Our Mission
We provide education for needy children and orphans and hope for communities in Tanzania, East Africa. Children may either be fully sponsored or receive a scholarship to attend a Catholic primary school, secondary school, or post-secondary school education. The students receive tuition for the academic year and room and board, which is particularly beneficial for orphans. Sponsored students learn in English starting in grade school – a good foundation to become leaders in their communities.
Children of Hope and Faith also:
- Supports Angel Home Orphanage in the Catholic Diocese of Rulenge-Ngara
- Helps with special projects within the community
Our History
Our Start
Children of Hope and Faith began in 2004 in Champaign, Illinois, with the sponsorship of three children at the St. Peter Claver grade school in Tanzania, East Africa. Father Johndamaseni Zilimu, a diocesan priest from Tanzania, and Jane Walsh, a parishioner at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Champaign, Illinois, began to work together with a desire to help orphans.
At the time, Fr. John was studying mathematics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and doing pastoral care work at St. John Catholic Newman Center on campus. Meanwhile, Jane had been sponsoring children for 20 years and felt that God wanted her to do more to help orphans. Before he came to the University to study, Fr. John had brought two destitute children to live with his father in Tanzania. This made a total of six children under his father’s care and Fr. John promised to take care of their education, with faith in God’s Providence. Initially, a local Catholic boys’ club had an annual “Ride for Hope” event to raise funds for the children’s tuition.
In November 2005, Fr. John and Jane met with the Bishop of the Rulenge-Ngara Diocese, Severine Niwemugizi, (Fr. John’s Bishop) and established Children of Hope and Faith.
Three years later, Pope Benedict XVI split the Rulenge Diocese in two to form both the Rulenge-Ngara and Kayanga Dioceses. Bishop Almachius Vincent Rweyongeza is the Bishop of the Kayanga Diocese. We work with both diocesan offices to coordinate our activities. You can be assured that your support directly benefits orphans, children from poor families and communities.
Children of Hope and Faith is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Today
Today, Children of Hope and Faith sponsors more than 150 children at schools across the area. We provided funding for construction and continue to support the Angel Home Orphanage, where the Franciscan Sisters of St. Bernadette provide care for up to 60 children ranging in age from infants to teenagers, with the hope of a sponsorship to attend a Catholic grade school or high school. Orphans return home to the orphanage during school vacations.
Children of Hope and Faith helps each individual child to reach their full potential. Students have the unique opportunity to continue their education upon graduation from secondary (high) school. Depending on their academic ability and career interests, they can learn a trade at a technical school or attend college. The cost of higher education in Tanzania is not more than twice the cost of secondary education and enables the children to gain employment and break the cycle of poverty.
One of the aims of Children of Hope and Faith is for our sponsored children to become leaders and to give back to the communities where they grew up. In recent years we have seen our mission come full circle. Young people have returned to their communities to serve as priests, nurses, teachers, and health care professionals. We are impacting the next generation as some of our sponsored students have married and are able to provide for their families.
We support projects to help schools and communities with necessities including water, solar energy for electricity, health care, and construction of classrooms and dormitories.
Please consider helping us to continue our work by sponsoring a child or supporting one of our special projects.
Our Patron Saint
St. Josephine Bakhita
On February 8, 2006 Children of Hope and Faith was at a crossroads. Would it go forward or be unable to develop into a charitable organization? It was the Feast Day of St. Josephine Bakhita, known for being an African saint. Her intercession was sought. Problems were solved and she became our Patron Saint!
Josephine Bakhita was born about 1869 in southern Sudan, Africa. She was abducted from her home and sold into slavery when she was nine years old. Her name “Bakhita” was actually given to her by one of her captors. It means “the lucky one”; a cruel joke given she was a slave. She suffered beatings, whipping, and a painful form of tattooing made with incisions and salt. She was eventually sold to an Italian vice-consul and brought to Italy. She became a nanny for Mimmina, a child of a wealthy woman. They were both boarded at the convent of the Daughters of Charity of Canossa in Venice to be instructed in the Catholic faith. When the “owner” came to retrieve them, Josephine refused to leave. She did not want to risk losing God by leaving the convent. She was baptized and lived over 50 years as a Canossian sister.
