Leaping boldly into the social networking ether, CMDi has set up a cause page on Causes.com, which seems to be in orbit with Facebook, "Support Christian Mission for Dodoma, Tanzania" If you are active in that community, check out our cause page and we invite you to become a member of the cause. We are not yet collecting money, but building awareness.

Facebook and so forth next. All suggestions welcome.

Prayers requested: For Festo Ngowo, Lutheran Bishop of Dodoma Diocese, recovering from a stroke. He has recovered most of his physical capabilities, but has trouble speaking. He is recovering in Kilimanjaro under excellent medical care supplied by the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Moshi.

In need of:

1) Investors in agricultural projects in Dodoma. For several years, the Northwestern Ohio Synod (ELCA) has invested in start-up agricultural projects of districts of the Dodoma Diocese (Lutheran). These have met with varied success. The projects really need other investors to add capacity and to meet short-term cash needs. They could also benefit from experts in more ecologically sound agricultural practices for the region.

2) Investors in water construction capacity in the central and northern regions of Tanzania. There is more work than capacity, and this is good work for the people.

3) Investors in trees. Much forest is cut down for charcoal. Especially in Dodoma, the watersheds and hills need reforestation.

You may contact us a CMDi and we will put you in touch with the right people.

Donate a book: CMDi friends and partners PEN Trust (see our links page for contacts) announce that for the month of September 2009, wikiHow will sponsor a book for a child in Africa every time a registered user writes a new article. WikiHow is a site where you can write how-to articles on just about anything. Here's your chance to tell others about your superfast way to restore a tractor magneto or process cabbage, and have a book go to Tanzania. PEN Trust's work in this area boosts literacy in a poor part of the country. Link:

www.wikihow.com/wikiHow:Books-For-Africa

See our links pages for further information on the PEN Trust, or check them out on Facebook.

Bishop Emeritus Peter Mwamasika of the Dodoma Diocese once told a church group that "pencils are good as gold." Children, especially in the rural areas, do not have access to school supplies, and so Christian Mission for Dodoma is collecting school supplies such as pencils, crayons and erasers from churches and individuals in Northwestern Ohio.

Recently, the members of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Prospect, Ohio held a drive for collecting school supplies for the children in Dodoma.  Over 500 pencils were collected along with erasers, pencil sharpeners and crayons.  We thank the members for their generous response to the needs of the children.

Pastor Bliss, Stu Smith and many others from Northwest Ohio churches travelling to Doaoma in October 2009 transported these and other supplies from the Northwestern Ohio Synod, to be distributed by PEN Trust (see our links page).

CMDI's Stuart Smith has been working with a group at Holy Spirit Parish, Uniontown, Ohio and the Youngstown Diocese (Roman Catholic), who have been led to assist financially with improvement of water supplies in the Diocese of Moshi (Roman Catholic), in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. He visited two locations in August 2008, assessed the situation, and located and obtained quotes from a qualified well contractor in the region for two projects.

One well cleaning project at Uchira (east of Moshi) was successfully completed in early 2009. This well is now back in service supplying water to several hundred primary school children, a dispensary-clinic, parish, convent, and as a supplementary supply for the village, which is majority-Muslim. Work was completed under budget.

A new well has also been successfully constructed at St James Seminary, a secondary school northeast of Moshi. It is now supplying the school once electricity and overhead tanks were hooked up.

Funds are being raised for a third project site selected by the Diocese of Moshi bishop. The Youngstown Diocese has formally adopted the mission of the Holy Spirit Parish water committee as part of a larger effort in partnership with the Diocese of Moshi. The water committee will continue its planning and advisory role, but have more access to diocese parishes for fundraising. Stuart will continue as technical advisor.

We consider this project to be a model of what CMDI can do. We are not locked in by church politics, and we can help in whatever capacity we can. We prefer to work ecumenically with partners such as the Youngstown and Moshi dioceses who see their mission as helping all the people (as Christ did) regardless of religion.