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Fathers Magesa (deceased) and Choka (deceased) with the Bishop of the Musoma Diocese in July 2014. Fathers Magesa and Choka were key to the formation of Friends of Musoma.
Friends of Musoma Society
P.O. Box 74
Burnt Hills, NY 12027
phone: (518)399-1961
email: ginamarie5ny@gmail.com
Board of Directors
Gina Schneider, President
Julie Ashcroft, Treasurer
Georgiann Holm, Secretary
We are in need of additional board members and educational sponsors. No special talent is needed, just a desire to learn about a different culture and help make decisions about the best way to utilize donated funds.
Welcome
Welcome to the home page of the Friends of Musoma Society. Friends of Musoma is a 501c(3) charitable organization which was born in December 2003 out of friendship and commitment to the health care and education of the poor in the Musoma-Mara region of Tanzania, East Africa. With the joint effort and cooperation between friends in both countries, the USA and Tanzania, we work together to alleviate the suffering of the poor in this region by improving health care and education. We began as a hand to hand charity; money and supplies were delivered personally to the people in need by friends who traveled from the USA to Tanzania at their own expense. This organization is about friendship and cultural exchange as well as financial support.
History of Friends of Musoma Society
In 2001, Father Laurenti Magesa, an African priest and leading African theologian, came from Tanzanaia to serve at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Glenville, NY and to finish his book, Anatomy of Inculturation - Transforming the Church in Africa. Father Magesa quickly became friends with Gina and Trevor Schneider of Immaculate Conception parish. Trevor was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, and he and Father Magesa shared a love of Africa and its people. Their exchange of ideas (called an Indaba in Zulu) about African politics, wars, leaders, and hardships faced by the African people in the Musoma Diocese where Father Magesa served led to the idea of establishing Friends of Musoma.
Trevor and Gina made their first trip to Musoma in 2004. Since then, numerous trips have been made by various persons representing Friends of Musoma, where funds and supplies were hand delivered and projects were overseen. All who visited have been struck by the warm, generous, welcoming nature of the people, who while poor materially, are rich in their spirit of community.
The bond between our organization and the people of Musoma was further strengthened when after Father Magesa left Immaculate, he was replaced by his dear friend Father Alexander Choka as associate pastor for two years. Father Choka until his death in June of 2021 served as the principal volunteer for conducting Friends of Musoma business in Tanzania.
CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS
ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE
AND CAN BE MAILED TO
FRIENDS OF MUSOMA SOCIETY
AT THE PO BOX SHOWN ABOVE
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