Pentecostal Pastor Transforming Mbuguni
Pastor Thomas Barabara of Calvary Assemblies of God which has over 50 members is one of the SSA trainers.
The Pastor was one of the early VISION Conference beneficiaries when World Vision Tanzania together with CMS-Africa started this wholistic Community transformation trainings 2014 and managed to advance and become an SSA trainer.
As part of his individual seed projects, he started planting bananas on hired farms and harvested a lot making good profits. His wife; Mary attests to the change and transformation due to engagement in income generating activities.
On the church front, both Pastor and wife testify of the increase in giving in church as more and more people receive the teaching on wholistic transformation. Mrs Barabara is the patron of the women in the church and he has initiated savings and credit groups where the women are able to save and invest.
As part of Pastor Barabara preparation to become a trainer, he got a chance to go to Kenya and learn about fish farming using ponds. When he came back from the exposure visits to Kenya, he initiated the fishpond project on a section of the church plot. He introduced the idea to his church members and today he has 3 of his members who are keeping fish.
The church members are committed to support the building of the church and they dig the fishpond close to the church.
Some church members were opposed to the idea as they thought it was taking most of the land but with time have come to appreciate the benefits of making use of a piece of land that would belying idle. Today, we have fish that we have sold severally and put the cash into the church construction project.
Many people were surprised at that because it was not a common practice in that part within is largely mainland without much potential for fish. Yet through the pastor, many have followed suit and are now fish farmers earning a living from fish bred in ponds. “Today we have over 90 fishponds in this area,” says Pastor Barabara who adds that a fish farmers group has been formed within Mbuguni area where he serves as the group chairman.
The other project Pastor Barabara has pionerd within Mbuguni is pig farming and a lot of people joined in. He has a group of 45 members who are today keeping pigs and selling pork to neighboring urban areas.
As a trained community facilitator he has conducted over 5 trainings within Mbuguni. He continues to train in all context and communities reaching to Pentecostals, Protestants, Catholics and even Muslims.