St. Josephine once said, “If I were to meet the slave traders who kidnapped me and even those who tortured me, I would kneel and kiss their hands, for if that did not happen, I would not be a Christian and religious today.” Josephine was sent at times to travel around Italy to encourage support for the missions and vocations even though she desired to return to Africa to help convert her own people. When she was home in the convent, she worked as a cook, seamstress, sacristan and, eventually, as a portress. Her work at the door of the convent brought her into contact with those outside – the poor, the ill, and stories of miracles began to be told. Her life ended in 1947 after four years of grievous illness which she bore with patience and cheerfulness.
Josephine Bakhita was canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. In his Encyclical Saved In Hope, Pope Benedict XVI highlighted her as a modern day saint who exemplifies the virtue of hope.
I have given everything to my Master: He will take care of me… The best thing for us is not what we consider best, but what the Lord wants of us!
Favorite Prayer of St. Josephine Bakhita
Be good, Love the Lord,
Pray for those who do not know God,
What a great grace it is to know God!
About Tanzania
Brief History
Until 1885, chiefs of over 130 tribes with different languages ruled the Tanzania mainland (Tanganyika). From 1885 until the First World War, Tanzania mainland was a German Colony. After Germany lost the war, Tanganyika came under the British as a United Nations trusteeship. The United Republic of Tanzania is a union of Tanganyika and the Islands of Zanzibar. Tanganyika and Zanzibar obtained their independence from the British in 1961 and 1963, respectively. They united in 1964 to form Tanzania.
“Father of the Nation”
The nation was blessed with a very strong Catholic President, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, after independence in 1961. He stressed unity among the 125 different tribes and established Swahili as the national language. He also encouraged the citizens of Tanzania to greet each other as brothers in the marketplace.
The Capital of Tanzania was Dar Es Salaam from Independence until the 1980s, when it was changed to Dodoma, in the center of Tanzania. President Julius Nyerere wanted to develop Dodoma because the inhabitants were considered very poor and remote. Dar Es Salaam is a large city of business and commerce.
President Nyerere was for the poor, marginalized and the orphaned. People in Tanzania refer to him as the “Father of the Nation”. He is now designated a Servant of God in the canonization process.
Angel Home Orphanage
A Safe Haven for Orphaned Children
The Franciscan Sisters of St. Bernadette operate Angel Home Orphanage for the Rulenge-Ngara Diocese. Prior to our contribution, the sisters had to disperse orphans before school age due to a lack of resources.
These children had no hope of an education.
COHF expanded the orphanage and now the sisters can provide a home and care for the children who – we hope – will be sponsored in Catholic schools.
The orphanage can accommodate up to 60 children. They range in age from infants to older students in higher education. Children are usually sponsored at St. Bonaventure Primary School and then at one of the local Catholic secondary schools: St. Alfred Secondary, St. Charles Lwanga Junior Seminary, St. Clare Girls’ Secondary or St. Joseph Secondary. COHF has built a new home for older students who are now in post-secondary school education including technical schools and colleges. All the children return to the orphanage when school is not in session.
Our Schools
Hope for the Future!
Children of Hope and Faith supports students at six main Catholic schools, all of which teach in English. Students fluent in English have a better chance at succeeding and reaching their full potential. Students may also attend government schools for upper level secondary school (Form V and Form VI) or post-secondary school education.
