About the project

Project proposal on financing the establishment of Carmelite Mission Centre for Faith Formation, Rehabilitation and Vocational Training at Boko, diocese of Dar es Salaam - Tanzania

 

Introduction

In reference to the headed tittle, this proposal is made to seek financial support to construct the first floor of mission building with 3 classes, 2 conference rooms, office and washrooms at Boko.  The Centre is found in the newly erected Diocese of Bagamoyo in Tanzania and is meant for multi activities connected to faith formation, rehabilitation programmes and Vocational trainings to the youth around the area and the neighbourhood.

The entire project has the ownership Congregation of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (CMSSTCJ). This is an international Congregation originated from Italy in 1925 with about 270 sisters in 12 Countries including Canada and four countries in Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo). There is an increase of vocation in Africa and Asia while in the rest part of the Congregation, number is decreasing, and the sisters are becoming elderly. In Africa the Congregation is present in Tanzania for the past 40 years   operating in 10 Dioceses including Bagamoyo where the project is situated.  

Faith Formation is the heart of the apostolic activities of the Congregation wherever we operate. It is crucial to the young church of such as that of Tanzania.  With our charismatic dimension in restoring of wounded humanity, we prioritize formative apostolic activities gearing to integral education, both formal and informal to children and young people, women and families in need especially in remote areas, in periphery, marginalized or underserved.

The idea of having a mission Centre at Boko, was born from 40 years of our experience as a Congregation in Tanzania where, together with friendly atmosphere and religious supportive environment, the society still experience life straggles related to inadequate faith formation, poverty, health difficulties and illiteracy among others. Even after 150 years from the birth of the catholic church, precisely here in Bagamoyo, we still lack a centre dedicated for faith formation integrated with vocational skills which seem to be best way to solve several real social economic problems of our people.  More still, the traditional background does not underestimate psychological wounds, addictions and their respective therapy. This negligence is resulting to negative consequences.  With this background, Carmelite Mission Centre was born to operate in three main Programmes namely, Faith Formation, rehabilitation and Vocational Training targeting young people of the surrounding areas.  The plan is to make the said activities to take place in a store building of three floors, each of them   assigned for specific category of function to ensure serenity and harmony among the programs[1]. The implementation (construction) started in year 2023 and the work progress though a lot still need to be done to make the centre function properly.

Thus, the goal of this project proposal is to establish appropriate building to accommodate the three training programs within the year 2026

Specific objectives

  1. Construction of 3 classes, 2 conference rooms, 2 offices and washrooms to accommodate capacity 320 people by December 2025
  2. Recruit and contract 6 workers
  3. Establishment of managing committee
  4. Conduct rehabilitation program to 40 youth by December  2026
  5. Allow 320 children and young people to benefit from the Centre by December 2027

However, this the rehabilitation program to take place on the first floor cannot be viewed as standalone program but as a part of the single mission Centre which will have other activities in ground floor and later in the second floor.  Therefore, here onwards is the detailed description of the entire project.

Why the mission Centre at Boko – Charismatic perspective

Drawing from St. Therese our Patroness and from our founders, this Mission Centre is viewed as a concreate expression of what the Congregation is called for: To love Jesus and make Him Loved restoring wounded humanity. The 3-training program are designed to put emphasis on blended values (faith, economy, social) to enhance integral growth of human person with dignity regardless of the challenging situations that one may encounter. The aim is to help young people live in an ordinary day to life with wining prospect, allow them to recover or prevent likely psychological damages/ wounds.  Programs will take place from ground floor to the second floor of the same building, namely

  1. vocational training to support young people with difficulties in speech or those who did not have chance to accesses secondary school and mainly the youth in vulnerable situations at the Ground Floor

 

Vocational training on horticulture, tailoring, Bakery and animal keeping will be introduced stage by stage from this year 2025, depending on the speed of the completion of the ground floor, already under way and the availability of other materials to facilitate the program. In future a course on solar power may be introduced. At least 40 trainees are expected to join the course per a year.

 

The said Vocational trainings are meant to reduce the level of unemployment among the Youth and women at Boko and the surrounding villages where consequences unemployment, low income earning contributes to prolonged poverty, moral issues, abuses and humiliation to young people and families especially teenager girls. Some of them become single mothers without enough preparation and have the burden of raising several children without enough support economically and morally. Initially, the Congregation conducted a Vocational training (VT) on tailoring and computer science at Boko in Dar es salaam within a building which was at the same time, a convent, religious formation house and a spiritual Centre. The focus was on young girls who did not have the opportunity to go to secondary schools. Sadly, in the year 2015 due to lack of appropriate building for the VT, the program was suspended until 2022 during the provincial chapter when it was deliberated to re-establish this service. It was still needed, witnessing an increase of the living cost and additional young people facing unemployment and suffering from its consequences, including drug abuse and exploitation.  house girls with little pay is very common phenomenon.

