About the Region: United Republic of Tanzania

The Musoma-Mara Region of Tanzania is located in the Northeastern part of Tanzania near Lake Victoria and the Serengeti Plains. This area is infested with malaria which kills many children daily. The people, especially children, suffer from malnutrition due to droughts and lack of clean water. Medical care is a big problem with a lack of drugs and nearby hospitals. People walk for miles with sick babies and children to reach Baraki Health Center for blood transfusions for malaria. A registered nurse, Sister Regina Mtowa, and a physician's assistant, Sister Maria Inviolate Subira, with a staff of 14 aids serve a population of 250,000 people. The center is very poor with limited supplies of medications and food and no medical doctors.

Tanzania boasts the tallest mountain in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and also has the shore of Lake Victoria, the birthplace of the Nile River.

Roughly twice the size of California, Tanzania is located in Eastern Africa on the Indian Ocean between Kenya to the north and Mozambique to the south. Harsh climate and difficult terrain make agriculture possible on only 4 percent of the country's territory, leading to overcrowding and a lack of food for many citizens.

Tanzania's economy is dominated by the agricultural sector, which accounts for nearly 80 percent of employment. Coffee, tea, cotton, and tobacco are leading cash crops, while corn and wheat are food staples. The country also has reserves of gold, which it sells for a profit on the world market.

Education is lacking and only very few can afford school fees. The schools lack the basic needs such as pencils, paper and books. Friends of Musoma Society organizes sponsorships for the education of primary and secondary students. The cost to sponsor a student ranges from $150 - $350 per year depending on the school and grade level. Many children are AIDs orphans and/or living in extreme poverty. This program gives hope and opportunity to children providing a way out of the hopelessness and despair that they know so well.

Father Biseko, a "Mother Teresa" of the region cares for the "unwanted", those suffering with AIDS, leprosy, the mentally handicapped and the elderly in his House of Mercy.

Sisters Mary Reese and Rosalie LaCorte help 400 children who are AIDS orphans. They run the Youth Alive Community Program, a group where young adults are educated about AIDS. Friends of Musoma Society supports this organization by providing funds for food, clothing and other needs.