Mafinga is the place where the Salesians began their missionary activities in Tanzania. engaging in evangelization and education. They opened a parish and, next to it, a home for orphans.
The organization "Development and Prevention of AIDS" (TADEPA) says "AIDS in Tanzania is a real scourge." It is the second leading cause of death and leaves hundreds of children and teenagers with no family. Fr Luis Neville works with orphans, who can find in him the father they did not have. "I greet you from the children accommodated at Mafinga and thank you for the help. For most children, education is an opportunity to change lives. "
Fr Neville tells the story of a girl called Leah. She was born in Mamba, and she has two brothers and a sister. Her parents were simple farmers. When she was five, her father died. In 2003 she began to study, but unfortunately her mother also died. The children were left alone. The elders of the people sent Leah to live with her grandmother.
Fr Henryk Tucholski, a Salesian missionary, met the girl. She was included in a sponsorship programme and turned out to be an excellent student. After school, she went on to University with the desire to become a teacher.
The years have passed, and Leah is no longer a girl but a young woman who wants to become a teacher. she is no longer an orphan, because she found parents among the Salesians. "We believe that soon we will have a teacher dedicated to orphans and the needy young people of Mafinga, because she understands their situation," says Fr Neville.