From March 2023, as mentioned earlier, the Congregation is working with the construction of classes and is expecting to resume the VT concentrating on tailoring and production of green products in the first year of operation, soon will include bakery and later solar power technology.  Already 20 young women and girls have registered in the course, using a small, borrowed class expecting to start shift to the new building at the end of April/May 2025.

  • Why Tailoring, gardening and bread making training   

Vocational training and practices were preferred due to the presence of a wider market of the expected products and their direct usefulness to the participants. In the aspect of uniforms, for example, there is high demand of the school Uniforms within the Congregational ministry. CMSSTCJ works in 9 schools in Tanzania - several primary and secondary schools – which use school’s uniforms and as well need bread for breakfast, fresh fruits and vegetables for their meals. The schools thus provide the opportunity to create job for young people who seek employment. Additionally, during the training duration will be used to train some other entrepreneur skills toward improvement of livelihood and self-sustainability.

  • Targeted beneficiary in this specifically for this category of training.

Here priority will be given to young women and people with difficulties in speech, this group is less competitive. At least 20 trainees are expected to join the course in year 1, after the first 2 years we expect the number to grow to 40 per year. But this will be possible if the entire building is completed to liberate the whole floor for only this activity, which is not the case now. The Congregation could here 50% of the graduates in the first 3 years.

  • Animal husbandry (poetry) and solar power training soon   

The introduction of training on animal husbandry and solar power technology will provide further opportunities for job creation.  Utilization of natural resources available on solar power will cut down on the cost of electricity, assuring its constant availability. The technology on solar power is badly required in rural areas where even electrical connections have not been made or is expensive to run. However, for the moment due to space and financial limitation, these training are expected to start in 2028 when, as expected, the entire building will have completed. 

  1. Rehabilitation of people recovering from trauma, depression, or other psychological wounds in First Floor

 

Another important training program is termed as rehabilitation.  The word itself has a close similarity with the Congregational Motto. To love Jesus and make him loved restoring wounded humanity.  Our society just like many others in the developing countries, experiences presence young people wounded from poverty driven reasons.  Today many young people suffer from drug abuses, unemployment, depression, and related.  our community at Boko is not immune to such situations. In our community at Boko, where this Centre is to be established, we receive some individuals who have experienced trauma and suffering. Several parents have brought their children or young adult seeking for therapy. In short Alcohol, drug abuse, prostitution seem to be real problems in our society presently, most likely these problems have their background in poverty and cultural negligence.

While Pope Francis speaks of existential periphery our charism uses the language of Wounded humanity. We feel that at 100 years of the life of the Congregation (2025) from which there 40 years in Africa, it is our appropriate time to invest on this service using both preventive (guidance) and remedies approach (counselling). According to delicacy of the service the project is organized in a way that people who seek this service are free to stay for a while in the Centre or go back home. So, in future there is an expectation of constructing a hostel to accommodate at maximum 30 who may need accommodation services. Meanwhile the day services will be conducted, namely  

  1. Provision of Guidance and counselling to any individual, more especially, provide accompaniment to mothers, young girls and religious sisters recovering from depression, trauma or any sort of phatic after some years of service.
  2. Provide conducive space and support to village children who need extra academic assistance to complete well their secondary education. This is from the fact that, though Tanzanian Government provide part of secondary education public classes are over crowed creating a necessity for extra time to deal with individual students. There are difficult for children in village to access quality private school, so they need extra time to catch up. The Tanzanian education system in Tanzania considers a teacher student ratio of 1:40. But in the Government school the ratio can sometimes be 1:80. Just to say that normally the classes in public schools are
  3. Conduct academic recovery program which will allow young people who did not have chance to access secondary education to seat for their National secondary education in two years instead of four years.
  4. Creating safe place for children during holidays, providing tips for self-protection and safeguarding
  5. Conducting Positive parenting workshops enhance child protection and safeguarding

 

However, to date, these program have not been realized because we still lack an appropriate structure to conduct the activities. This is the reason for this proposal            

 

  1. Faith formation for youth and special Training of Catechists (Second Floor)

 

Our congregation of Carmelite Missionary sisters of STCJ, have been conducting catechetical and faith training for our formant as part of initial formation before religious profession. From 2020, The Tanzanian Episcopal Conference following the recommendation of the Local Ordinary, recognized the programme and allowing    certification and official commission of the graduates.   Now we make effort to extend the service to other members of the community.  The need is high, other religious Congregation, parishes are requesting for it. However proper building to accommodate external members is lacking. The mission centre is to cutter for this need appropriately.

