A bishop’s thoughts on making ‘one world’
By Erin Bozek-Jarvis, 16, Ben Harris, 15 and Maggie Guter, 12

Bishop Alex Malasusa, the leader of five million members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, recently had an extended visit to the Upper Peninsula. He met with church and community leaders as a way of making ties between his country and ours. Making these important ties was the ongoing theme for the Bishop’s visit.
Tanzania is located on the eastern side of Africa, along the Indian Ocean. With thirty-six percent of the population living under the poverty line, according to the CIA World Factbook, there are plenty of problems in Tanzania. Some challenges facing the population include HIV/AIDS, malaria, poverty, and many refugees from surrounding countries. Despite the problems, they pride themselves on their country’s political stability. 8-18 Media sat down with the 49-year-old father of three to discuss the status of young people in his country.

8-18: What have you been doing during your visit here?

Malasusa: I have been visiting here as a guest of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. But also, I have met with a lot of people in different places and churches too.

8-18: What are some issues that affect youth in Tanzania, but are not as common or visible in the United States or Michigan, and what similarities have you noticed between them.

Malasusa: Well, what I noticed is that youth in both countries, or in the world, seem to be forgotten so they are always trying to remind us, remind the church, that they are there. So, we need to remember them and engage them in many activities in the church so that they can feel that they are recognized.

8-18: The average age in Tanzania is considerably younger than in the United States. What impact does this have on young people?

Malasusa: Yes, this is all about the living standard. Here in the United States, standards, the living standard, is very high. The America thing you know? Also, maybe your kind of food…things like malaria…HIV AIDS is really cutting the life of people. But, all in all, living standard is very important to have a long life.

8-18: What affect does HIV, or AIDS, have on the youth of Tanzania?

Malasusa: Well Tanzania is one of the countries in the south of the Sahara, where HIV AIDS is…there are a lot of victims there. So, we have a lot of programs for the youth simply because most of the people who are infected with HIV/AIDS are youth or young adults. Our target really is to give them more awareness of this epidemic.

8-18: What involvement does the government of Tanzania and the Lutheran Church have in combating malaria?

Malasusa: The Lutheran Church in Tanzania is running about fifteen percent of the medical or health operations in Tanzania so, together with government, we work very close fighting malaria. So far, with our companions, you know, like Northern Great Lakes (Synod), we’ve been trying to supply mosquito nets so people who are not able to buy mosquito nets can have them. This is very important because normally the mosquito bites people in the night. So if you have that mosquito net then you will be protected. The government is also working very hard in eradicating malaria by also supplying mosquito nets and also giving support, medical support, to those who are getting sick from Malaria. Education too….how to get rid of Malaria.

8-18: Tanzania is host to many refugees. What affect does this have on the Tanzanian youth and the young refugees?

Malasusa: I agree. Tanzania is hosting a lot of refugees because it’s the only country around there that is peaceful and they have never experienced civil war. We are proud of that. We are trying to educate young people that they should be welcoming…to welcome people. That is very important to us. Loving people without discriminating or without thinking “what are they going to pay us.” So, we are trying very much to accommodate the refugees.

8-18: How does the education system in Tanzania compare to the United States?

Malasusa: We use British system of education whereby a student could start at grade one to grade seven. Then you will sit for examination. For those who pass that examination, will go for another four years. That is what we call secondary school. And after four years, another examination, and that examination is a nation-wide examination that is marked by the Panel National. Then if you pass after those four years you go two years. That is advanced level secondary school preparing for university. In university most of the programs run about three years to five years. Medical school is five years and other arts degrees, three years. Theology is also five years.

8-18: How available is a good education for the average youth in Tanzania?

Malasusa: Many youth fail to get good education because of poverty, which is very unfortunate. Also, many educated young people do not get employment. That’s why we, as a church, and also the government and other sectors, are trying to create employment and we are trying also to have vocational training so that young people will study other things and they can do something without being employed. Also, we are encouraging young people not to go abroad after being educated. Stay there and they can change the country.

8-18: Is it better for a child in Tanzania to go to a private school, rather than a public school?

Malasusa: The private schools are better. The public schools depend on tax money so if we don’t have much tax money, or if we have big places to put that tax money it does not go to the schools. Private schools normally target places where they want to run a school so normally the private school is in a better, ah, environment than the public schools. But the government and other sectors, they are trying very much now to improve the public schools so they can compete with the private.

8-18: As a bishop, what affect have you seen religion have on the lives of young people?

Malasusa: To us in Africa, or in Tanzania, the region is part and parcel, people feel proud to have identified with a religion. So we have Christians and Muslims but everyone is proud of having religion. To have not…to those who don’t have religion…it’s a shame, so that is something that is different with the western countries where (pause) it’s not necessary.

8-18: Are there many conflicts between different religions?

Malasusa: Tanzania is one of the countries where the two major religions are respecting each other and people are living together. We don’t really experience tough problems between Christians and Muslims. You know, fundamentalism is everywhere. Fundamentalism is also in both…Christians and Muslims. So we as religion leaders, both from Christian and Muslim, we are trying to teach our people to be tolerant and to preach of their scripture, not to preach about others’ scripture. We are also trying very much to have meetings together as religious leaders and youth. Of course the youth are living together. They go to school together, they play together, so Christian and Muslim relations in Tanzania is very good. It’s very good.

8-18: Is there anything that you would like to add?

Malasusa: Yes, the young generation in both Africa, in Tanzania I mean, and in America, they need to know the other side of the world. It’s a pity that the young people don’t have much time or opportunity to know the other side. I think if we really want to become a global world it is necessary for Americans to visit a country like Tanzania. The Americans, the young people, they go there and maybe they can teach us how we can change. Also, there are a lot of things Americas can gain from Tanzania and Tanzanians. With this we can make it one world. Thank you.