About our Partner Schools
Schools in the Rulenge-Ngara Diocese
The school is owned and operated by the Franciscan Sisters of St. Bernadette. The sisters opened the school in 2018 with 25 students and five years later it has an enrollment of 348 students. Fr. John’s biological sister, Sr. Justina, is the Assistant Principal of the school. The sisters also operate the Diocesan orphanage, Angel Home, and COHF helped them to establish a kindergarten program to prepare the children for sponsorship in first grade. Since Angel Home was the only place in the area providing early childhood education, parents in the local community sought to enroll their children at Angel Home. The interest of parents in quality primary education for their children continued to increase and the sisters decided to establish St. Bonaventure School. All of our children from Angel Home now attend St. Bonaventure for primary school. This is a perfect situation for them as there is continuity with the sisters caring for the younger children, the children in school, and when they return to Angel Home for school vacations.
St. Alfred Secondary School is one of the older Catholic schools in the diocese and was built in 1980. The current principal is Fr. Emmanuel Nzeimana. It is located near Angel Home Orphanage. There are over 550 students in Form I – Form VI. We have sponsored children there for many years and funded our first solar energy project to replace old outdated solar energy panels and batteries. Although all of our schools have students from different tribes and religious backgrounds, St. Alfred has a lot of diversity. Students like to perform their traditional tribal dances as an extracurricular activity.
This is the only Catholic school for girls in the Rulenge-Ngara and Kayanga Dioceses. It was built by the Sisters of Charity and Penance in 2011 and is operated by the diocese. The current principal is Fr. Dr. Dagobert Kabendera and 387 girls are enrolled for Form I – Form IV. We have sponsored girls there since 2014 and have helped to provide the school electricity through solar energy projects.
Katoke is the oldest Catholic school in the diocese built in 1964 by the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) who came from Europe and Canada. Fr. Ovan Mwenge is the principal and it is a junior seminary. Katoke currently has 400 students in Form I – Form VI. Students receive a rigorous academic secondary school education and also have the opportunity to discern a possible call to the priesthood. Fr. John attended this junior seminary and returned after ordination to teach mathematics. We have supported the school with a large water tank project to harvest and store rainwater.
The school was an initiative of Bishop Severine of the Rulenge-Ngara Diocese to provide both academic and vocational training for young people. It was formerly a Vocational Training Center built in 1975 and the diocese opened St. Joseph Vocational Secondary School in 2012. Fr. Jeremiah Kiiza has been the principal and our students have attended this school since the beginning. One of the school’s aims is to narrow the gap between boys and girls in secondary education and the school currently enrolls 450 students. Their vocational training program includes carpentry and masonry. COHF has helped the school with a number of projects including construction and renovation of water tanks, a girls’ dormitory, science laboratory for Form IV students, and currently a well project.
Schools in the Kayanga Diocese
The school is located at St. Augustine parish in Isingiro. It was built in 2000 and has previous ownership and was given to the diocese in 2017. The school was in great disrepair and is the poorest school where we have sponsored children. The population the school serves lives in abject poverty. In spite of the many challenges the school faces, the students do well on the National exams and are receiving a very good education. The diocese has been struggling to improve the environment to meet government standards. COHF helped the school to achieve a good supply of clean water and good sanitation for the health of the students. The school started with 76 students in 2017 and six years later has an enrollment of 385 students. One of the current projects of COHF is to help provide an adequate kitchen and dining hall to meet government health regulations for food safety.
St. Peter Claver Primary School was the first school where we had sponsored children. It has a student population of about 400 and has won a number of national awards for academic excellence. St. Peter Claver School celebrated their 20th year anniversary in 2023. It was started with the current principal, Mr. Gratian Rutayuga. Although all of our schools are recognized nationally for academic excellence, St. Peter Claver was ranked number one in the nation for primary schools in 2017 and consistently ranks very high. We have supported the school with many projects through the years including income-generating projects, generator for backup electricity and funding for a library. When the Tanzanian government mandated a 2-year kindergarten program to prepare students for first grade, COHF helped St. Peter Claver School to build two kindergarten classrooms and a dormitory for boys and one for girls.
