The Karibu Foundation
When Marjan Tieberink visits a classroom at Tloma Primary School near Karatu, Tanzania you can hear the children shouting “Mama Karibu”. If she had not visited before, the greeting would simply mean in Kiswahili, “mother, welcome”. But Marjan has become more than simply a visitor. She has become their matriarch; caring for the lives of students and teachers in this rural community. She has come with the love of Jesus through the work of the Karibu Foundation, Holland.
Since their early childhood, Marjan and her twin sister Irene had a desire to go to Africa. From an initial visit to Burundi in 1983, their passion for helping the poor of Africa and other developing countries was born. Trained as teachers, these twin sisters found twin passions - education and supporting the needs of the poor.
Between 1989 - 2000, Marjan and Irene travelled during their school holidays to Haiti. Under the auspices of the Salvation Army, they set up sponsorships for children and elderly people in the poorest quarters of this impoverished nation. From this relationship, they were subsequently asked to work in Zimbabwe where they focused on care for AIDS victims and handicapped children, again, in collaboration with the Salvation Army.
During their service, the sisters’ work caught the attention of a national news channel in the Netherlands. Their interview with a local celebrity got a lot of media attention and from this interest, the Karibu Foundation was formed in 1999. Having their own foundation meant that others could participate in their ministry and with their support, they were able to respond more quickly to need.
This became important after the genocide in Rwanda. Responding to need after the tragedy produced many victims, the Karibu Foundation offered shelter and food to street children in Kigali. This led to the construction of houses and schools and for 19 years, they have offered assistance to the children of Rwanda.
Tragically, Irene was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away in 2008. It was a tremendous blow for Marjan who lost both her parents and her twin sister within 4 short years. Despite the loss, Marjan kept her faith in God and through Him, she regained her strength and continues to serve.
In 2017, during the final stages of her work in Rwanda, the call came to help poor children in Karatu, Tanzania. The Tloma Primary School is a rural school of 800 students with only 11 teachers. Lacking a dining hall, students eat outside on the ground which is not ideal considering worms and bacteria. So today, the Karibu Foundation is building a multi-purpose dining hall with a full kitchen. Next year, dreams of staff housing and improved classrooms are being planned with the assistance of Msaada Architects.
Karibu Foundation is currently celebrating its 20 year anniversary. A lot of hard and meaningful work has been done during those years. Marjan and Irene have always maintained that they themselves are not important, but with the help of God they have created a better future for the poor and needy of the world.