Our Vision

Does the world really need another non-profit? Will it make any difference in the big scheme of things if some people share what they have with total strangers that live 8000 miles away? What does it really matter, if 50 or 100 orphans, in a remote corner of Tanzania go to school or not? There will be more orphans. There will be more hunger, and disease. Why do we care? Why should you care? Listen to our story.

The Vision Complex School was first selected for further growth and development because it filled an unmet need in the local community. Its focus was vulnerable children, including orphans, those with disabilities and children from poor families. It met in a rundown building and was staffed by underpaid teachers who care. It was founded in 2014 and currently has an average of 40 students.

Bethel Green Outreach purchased land, made bricks, and built a classroom building - part of a brand new school, with orphan housing and a farming operation that will make the school self-sufficient and be a part of a new vocational education effort.

In 2021 we partnered with Collins Open School, and helped them create a cattle ranching and cotton growing operation to help support their school. We also legalized our status in Tanzania as a NGO. But now the owner of the leased school building is talking about selling. We again face a hurdle as we now have the opportunity to purchase the building.

Sounds great, you say. Glad to hear about it. But why should I care? It is easy. We care, because we found the village of Bunda and saw the needs of these overlooked kids. You care, because something brought you to this page, and now you are hearing about this place, and seeing the children. That is what makes us different from the animals. To know, is to care. To care is to do something for someone who desperately needs your help. Doing so will give you the satisfaction of being human, in the best possible way. Please partner with us, as we partner with Collins Open School to make a difference in this overlooked part of the world.

In 2019 Bethel Green Outreach purchased land and built a new school building for Vision Complex School. The land is green and productive and there is room to add agricultural activities.

In 2021 we partnered with Collins Open School. The building is in a prime location right in the town of Bunda.

Collins Open School includes Bible classes taught by a Bethel Green volunteer.

The Bethel Green Outreach Story

Vision complex school was founded on June 2, 2014 in a village called Manyamanyama by Simeon Walia John, a businessman, and Happiness Fredrick, a teacher, to reach the children that had no hope of going to school. They found a four room abandoned rental house, and got permission to use it. Simoni slept in one room and used the other three as classrooms. Kedrick Julias was their first student and they taught just him for the first week.

There was a great need for education in this village, and parents who could not afford school started to bring their kids. None could afford any kind of tuition so they were all accepted for free. The task of education was hindered by the lack of facilities, food and clean water but the two pressed on, doing what they could. The number of kids rose to 40 within a month, and they had to refuse to accept more, because there was just not enough room.

The purpose of this school was to take care of orphans and extremely poor children -- that is why the principal and teacher, worked so hard, not only teaching them, but hustling up enough food and supplies for them. They desperately needed money, so kept a lot of chickens and sold the eggs each day to pay the expenses.

In 2015, Simeon employed another teacher, Okelo Collins, and he put all his energy into seeking help, especially for the orphans, whose need was so great. The egg sales were just not enough. He really struggled to get help, to find another solution but failed, so continued to support the egg business, and they all made the necessary sacrifices to keep going.

In January 2016, all the chickens were stolen and Simoni was in a desperate situation. It was too much for Happiness Fredrick, and she left, but he still had one teacher and determined to keep working.

In February, the next month, Simeon met six Chinese tourists and he showed them the school. They made a donation, and he used it to buy some goats. Now they raised and sold goats to fund the school. Later that year he also met some Canadian students, and they donated some money. Then Tony from Bethel Green Outreach met with Simeon and they formed a long-term partnership, and built a new school. Tony then went on to meet Samwel, and another more ambitious project was begun. You may ask, what in the world was Tony doing in Tanzania? Here is what happened:

"I just don't know what else to say that would encourage him. Any ideas?" Tony asked, walking into my office. He had been emailing back and forth with a paster in Bunda, Tanzania for years and his friend was discouraged, ready to quit.

Without a word, I swung around in my desk chair and jumped on Expedia, found a round-trip ticket to Nairobi and bought it. Tony had never been anywhere, did not have a passport and was painfully shy, but I felt a strong prompting to buy it anyway.

"Tony. The best way to encourage your friend is to go see him. I've bought you a ticket and I want you to go," I said, amused at the shocked look on his face. But to Tony's credit, despite a million reasons not to go, he went. He has been back many times, staying for a month or two each time, and now for several years. He has gotten to know this community, and more importantly, is trusted by them. Tony is quiet and unassuming, but has a heart for the people of Tanzania and has made a big impact already in so many ways.

Together, we formed Bethel Green Outreach, to grow and share that dream, that dream of connecting those in the world who have been blessed, with those who have not, in a healthy personal way. More important than contributions, school buildings and education is a chance to match our students and teachers with donors who will inspire greatness from our kids.

I have volunteered time and money all over the world with all kinds of nonprofits, from South America to Southeast Asia, from Romania to South Africa and I have seen efforts of every kind, good and bad. But, the kind that work best, are the efforts where individuals follow a saying I heard from Rick Warren.

"You may not be able to change the world, but you can change someone's world."

I found this opportunity, and it gave me great joy. I wanted to share that joy, and give you an opportunity to change one students world forever and at the same time, give you a chance to change your world. That is my passion and that is our mission. Nobody at Bethel Green takes a salary and every dollar donated gets added to our dollars to support the work. Of that, I give you my word.

As a result of our involvement, one school has been established in the countryside and now we are helping another meet it's potential.

Bethel Green first partnered with Vision Complex School, first started in this building with one teacher.

Tony, the man who started it all.

The Collins Open School

Collins Open School offers more than a traditional education but also aims at teaching practical skills. The first order of business was to create opportunities in agriculture, that would both provide income for the school, and training. Cattle ranching required buildings, fences and pasture, as well as an initial herd.

Next came rice farming, initially without irrigation. Water is close by, and irrigation will give us a second harvest each year. All that is needed is funding, at this point.

If you are interested in helping, please contact us.

Phase three is underway, and will be the most ambitious of all. We will try to help raise enough money to buy the building Collins Open School now rents, and create a regional agricultural training center. There will be many hurdles and obstacles, but we feel it is the best solution for the future, a win for the owner, the school and the community.

Bethel Green Outreach: Phase 1 - Purchase cattle and facilities accomplished in 2022.

Bethel Green Outreach: Phase 2 - Plant and harvest rice, accomplished in 2023.