St. Augustine is the Catholic secondary school for the Kayanga Diocese. It was established in 1987 by parents and is operated by the diocese. The current principal is Mr. Avitus Evarister and there is an enrollment of 802 students in Form I to Form VI. It ranks very high in the national examinations and was ranked first in the nation for Catholic Advanced Schools in 2018. COHF has helped the school with a solar energy project for electricity. As with St. Augustine Primary school, it struggles with many needs including a dining hall, and adequate dormitories, classrooms and bathrooms.
Board of Directors
Founders
Fr. Johndamaseni Zilimu
Co-Founder and Vice President of Communications with Tanzania
Fr. Johndamaseni Zilimu (Fr. John) is a diocesan priest from the northwest region of Tanzania. He felt a call to the priesthood when he was 13 years old and attended high school seminary. After high school seminary he continued with college seminary and was ordained on August 13, 1995. Fr. John earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Urbanian University, Rome in 1995. He came to the Diocese of Peoria in 2000 to do campus ministry through St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to his work as a priest, Fr. John continued his education and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 2004, Master of Science in Mathematics in 2006 and a doctorate in Mathematics Education in 2014, all from the University of Illinois. What has given him the greatest joy in his priesthood is helping people who are most in need. One way he has done this is through Children of Hope and Faith that he and Jane Walsh cofounded in 2004. Fr. John has served as parochial vicar and pastor at several parishes in the Peoria Diocese, chaplain at St. Luke Medical Center, Kewanee and vicar forane of the Kewanee Vicariate. Fr. John is currently the pastor at St. Matthew Church in Champaign.
Jane Walsh
Co-Founder and President
Jane Walsh earned a doctorate in Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1986 and did postdoctoral studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After a few years of scientific research, she, and her husband Michael, decided to stay in Champaign to raise their family. For more than twenty years they supported sponsorship to provide children with educational opportunities. In 2003, Jane felt a strong call to help orphans. She and Fr. John cofounded Children of Hope and Faith and in 2004 they began the sponsorship of three children in Tanzania. Jane is an active member of St. Matthew Church in Champaign as a lector and Eucharistic Minister. She enjoys being with her grandchildren, hiking, and the outdoors.
Board of Directors
Cindy is a former member of St. Matthew Parish in Champaign, IL with many years of involvement with the church and school. She has worked in the accounting field for over 40 years, most recently serving as Business Manager at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the University of Illinois. Cindy has moved back to St. Louis, where she enjoys her large family and grandchildren. At her new parish, the Church of the Little Flower, Cindy serves on the parish council, the welcome committee, and enjoys being a lector at Mass. Cindy has traveled to Tanzania and has been able to witness the needs of the children and their communities firsthand and the great strides achieved through COHF support.
Cathy is a member of St. Matthew Parish in Champaign, IL, where she has served in many capacities including the Elizabeth Ministry and Baptism Preparation Committees. At St. Matthew School she served as President of the parent organization and she worked on numerous committees and fundraisers for The High School of St. Thomas More, Champaign. Cathy is a member of the Carle Foundation and the Junior League of Champaign-Urbana, where she has served as a board member. A graduate of Marquette University, Cathy’s professional career was focused on the communications field for professional societies and associations.
Originally from the Chicago area, Eli became a permanent resident of Champaign after graduating from the University of Illinois and taking a local full time engineering position at Caterpillar. He remained at this position for six years, and left in 2019 to work full time at a consumer electronics company he co-founded, SNOOZ, Inc. Eli met his wife Emily in college while they were both volunteering for a weekly bingo game at an elderly care facility. They currently have three children, John, Mary, and Paul. Outside of work, Eli enjoys reading, going on hikes, and spending time with friends and family.
Katy has been a member of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Mahomet, IL since 1991. She is happy to serve her parish family as a Eucharistic Minister, lector, adult enrichment education committee member, and an active member of the women’s club. Originally from the Chicago area, Katy is a graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in Visual Communications. She has been a graphic designer in Champaign for 40 years and is happy to share her God-given talents with Children of Hope and Faith. Katy enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing board games, walking, photography, and a good laugh.
