The Africa Project: Support Needed

If you’ve been a regular reader on the blog, you might remember my Africa Project Post. I’m so excited to tell you that we have raised the $30,000 plus an extra $5,000. The $5,000 will be used towards a clinic added on to the orphanage which will benefit not only the orphans but the surrounding community. We have the opportunity to send a team to Tanzania this summer to be there for the dedication of the orphanage and to spend a week with the orphans. This is both an exciting and nerve racking time for a small group of college students going. Raising support is new for a majority of the students and we’re at the point where we’ve been sending out support letters to everyone we know. ICM is helping us with the logistics of the trip but ultimately, it is up to us to raise the support needed.

Being a part of this club has been an extraordinary opportunity and experience for me. It is incredible to begin to take on responsibility and consider the needs of others above my own. To think that my efforts, as a college student, have the capacity to impact a village in Africa by touching the life of a child who is in serious need of a home and protection. The construction of this orphanage literally has the potential to impact a life for generations, not only the life of a Tanzanian but mine as well.

We’re planning on going May 24-31. I share all this information with you to let you know what is taking place in my life and the opportunity that I have to visit Tanzania. Every person going needs to raise $3,000 for the trip. During our stay, we will have the opportunity to meet the children as well as the caretaker of the orphanage. We will have the chance to show them love, just like Christ loves His children. I am eagerly anticipating the precious time I will be able to spend with the children. If you can support me in a financial way, I would be very grateful. And, most importantly, I also need your support in prayer. Prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God's leading in Tanzania.

If you would like to be part of this mission through your financial support, you can send me a check addressed to:

Kate Scheel
1000 University Pl#3107
Newport News, VA 23606

Please make your check payable to Kathleen Scheel and write "ICM The Africa Project" on the memo line. All contributions are tax deductible. We need all the help we can get, so anything you can give us, we would greatly appreciate it. The Lord is the ultimate provider, and He is the reason we can even go on this trip. I can’t wait to see how the Lord is going to reveal Himself in Tanzania.

This video was created by ICM's Kody Zenger, an amazing photographer and videographer. It shows footage of his recent trip to Tanzania. Please watch and enjoy.

AIDS, Orphans and Hope. Tanzania. from Kody Zenger on Vimeo.

The Africa Project

I had mentioned The Africa Project (TAP) previously in my goals for the semester. For those of you who do not know what I’m talking about, let me enlighten you.

The Africa Project was formed last semester by a group of eight students passionate about children and Africa, more specifically children in Africa. Since the group was small last semester, we basically met once a week, spouting different ideas about how to raise $30,000 to build an orphanage in Tanzania. Having such a small number was good because we interacted really well as a group and we had a lot of really great ideas. But having great ideas isn’t enough. They must be put into action.

Why did we decide on Tanzania, you ask? Although the world is filled with areas in need of shelter for orphaned children, Tanzania's high a very high adult mortality rate due to HIV/AIDS forces parentless children to wander the streets in search of food from trashcans. The orphanage will provide not only shelter, nourishment, and education, but also a church for the surrounding community. TAP partners with International Cooperating Ministries (ICM), a non-profit organization located in Hampton, Virginia. ICM has pastors in partnership in Tanzania that will pastor the church once it is complete.

TAP did a couple of fundraisers last year, like hosting a dance party and setting tables up around the student union. It was a great time to put our name out there and let people know what our mission is. This semester has been completely different in terms of numbers. We’ve seen the group grow from eight students to about thirty-five weekly meeting attendees, which is awesome! We’ve received a significant amount of support from other people in the community as well. We have a facebook group as well, if you would like to be a part of it.

Some of the group at a soccer game. We raised over $200 that night! PTL!


God has provided so much for this project already. He’s literally been blowing our minds. The goal is to raise $30,000 dollars and we’ve already received $24,000. Crazy, right?! Our next big fundraiser is actually tonight. We will be hosting a benefit concert to hopefully raise the next big chunk of funds. Please pray for not only the concert tonight, but that God will continue to provide so that we can reach the children in Tanzania. Who knows what the Lord has in store, but we trust that He is a God with a plan that is better than any of us can imagine. Our hope and prayer is that this orphanage will provide a safe place for children to grow, not just physically but spiritually, becoming strong children of God.

If you feel called to donate, you can check out our website and donate there, or if you would like to send me a check made out to "International Cooperating Ministries" with "The Africa Project" in the “For” section of the check (I don’t know if there’s a specific name for that part, but I hope you know what I mean). You can also help us out by simply praying for the project. Pray that God would be glorified in this and that He would provide. That would be much appreciated!

TAP into lives!

Photo from samaritanspurse.org