doctors is provided on the Imiliwaha campus.

Surgical Center

Additionally, FOI lent major support to building the new surgical center at Imiliwaha (opened September 2021), and will continue to provide supplies, medicine and other medically essential equipment for this life-saving project.

FOI solicited support to have solar panels installed for the surgery rooms to guarantee electrical power, essential for surgeries.

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Health Care Photos

What the surgery center brings to Imiliwaha!

The Sisters have long provided basic health care to the 16 villages surrounding their campus. The government ordered them to add a surgical center or close their clinic, an unacceptable option. FOI accepted the challenge and in September 2021 this major life-saving project opened.

Sisters and area villagers now have access to local surgical services. The surgery center on the Imiliwaha campus, staffed by 2 doctors provided by the Tanzanian government and Benedictine Sisters, has already saved many lives and welcomed new patients!

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What We Do