In collaboration with our partner Soma Biblia we held the celebration dubbed Reach4Life @ 20 at a colourful event held in Moshi Tanzania on the 14th of September.
In attendance were religious leaders, board members and management from Soma Biblia, Council of Churches in Tanzania, Tanzania Student’s Christian Fellowship, Biblica Board and staff members as well as over 500 young men and women drawn from schools across the country representing the 23,000 youth who have already benefitted from the program.
The event was preceeded by a team hiking up the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain which is the largest free standing mountain in the world. The aim of the hike was to fundraise for Reach4Life (R4L) and to hoist a R4L flag at the peak of the mountain.
One of the highlights of the event was when the hikers shared the Gospel with one of the porters who gave his life to Christ. It took a lot of willpower and commitment to embark on this hike and in the end it turned out to be an amazing experience which the hikers say cannot be learnt without participating and getting immersed in the adventure.
On the day of the launch, the event begun with a procession from the Lutheran church offices to the cathedral where the event was taking place. During the march we sang songs of praise as we waved Reach4Life books. As we celebrated this significant milestone of 20 years running the program, we were overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude as we paused to reflect and cherish the journey that has been both challenging and rewarding.
It was encouraging to listen to testimonies from people who have undergone significant growth and were now armed with a resolve to continue impacting other youth. One of the testimonies shared was from the wife of a staff member who had received a Reach4Life Bible while in school. In her own words, if not for the intervention of God’s Word through the program, her life would have taken a turn for the worse.
The chief guest was the Northern Diocese Assistant Bishop who lauded the partnership of Biblica and Soma Biblia for their role in impacting many young people. Other guests added that the Bible has the solution for the challenges that the young people are facing and urged us to continue being faithful ambassadors noting that the Bible gives direction and wisdom in all aspects of life.
The guests were entertained by the students with music and skits drawn from lessons in Reach4Life which were a testament to the insights and essential life skills they had learnt. It was clear from their presentation, that many youths lacked exposure to critical life issues, making them vulnerable and leading them to make uninformed life choices. Testimonies shared emphasized the fact that the program has been designed to be interactive and engaging, utilizing the dramatization of biblical narratives, role playing and group discussions, all of which contribute to enhancing comprehension and retention of the topics.
Biblica leadership were in agreement that these achievements would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our ministry investors and partners. It is our hope and prayer that Reach4Life will go deep and wide creating a generation of hope, and transforming individuals, entire families and communities. We are grateful to God for the privilege to influence the lives of young people with hope and we are convinced they will emerge as positive catalysts within their communities.
