Ministry Overview

Next Life Foundation seeks to serve the young men, women, and mamas of Mbuguni, Tanzania, East Africa, through the opportunity for vocational education in their village. These villagers face limited employment opportunities resulting in sub-standard living conditions and a life of poverty. Through the creation of a vocational training center, these young people find new hope for a better future through job prospects created through learned vocational skills.

In addition to the hope of a better tomorrow through new job skills, NLF also seeks, by providing an environment of Christian love, to gently provide a growing exposure to Christianity for the students, who represent a mix of Christian, Muslim, and native religious backgrounds. Teaming with the Christian churches in the village creates an opportunity for a deeper presentation of the Gospel as well as opportunities for discipleship. Next Life Foundation seeks to develop the hope for improved lives tomorrow and, more importantly, the surety of eternal life here after.

The Organization

Next Life Foundation is a cooperative ministry of two non-profit corporations, NLF – America and NLF – Tanzania. The motivation for the ministry comes from Tanzanians seeking to improve the lives of their fellow countrymen. Next Life Foundation – America is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which is committed to support its Tanzanian counterpart with ministry advice and funding.

Due to the vast cultural and economic differences between our world and those we seek to support, any advice is offered only to be evaluated by the Tanzanian board of directors. It is their ministry, initiated, planned, implemented, operated, and supervised by them. It is a ministry of Tanzanians for Tanzanians, not an American ministry. They are openly receptive and responsive to any advice that is offered.

The American board has assumed the responsibility of sharing the project and the financial need with as many people as possible so that through the generosity of those who hear the story, the ministry can be financed. Nearly 97% of the funds raised stateside go directly to support the ministry work in Tanzania. Our Tanzanian friends of Next Life Foundation also do their part in soliciting support but there is not enough local money available to provide anything more than limited basic needs. There is certainly not enough financial capability to provide a building, teaching staff, educational supplies, equipment, and security to make a vocational training center a possibility. Most of the people served by NLF (Tanzania) live in extreme poverty, earning less than $1 per day.

Our Staff

L to R: Joseph Syria, Security Officer; Janet Summari, Cook; Reonald Ramale, Carpentry Instructor; Mary Lucumay, Coordinator; Daniel Laizer, English Teacher & Assistant Director; Ndekirwa Kaaya, Tailoring Instructor; Lembris Sanare, Security Officer. Missing from photo, Humphrey Ngolli, Onsite Manager

The Tanzanian Board of Directors

The American Board of Directors

Ministry Values

The values of Next Life Foundation are shared by those who serve Christ through this ministry. NLF is a non-denominational Christian ministry that adheres to the beliefs expressed in the Apostles’ Creed. Across a broad denominational base, we are united in our love for Jesus Christ. We find our specific purpose in two special verses of Scripture.

The first comes from Matthew 25 and the parable of the sheep and the goats. We are instructed to help the hungry, thirsty, the stranger, those in need of clothing, the sick, and prisoners. That list is intended to be inclusive of any who cross our path who are in need of help that we have the means to supply. Matthew 25:40 summarizes this thought in this way. “The King (Jesus) will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Our call is to provide such assistance to an ever increasing number of young people of a single village in Tanzania, over the years changing the life of the whole community and then the whole country.

Our second calling, equally universal for Christians as the first, is found in Matthew 28:18-20. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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