AT THE CONSECRATION of Bishop Dr. Stephen Munga of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCT), North-Eastern Diocese, on August 5, 2001, the Bishop started his service by expressing his prophetic vision to change human existence from misery and sorrow to joy, desperation to hope, slavery to freedom.

“This prophetic vision that prompts us to struggle for and with the under privileged people at all times in order to make them sing a new song for and about their Lord God, about their motherland, about their freedom but not for and about their task masters,” he had said then at the ceremony that was attended by President Benjamin Mkapa.

He officially announced the diocese’s intention to establish a Bishop’s Fund for Education and Development (BIFED). “This fund is our response to questions and cries arising from the society. It is our weapon to fight for basic rights and equal opportunities for our youth, hence our presence in the struggle against oppressive and unjust social structures in our society,” he said.

Three years later, the vision, which was endorsed by the diocesan Executive Council by forming a special committee to prepare the fund’s formation and operation, is a dream that is becoming true.

As the Executive Council of the diocese prepares to appoint a Fund Board of Trustees, the Diocese has already collected a total of Tshs. 54.6 million for the fund. Almost over half of the amount was collected at special mass, Sunday August 8, this year to launch the fund.

“Our target is to reach Tshs. 1.5 billion in ten years time to make it fully operational, ‘ he said, adding that the diocese has decided to make the event a yearly event to enable to reach its target. “Next year we aim to collect Tshs. 100 million for the fund,’ Bishop Munga pointed out.

Speaking on why the diocese he decided to start the crusade educational development his first priority, Bishop Munga noted that education is the key to development and in the present world that is moving towards globalization, the need better education for all has become crucial.

The Bishop said missing good education during this time is just like being left in jungle and dangerous. He said there is plenty of people in the diocese and Tanzania in general who have been left in jungle just because they possess avenue to get help

He said that the decision to start the fund is based on the church’s findings that have accumulated knowledge and experiences in its involvement in the society. ‘It is our mission to take part in a process of changing the society,” he said.  The fund would compliment government’s efforts in raising the educational standards in Tanzania.

“When we talk about poverty and its effects; when we talk about evils such as corruption, smuggling and mismanagement of public resources; when we talk about erosion of morals in the society and their effects such as the increase of HIV/AIDS; when we talk about exploitation and systems that have been built under social strata that make some of them weak; when we talk about poor social services etc all these are related to education,” he noted.

He added that a society that has been educated is one that has been given a weapon and strategies to fight against problems arising in its environment, pointing out that societies that have many ignorant people and those that become satisfied to remain so are societies that are under slavery more than those which fight against ignorance.

“Providing good education to our children and youth is giving them their basic right,” he emphasized, pointing out that education would enable them to understand their rights, to give them a voice and bravery to fight for their right,” Bishop Munga said.

According to a statement issued by the Diocesan headquarters, the objectives of the fund are to develop and raise the education standards in the diocese operational area which spans the whole region; to strengthen, to establish and develop special schools and colleges and to reduce the number of children either drop out of school due to financial hindrances or lack the opportunity of going to school altogether.

Other objectives are to offer alternative opportunities to young people who cannot attend school, yet need to learn constructive ways of earning their living and operate under the framework of the Christian faith and values.

The diocese would cooperate with the government in increasing the number of pre-primary, primary and secondary schools and colleges to ensure that all children go to school. “Our long term goal is to expand the primary education concept to reach form four for all children,” he said.

The fund would also cooperate with government agencies to ensure that all schools and colleges are provided with good teachers and education materials and also to build continuing education centers for those who do not get the chance to for further education.

The major source of funding for BIFED would be the believers in the diocese who expected to contribute Tshs. 1000 each per year. “We expect to expand the range of contributions to cover all the people in the diocese irrespective of their religious beliefs because BIFED is a public fund,” Bishop Munga said.

However, he spoke of the need to educate the people on the importance of the fund and the need contributing towards its coffers to make it sustainable. He said that people should be educated to understand their plight and how to solve their problems.

He said that major efforts are needed to raise the educational development of Tanga region.

“We have a lot of work to do in Tanga region to raise the educational standards of the people and prepare our children for the high competition of employment opportunities in a world of globalization,” Bishop Munga pointed out.