By Isaac Lema, Itona, Tanzania (September 2015)- On August 28th, it was a beautiful morning, and the UCE team gathered and prayed before starting our journey into the mountains. It took us 2 hours journey to reach Itona, which is about 80 kilometers from Iringa town. On reaching Mafinga town we turned on the left side where we continued on a very rough road. With ups and down and many bumps in the African car the UCE team passed through timber and tea plantations, until finally at the top of mountain there was the destination, Itona Secondary School. As we stepped from the car we were chilled by the cold mountain air. It was so quiet. Although the sun was shining, we could feel darkness all around us.
We found the headmaster, and he invited us into his office, to sign the visitors’ book and have a chat. He seemed to be very depressed, he said that most of the students in Itona Secondary School have in one way or another experienced the impact of HIV/AIDS. There are many students who have lost both of their parents, and are currently the head of household taking care of their siblings. We asked for more clarification, and he said “last month one female student lost her parent, the only one who was remaining. Now, she has a young brother who is in primary school to take care of. It is a pity because she does not have support. Most of those parents and villagers have sold their land to investors of timber business. So, many families have nothing left. The students face a lot of problems, which put them at risk of engaging in sexual behavior in exchange for money. This year two students got pregnant and some got married in early life. Moreover, we have many students who are infected with HIV.”
The head master, not surprisingly, seemed discouraged. Entering the outreach, we realized that this was a challenging situation. It was really a dark area where people had lost their hope. The UCE team stepped outside to the gathered students, and began to deliver the chastity message. The team shared their own personal testimonies on struggling with school fees, but nonetheless choosing chastity. We talked about the way of True Love, second chances, and making a better future for yourself. We desired to put hope into this place where we felt darkness.
The students were very attentive, and asked many questions. These students have had to live in the painful results of not following chastity, so they listed so carefully. As the outreach went on, the air began to warm, and the clouds lifted. We started to see the light again in the middle of the darkness. After we finished answering all of their questions, we gave the students the chance to choose the way of chastity. About 250 students attended, 233 students and 3 teachers chose chastity, stating that today was the first day of the rest of their lives and that they would abstain until a faithful marriage.
Now, the headmaster, was so excited about the message. He began to speak to his students and said, “Without hesitation you have seen the advantage of not doing premarital sex. These people are in the university; they put aside premarital sex, not focusing on personal pleasure. Do not lose that commitment card you have just signed; put it in a place where you can see it so that you remember it each day. Thank you very much to our guests, you are most welcome again. We will keep reminding these students to choose the right way.”
Already the school would like to form a chastity club, and they have assigned a teacher to be the patron. Through the chastity club, we will be able to continue teaching the students about ways to stay in school, remain pure, and work towards improving their lives. A light has now been lit on top of the mountain, may it shine through the darkness for all to see.
This month we held 11 outreaches and 2,888 students chose chastity. If you would like to sponsor an outreach to a school in Tanzania, you may do so by donating here.