We can confirm with our experience that, on one hand, the local church is very vibrant including youth movements from parish to national level.  On the other hand, signs show a great need for adequate preparation of those who have the responsibilities transmit the faith to others in form of teaching or direct proclamation of the word of God. Jesus himself affirmed that there is a lot to be done and recommended us to pray for more labourers in his vineyard. 

 Our society here experiences a notable growth of preachers with different ideologies, at times opposing to one another. Some of these, so called “preachers” “healers” “doctors” and a like, have a significant influence to a larger number of people especially those who promise prosperities, to solve the felt social problems.  In cities, large crowds of people have been convinced to attend to the services officiated by   these “healers” who claim to have supernatural power to solve life difficulties. Some of Catholic believers have been psychologically trapped, majority being young mothers/women especially those from needy families seeking for ways to alleviate their problems from the promised prosperities. Seeing the intense of the expressed challenges, the Congregation wish to respond to this challenge introducing the faith formation to the youth.

 

  • The Goal in the section of faith formation

 the goal of this formation program is to help the believers blend core values of the catholic faith with daily life within their local context: blend Spiritual values with social economic development in their families/local communities in ordinary ways. Align to this goal is forming additional catechists who act as trainer of trainers, to take up the mission of evangelizing the local population with Catholic approaches. It is also true that the gift of Faith/ Church teachings contributes positively to correct social issues when are rightly used.

In this section, preparation of the missionaries entering the country from outside or those preparing for mission outside the country will be supported with language and cultural formation to facilitate mission work inside and outside Tanzania. We will develop as time goes specific interventions.

Lastly, to maintain the integrity of our service the centre will consider and train on crosscutting issues especially on environmental care, child protection and safeguarding

  1. What has been done to date towards achievement of the Goal
  2. Hiring Ngiva Builders for construction. Following the establishment of building plans and Construction documents including building permit ngiva builders was hired and contracted for the work. This reliable company has worked with us since 2010, also widely used for diocesan or church construction in the Arch Dioceses of Dar es salaam, which has given birth to newly erected diocese of Bagamoyo in which this project is found.  
  3. Fund raising for the construction of the ground Floor
  4. From January 2024, the congregation contributed equivalence of 92,000/= CAD
  5. Kenosis Foundation from Malta which made available a donation of 78,800/= CAD
  6. Construction of the ground Floor. This work started in March 2024. To date there are 3 classes, offices, reception, washroom and waiting hall under construction, now at the finishing stage. Final works, especially plastering, construction of floor tiles, electrical installation and water connection are on progress expected to end in few weeks to come.
  7. Commencement of 2 training programs (tailoring and faith formation for 20 and 15 participants respectively) in March this year 2025 following enrollment of candidates, recruitment of professionals, purchase of equipment and training materials. Hilton Foundation agreed to provided tuition fee for tailoring programme, the Congregation provided space and sewing machines. For faith programme Koch Foundation is supporting the catechesis programme for one year (April 2025 -2026)

Even with this valuable contribution, the project still needs financial support for its successful completion.  The ground floor, which is expected to end soon, is not sufficient to meet the target.  This part of the building is planned for Vocational training only, but now it must accommodate partly faith formation training to respect to the intention mentioned donors.

  1. What needs to be done

A lot still needs to be done.  In respect to this project proposal, there is a need for more space in the building since the space for rehabilitation program is completely lacking.  To cut for this shortage, the construction of the First Floor needs to be done. This will allow the Congregation to live her vocation to Love Jesus and make him loved restoring humanity, taking care of those who have wounds beyond their physical appearance.  Notably, there are a considerable number of (young) people, especially girls and mothers living with emotional and psychological wounds, most of these defects relate to poverty and cultural gender biasness.  We will appreciate getting support from the Diocese of Toronto to help make us share actively in restoring    people whose dignity are wounded as described

  1.  Budget for the construction of the first Floor for rehabilitation

(3 classes,2 conference rooms, 2 offices and washrooms) capacity 320 people

Phases/ Work 

                Solicited Source of Funds 

 Cost local currency TZS

Cost in Canadian Dollar (CAD)

Status  

Phase 2 Construction of the First Floor

 

