Deaconess House (Nyumba ya Wadiakonia) is a mission started by the Southeast of Lake Victoria Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. This home provides shelter, security and a vocational training program for young women with albinism. This is known in the Diocese as Right to Live with Albinism. This specific ministry teaches the young women sewing and life skills. Two deaconesses, Stella Matary and Matrida Sanga care for them in this modest dwelling without electricity or plumbing. Security and shelter is needed for these women because of the threat against the lives of all albinos. Witchdoctors have taught that body parts of albinos are needed to bring good luck. They are at risk of dismemberment or death due to these beliefs. Deaconess House (Nyumba ya Wadiakonia) is a mission started by the Southeast of Lake Victoria Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. This home provides shelter, security and a vocational training program for young women with albinism. This is known in the Diocese as Right to Live with Albinism. This specific ministry teaches the young women sewing and life skills. Two deaconesses, Stella Matary and Matrida Sanga care for them in this modest dwelling without electricity or plumbing. Security and shelter is needed for these women because of the threat against the lives of all albinos. Witchdoctors have taught that body parts of albinos are needed to bring good luck. They are at risk of dismemberment or death due to these beliefs.
Matrida and Stella
The women have treadle sewing machines and learn to sew to prepare them to eventually become self-supporting. On our visit at the Deaconess House, each woman introduced herself, giving her name, age, and home village. Some were unaware of their exact age. This is not unusual. Many could have been abandoned at birth. They were proud to prepare and serve a meal for us and sang a song expressing their sorrow.
Their words tell their plight…We don’t know the fate of our lives. We live in persecution. We live in doubts/worries. We live in difficulties and doubts. We ask the government to help us.
Mid-South District Mission teams have been supportive of helping the albinos in the Shinyanga who are in a struggle for survival. If you are interested in further information or how to help this ministry, contact Bob Allen at rjallen@prodigy.net.
