We (Lidia Becker in Tanzania, Skillman family in USA) are raising funds for Sarah Longo, who's found herself in financial trouble and is at risk of losing her home that she's been raising her four children in without the help of her husband. If you've had the pleasure of being blessed by Sarah's presence, or are touched by the stories below (and in the comments), we hope you feel moved to help, even if a small amount. Every bit helps (and tends to go further in Tanzania than it does here in the states :) )

Sarah's story as described by Lidia Becker, friend and employer of Sarah:

Good morning all. My name is Lidia Becker, I’m currently living in Iringa, Tanzania. Sarah Longo is working for me but she is in a bit of a financial situation. Over the years since her husband left her with 4 children to raise up by herself (most of the time) she had to make a loan or 2 to survive.

Unfortunately her salary that she gets from me (almost double the minimum wage) is not enough for the monthly installments and now they want to take her home and sell it. Like you might know this has been her only possession that she can keep her family protected and fed. She is really trying hard to get through this but needs some donations to get rid of this loan so she can have a reset on survival.

I’ve worked out expenses for her and the total amount she needs 10,5million tsh which is about $4,000 USD to fulfill the loan, and an additional $500 USD to make general (but necessary) repairs as well as school fees she's fallen behind on. If you can help her with any donations just so she can keep her house and children sheltered that will be appreciated.

Personal note from Jordan Skillman:

Mama-Sarah had a lasting, profound impact on my annual childhood mission trips to Iringa, Tanzania. Hired as the helping hand in the Bega-Kwa-Bega office we stayed in, she was far more than a "house maid", she was a motherly figure to myself and Ashley, my sister. She taught us how Tanzanian's cook, clean, speak, do laundry (gruesomely difficult, I may add), etc, all with light-hearted humor and true love for our family. She let Ashley and I stay overnight with her and her family, immersing us in true Tanzanian culture (which also speaks to her character and level of trust built with our family). She's always been one to give, give, give -- and at this time, she needs our help. This is why when Lidia reached out on 1/29/26, our family felt obligated to help and spread the word.

Our assurance of appropriate use of funds:

When Lidia reached out to our family, our immediate reaction was "is this legitimate." It's a sad reality of the times, but fraud is prevalent, and we felt it was important to legitimatize. Bo and Juli Skillman have been in contact with Lidia, who they know from their annual time in Tanzania, and have confirmed the unfortunate situation to be true. Knowing others would feel the same way, we wanted to set up this GoFundMe as verification for others, as well as providing explicit directions on how funds will be transferred and used by Sarah Longo. As such, we will be using the following process to transfer donations:

Step one: GoFundMe donations will be transferred to Bo & Juli Skillman's bank account.

Step two: Bo and Juli Skillman will send the entirety of funds through Sendwave app to Lidia in Tanzania. Lidia is someone we (Bo and Juli) have known for 15+ years and is currently employing Sarah.

Step three: Lidia will bring all funds directly to the loan shark who Sara borrowed money from. A certified receipt will be received for all funds handed over. Lidia has worked with these people over the past year attempting to get the loan paid down without success due to the balance and interest rate exceeding payment capability.

Step four: Lidia is placing parameters around Sara to minimize the chance of future debt obligations.

Step five: Official copies of payment receipts, and eventually satisfaction of the loan can be provided to donors at request (reach out to Jordan Skillman directly for this)