Requested from Diocese of Toronto

      96,627,000/=

50,000/=

Current application 

Collection from Mission   Appeals (USA)

            193,254,000/=

100,000/=

In progress  

 Local contribution 

             

          60,192,823/=

 

 31,147/=

Budgeted   

 

Rounded Total Project Cost for phase 2

TZS 350,074,000/=  

CAD ($)

181,150/=

 

Fund raising in progress

 

 

The exchange rate  as of 12th  April  2025,

 

 

 

  1. Time frame on stages of construction, specific structure and comment on progress

 

 Time

 Phase / stages

 Specific structure 

 Comment

 

 March 2024 – July 2025

Phase 1.  Construction of the Ground Floor

3, classes,2 conferences, office washroom rump and stairs

Construction in progress, 85% completed

May 2025  - December 2025

Phase 2.  Construction of the First Floor

 

3, classes,2 conferences, office washroom rump and stairs

On time -

Fund raising

in progress

Jan 2026- July 2026

Phase 3.  Construction of the second Floor

 

3, classes, 2 libraries, chapel, office wash room rump and stairs

 On time

 

January 2027 –    Completion of the building at 100%

 

  1. What changes are expected from the three programs in the first 3 years of operation (2025- 2028)

 

The completion of the project will provide additional room increase leading to actualization of the training, expected to contribute   considerably changes in the life of the program participants.

  1. 320 children and young people Will benefit from formative, vocational and rehabilitation program as contextualized and hence contribute to their wellbeing and leading their life with dignity.
  2. Children around the village will get a safe place to do their tuition and homework, safe place for playing and socializing at weekends as they learn about safe guarding at their level so that they know their right and responsibility: Exercise their right, gain more knowledge and awareness on self-protection and safeguarding
  3. 60 young people especially girls from needy families will graduate and supported to employ themselves in tailoring, gardening, bread backing among others  
  4. The project expects that at least 30 graduates will be running their own project, 50% employed in running uniform fabrication at the center or elsewhere. This will reduce the level of unemployment in the village of Boko and the nearby places consequently Increased household for 240 family members.
  5. Graduates are expected to gain more ability on self-reliance hence reducing their vulnerability caused by poverty and high level of dependency, now with reduced economic burden of raising their children. Gained moral life and balanced faith practices due to faith and rehabilitation program.
  6. As regards to the cross-cutting issues such as environmental care, at least 30 trees will be planted at the Centre, with additional cultivation of vegetables for family consumption and leading to more Improvement in self-reliance
  7. Increased networking and interaction with various actors in the training, adding other possibilities resulting from learning drawn from the networking

 

  1. Sustainability of the program and how to maintain the building

Sustainability of the building and the program include good practices such as

  1. cleaning, set aside a budget for annual maintenance, training and practices regarding housekeeping and sustainability of the buildings.
  2. Programming can also be sustained by cutting down running costs through installation of water harvest and solar power systems.
  3. Program participants will contribute a small amount to water, electricity and repairs.
  4. Adherence to economic manuals/ policies of that of the Congregation as well of the civil regulations.

 

  • Monitoring and evaluation
  1. Regular meetings, visits, quality inspection on construction implementation. However,
  2. check the number of enrollments, quality and number of products, self / employability of the graduates.
  3. Listen to stories, successful stories, meetings, feedback from what is planned and what has actually happened could be some of the area to evaluate this project to at this stage its emphasis is still on building.

 

  1. Banking information (USD Account)

Kindly see attachment with bank information if the money is to be sent direct to Tanzania.

 

In summary

The establishment of this centre is of vital importance as a respond to the call of our Congregation. The use of this mission Centre for faith-based, rehabilitation and vocational trainings, prepare more people to meet Jesus and make him known and loved everywhere.  Beyond the catholic Church, the center is meant to promote our relationship with God, heal past wounds while creating ability to prevent or accommodate life challenges in positive manner as part of daily reality.  It will generate skills and resources which will support graduates to run their own life with ethics. We are in the process of construction of the first floor and implementing two programs, one is left behind due to lack of space; while appreciating all effort done so far, we acknowledge our financial limitations so kindly request the Archdiocese of Toronto support this mission.  This is also to appreciate the cooperation that the Arch Diocese is extending to the Universal Church.

 

[1] The Ground Floor for Vocational Training (3 classes, reception, waiting area, offices and washrooms) 1st floor (for rehabilitation (3 classes,2 conference rooms, 2 offices and washrooms) capacity 320 people. 2nd floor for Faith formation (3 classes, library, chapel/prayer and library).