Church of the Epiphany

The Carpenter's Kids Program is a partnership between the Anglican Diocese of Central Tanganyika and the Episcopal Diocese of New York. "Carpenter's Kids" are Tanzanian HIV/AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children who are selected after screening by their parishes. The aim of the program is to ensure that each child receives a school uniform, a pair of shoes, breakfast every morning, and adequate school supplies to enable them to attend primary school.

Epiphany has been linked to the village of Mlowa Barabarani, where we are currently sponsoring the education of 57 children.  We have also provided a cow for the village, as well as socks and soap for the children, and contributed to sending a young woman from Mlowa to a teacher's college where she is in her second year of studies. We have also contributed to the overhead for the costs of administering the program:  staff, vehicles, and supplies. The cost for school supplies, uniform, shoes, and a daily breakfast is only $50 per year. If you’d like to sponsor a child, or contribute to our other efforts, contact the parish office. 

The Reverend Jennifer Linman visited Mlowa Barabarani on a diocesan pilgrimage in 2007, and parishioner Stephanie Schley did so in 2008.  Both trips were life-changing and perspective-altering, to be faced with such poverty and such grace and generosity all at the same time. There are currently more than 3,500 children being sponsored by churches in the Diocese of New York, and other dioceses are contributing mosquito nets and adding to the program in other ways. 

There are more than 2.5 million AIDS orphans in Tanzania - children who have lost at least one parent to the disease and who live without visible means of support. The Diocese of Central Tanganyika is a leader in public health and education, sponsoring health clinics, schools, and AIDS prevention programs. It simply needs the resources to extend its work.

To find out more information about the Carpernter's Kids Program see their website.