 “She could have had a future”
Tanzania sponsors save girls from arranged marriages
When Becky Peters, a Plainfield, IN, mother of two, heard about what was happening to some Tanzanian girls who aren’t allowed to continue in school, she had to jump in to help.
“I know Bill and Heather Wash (former CMF missionaries to Tanzania), and they told me that girls who fail their seventh-grade exam and can’t continue in school are often married off as the sixth or seventh wife to an older man,” said Becky. “Then the parents get a dowry that helps them feed and care for the rest of the family.”
 Becky chose to sponsor Teresia, knowing that she had failed her exam and would be entering the new apprenticeship program started by CMF missionary Michelle Moss in early 2014. But Teresia’s parents changed their minds and gave the daughter in marriage instead of letting her join the program.
“I felt sick in my stomach for this young girl because her chance at skills, work and even purity were ripped from her,” said Becky. “I still pray for her.”
But Becky did more than pray. She not only chose another Tanzanian girl to sponsor but found sponsors for three other girls, as well.
“I realized that if Teresia had been sponsored before her exam, the marriage may not have happened,” she said. “She could have had a chance for a future. So we used Orphan Sunday at our church (Plainfield Christian) to create awareness and asked people to sponsor them.”
Why does this happen?
The problem is both cultural and educational, according to Lacey Montour, CMF’s Child Sponsorship Africa Programs Coordinator.
“It’s hard to get the parents to understand what’s wrong with what they’re doing, because it’s engrained in the culture,” said Lacey. “And so many children fail the exam because they aren’t well prepared, due to the lack of quality education in the government schools. When the boys fail, they become herders. But when the girls fail, they are married off.”
 Giving hope
Michelle Moss is keenly aware of this problem and is working to match these children with skilled people in the community in six- to 12-month apprenticeships that give the kids the opportunity to better their lives.
“The key is to start earlier than we did with Teresia,” said Lacey. “As a girl gets close to grade seven, the team begins a conversation with her parents and they sign an agreement not to enter into marriage negotiations for their daughter until at least two years after the test.”
There are currently two young Tanzanians – a girl and a boy – actively participating in the apprenticeship program, with five boys waiting for sponsorship so they can join. The programs are tailored to the children’s interests and abilities and include carpentry, tailoring, cooking and sewing.
“I want to try to prevent what happened to Teresia from happening to other girls and young women,” said Stacey. “I know God wants to use the Body of Christ to show His love and care for each one of these girls.”
Would you like to help young Tanzanian girls avoid arranged marriages and assist both boys and girls to continue their educations with skills training? Go here to sponsor a child.
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David Alo is the first to admit that he never does anything in a small way. So when the Manhattan, IL, man, who attends Parkview Christian Church, first learned about child sponsorship shortly after becoming a Christian in 2003, he was all in.
A visit to MOHI
We can do something about this!
“People in our church sponsor 108 children at the school and the church provides additional monthly support,” said Ron. 
Your relationship with your sponsored child is special, so we want to help you stay connected with him or her. Here are some things to know to ensure that your communications get where they need to go as quickly as possible. 