Bishop Mwita also sees Christian secondary education as a way of combating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a practice which is common in Tarime. At school, girls can be taught about the dangers of FGM. They can have confidence, knowing they have been made in God’s image, without needing to undergo this harmful procedure.

Bishop Mwita says that the effects of educating girls at Tarime will be felt beyond the school and into the future. “Education creates champions of change. If you train people, you educate them well, they know Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Mwita. “They then go to become messengers of the good news of Jesus Christ, people who can live their lives to the full, knowing Jesus Christ but also influencing others in society . . . Just imagine unleashing 800 girls into the community after some years to go and become agents of change.”

In the video below, listen to Bishop Mwita Akiri explain the need for a girls school in Tarime.