Help Support Charity Tanzania

Hi! My name is Caden Lester and I go to Bishop Heelan. I’m starting this fundraiser because I want to help support an organization called Charity Tanzania and raise money for some of their amazing projects. Charity Tanzania works to improve the lives of people in Tanzania, especially children and families in need.

About Charity Tanzania

Charity Tanzania is a nonprofit group that was founded by Dana Meyer and Eden (Pitzenberger) Tarbox in 2021. Dana and Eden are Sioux City natives and Eden graduated from Bishop Heelan in 2009. After years of volunteering with another charity, Eden was determined in her passion to serve the villages she loved in a new way. They pride themselves in being active in their village daily. Despite Eden’s sudden death in December 2024, their team is more determined than ever to continue serving the villages they love.

Why I’m Fundraising

I wanted to get involved because I think it’s important to give back and help others who might not have the same opportunities that I do. Something that really stuck out to me was how far money can go to making a huge impact in their communities.

My goal is to raise at least $3,174: enough to fund one each of their larger projects

A Few Charity Projects and Costs

1) Funding a Charity sponsored family for a year $324- This includes monthly food delivery, school uniforms for each child, and healthcare. If you would like to cover the entire fee for a family, please let me know and if desired, Charity can connect you with them directly and have the kids write letters and draw pictures.

2) Build a home for a Charity sponsored family $2,000- This includes all materials and labor for a small concrete 2 bedroom home with windows and cement floor and front door.There are currently 2 families that have living conditions that are not sustainable. Both are elderly grandparents caring for 3 grandchildren. Currently their homes are made of mud and sticks. The rain is coming in December and they are incredibly concerned their homes will fall down.

3) Build a canal connector $600- These are to make the living conditions at villagers homes and farms sustainable and provide a consistent source of income through selling their produce. Charity has built 19 canal connectors in 3 years and it has provided water to over 8,000 villagers. One canal connector, depending on the size and location can affect 500 families. Their water travels by gravity down from 2 large mountains. Without connectors they use mud and sticks to direct the water. The canal connector itself is cement and has a system of levees or metal doors that direct and control the direction of the water. Providing to many many more people than the current system.

4) Sewing for Students Project $250- This provides a large, heavy duty sewing machine to a local school. Charity Tanzania partners with the school staff to provide free uniform mending to over 500 students at each school. The uniforms are easily torn due to living conditions, and if they are too tattered the child is not allowed in school. The average number of uniforms mended each month is over 200. They also take the time to teach the students how to sew which is an incredibly valuable trade to know.

In addition, there are so many other areas Charity supports. Medically, they provide free eye, dental and healthcare to over 300 patients at their monthly outreach clinics. They also support the local birthing center with medical supplies so women can stay at the local clinic and deliver in a safe and sterile environment.

I encourage you to check out their Facebook and Instagram pages to get a better feel for who they are and what they do.

Even a small donation can go a long way in Tanzania. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of kids and families who need it most.

Thank you so much for considering a donation and helping me support Charity Tanzania!

— Caden Lester & Charity Family Dana, Eden, George, Adam, and Laizer