In the early years of Mwangaza International, it became evident that most “orphans” were not orphans by the true definition of both parents being deceased. These children were sold to traffickers or abandoned to orphanages, as an act of desperation by the parents to prevent watching their children starve to death. In response to this epidemic, Mwangaza shifted our focus to the family as a whole and we developed our Tabora programs on economic empowerment to empower the parents, preventing children from being sold or abandoned. Because a community can not thrive while the people are still living on 10 cents per day, we train parents in a 6 week course on business. This course includes; the basics on how to run a business, write a business plan, and identify a need in their community. We teach them marketing techniques, how to manage their money, and how to write and present their business plan. The business plan gives them ownership and connects them to the heart of the ministry. When they present their business plan they have to cover three things; how does this business help them and their family, how does this business help their community, and how does this business advance the Kingdom. We want them to think of themselves as missionaries- having many opportunities a day to share Jesus with people and to build relationships. Last year the Tabora program led 58 people to receive Christ in the market! We teach them that this is not only an opportunity for them to make money but it is also an opportunity to end spiritual poverty in their communities.

Follow Up

Following graduation from the training class, each student awaits sponsorship for their Tabora grant. Once they are sponsored and awarded their nano grant, they begin a 6 months follow up program where they meet once a week to work on setting and meeting attainable goals. Examples of these goals might include: to provide one meal a day to each of their children, to buy sandals for each of their children, and hopefully by the end of the 6 month follow up they can pay for one child to go to school with the expectation that they will continue to improve on this each month moving forward. During follow up, we make sure they are keeping money in their business, saving money, and putting some money towards their goal. Even after they complete their follow up program, we still follow up with our Tabora recipients and support them in any way we can.