My Nonprofit Reviews

In May 2013, I was able to travel with Lutheran World Relief to Tanzania, East Africa. The first part of our trip was to see some of the results of the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI) in the country. The Children's Survival Program targets the poorest of the poor: pregnant women, babies, and young children. Through education, mentoring, and distributing malaria nets, lives are being saved. I saw women and children who were alive because of LMI. Very powerful. The churches are the place to go for education, training, and support. The second part of the trip took us to Dar Es Salaam on the coast of the Indian Ocean to visit one of the partner organizations that Lutheran World Relief has worked with for a number of years. Visiting the warehouse where the quilts and kits are stored, I was impressed with the security, cleanliness, and organization. Being able to help with the delivery and distribution of quilts to places that are not able to get to the city to pick them up was a highlight of the trip. The quilts and kits go to individual people; careful records are kept of the names of those who receive them. When you see the yearly reports of Lutheran World Relief, you can know that each item went to a real person, not to an organization. For many of the recipients, this may be one of the few things they own. The staff with whom I traveled was top notch, as were all of the staff members I met in Tanzania. One of the things that I found very impressive is the cost to ship a quilt is $2.25; I am not sure about you but I can't send a small package to my grandchildren just a few states away for that price! This is an organization that cherishes the things that are entrusted to them and is appreciative of the many volunteer hours that go into making quilts and assembling kits. I have been privileged to share PowerPoint presentations of my trip to women's groups, churches, in retreat settings, and in larger conventions. It is a story that needs to be told!

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