The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted people’s lives all over the world.  This is also true for the elders and youths of The Village Angels of Tanzania program.  While no one has been infected by the virus to date, travel restrictions and health precautions prevented some of the board members from making their annual summer visit in both 2020 and 2021 to the seven villages served by our program.  Everyone was sad about this.

Our campus and farm are located in the village of Kaphua. When the board members visited Kaphua in the past, they delivered over four hundred pounds of supplies and clothing for everyone in the program.  It was a real Christmas-in-July party!  But there was no party in 2020.  And, while there was no party in 2021 either, the board decided there would be a real Christmas holiday party in early January 2022.

Sr. Dativa, the youths, and several of the Sisters from her Community worked diligently to organize a Mass with the Bishop and a festive lunch under a tent for everyone.  The grand finale of the day was the distribution of Christmas gifts to all the elders and youths in the program.  The women received six yards of local fabric for their custom long wraparound skirts, the men received a new pair of trousers and a shirt, and the youths took home some food staples and meat to share with their families.  All was given and received in the true spirit of Christmas – love.