our mission

To create A community of learners, embodying Christian values, that lead and contribute to their communities.

Who We Are

 Angaza Christian Schools is a partnership started in 2014 between the Meru Diocese of the ELCT (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania) and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Bakersfield CA.  In 2020, with an eye on impacting more students and building additional schools, Angaza Christian Schools was formed as an international nonprofit organization. Today we have built a campus that includes classrooms, office space, a dining hall, and a water system for both plumbing and potable water. This facility allows us to serve approximately 100 preschool students and 300 grade school students annually.

Who we help

Families are forced to make impossible choices between putting food on the table or sending their children to school. We help students who come from extreme poverty and are further disadvantaged due to a lack of access to English-based education. The importance of education in Tanzania cannot be overstated, for it is the foundation upon which a brighter, more equitable, and prosperous future is built.  Additionally, the children we serve are given access to food and clean water, they're given uniforms, and school materials to set each student up for success.  

What we believe

We believe God can do anything and that He has blessed this school ministry. We believe we can partner with churches, schools, individuals, and local businesses to help grow the vision and mission of Angaza Lutheran Schools. We believe each student lifted in this way has the potential to greatly impact his or her community for Christ. We believe education is the bridge between the present struggles and a future filled with promise. It's the key that unlocks the door to a Tanzania where every child's potential is realized, where innovation thrives, and where prosperity is shared by all.
Our Values:
Our school values are Love, Learn, Lead. We love people as God does, we learn as much as possible to ensure success, and we lead ourselves and others in a God pleasing way.

Our Supporters

In 2012, a group from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Bakersfield, California, visited Tanzania after hearing about a deep need for the building of a Christian school in the village of Usa River. They came home to share the request of The Lutheran Church of Tanzania that echoed the request of the Macedonians in the New Testament: “Come over here and help us.” The team carried the hope that the people of St. John’s might sponsor the education of 10 students. Instead, sponsors stepped up for 86 children, and a school was born. The school opened its doors in January 2014, with the first two buildings dedicated that summer. The enrollment grew quickly, adding a grade level each year, and additional classroom buildings were constructed in 2015.
Every year, as a new class was added, both the size of the school and the need for sponsors grew. And every year, the generosity of God’s people surpassed expectations; God-sized dreams are continuing to come true.

We thank God for all those that Support our school in Tanzania! We are blessed to include members from St. John’s Lutheran Church, families from St. John’s Lutheran Schools, classrooms from St. John’s, and private donations from community members and local businesses. Additionally, we have people connected to our ministry nationwide that sponsor students or donate annually to Angaza Christian Schools. Finally, St. John’s Lutheran Church has committed to covering the entire overhead cost so 100% of every dollar given directly impacts students in Tanzania.