ALAG's 2007 Africa/CHaRA teamCHaRA stands for Construction, Health, and Relief Acts. It's is also the Greek word for joy. Through this ministry, Ron and Carol McDonald are sharing the Gospel and bringing joy to the people of Tanzania by providing clean drinking water, building schools, and through malaria treatment and prevention programs.
We have been privileged to partner with Ron and Carol by providing monthly financial support as well by joining them as several short term mission trips. Most recently, a team from ALAG joined CHaRA to minister in Zanzibar and Ikwiriri, Tanzania. While there we screened for malaria, provided treatment, educated about malaria prevention, and supplied families with life saving mosquito nets. You can read about that trip (and get a good idea of what a mission trip to Africa is like here). In 2008 we are planning to join with CHaRA on two separate, two week trips...
Haydom Building Trip- approximate departure date July 11th, 2008- Team members will participate in building a school for the village of Haydom in northern Tanzania. In addition to the school building itself, this project includes a well to provide water for a village in desperate need of clean drinking water. Water is currently being collected from a local river where clothes are also washed, animals are watered (and subsequently defecate in the river), and people bathe. Women and children walk many kilometers to collect water in buckets weighing over 20 pounds which must then be carried home to be used for cooking and drinking. Children often do not attend school, because they are needed to fetch water. Tragically, young girls are also being molested as they go to and from the river. Drilling the well at the school encourages families to send these children to school- where they not only receive an education, but clean water for their families as well. This water project will remove the need to fetch water from the river, thus keeping these young girls safe.
Haydom is open to preaching the Gospel, team members will also be involved in evangelistic outreaches to the village as well as mosquito net distribution and malaria education. This is a remote area of Tanzania so accommodations will be primitive, but the rewards will be great!
Zanzibar Malaria Clinics Trip- approximate departure date July 26th, 2008- If you have always wanted to go to Africa, but were afraid of the conditions- this is the trip for you! Team members will work with CHaRA to staff malaria clinics (no medical experience is needed) in Stonetown and outlying villages. Malaria is the greatest cause of death in East Africa- it is estimated that every 5 minutes a child in Africa dies from malaria. Simply giving out mosquito nets is not enough- clinics provide malaria testing and treatment as well as education about the disease. Zanzibar is not open to preaching the Gospel so we will be sharing Christ's love through our actions instead.
Accommodations in Zanzibar are very comfortable. We will be based at the Tembo House Hotel in Stonetown.
Approximate cost for each 2 week trip is $3200.00 which includes airfare, ground transportation, lodging, and all meals. Trip costs are tax deductible.
