URRC - Informations & Activities

The Usa River Rehabilitation and Training Center (URRC) is an institution of the Meru Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), East Africa.

The ELCT is divided into twenty dioces, and the Meru Diocese is headed by Bischof Elias Kitoi Nassari. About 120,000 Christians are organized under this diocese – of which almost 54,000 are children and juveniles, congruent to the young age structure of the country.

The Center's goal is to support people with disabilities in living as independently as possible.

At our Center, we offer young disabled people the opportunity to learn the following vocations:

• Carpenter
  
• Tailor
• Locksmith
  
• Baker

In general, our students' education lasts three years, after which they graduate with an accredited certificate.

The URRC is a boarding school and accepts young disabled men and women aged 16 to 25 years, independently of their background, race, or religion. The URRC was opened in 1988. Since then, more than 600 young people have lived and learned at the Center. We currently have 70 boarding school and education spaces.

After successfully completing their education, the young craftsmen and women receive tools and other work equipment for a symbolic price, so that they can establish their own small businesses in their villages.

Our Center also offers treatment, for our students as well as for external patients.

In our program called „Village Work“, we offer help to disabled people living outside of our Center:

• Family Counselling
  
• Placement in sick care, therapy, or vocational education
  
• Mini-loans for mothers with disabled children
  
• Suppyling orthopedic devices (wheelchairs, walkers, etc.)
  
• Organizing orthopedic operations for disabled children in cooperation with the Nkoranga Lutheran Hospital and the Project „Feuerkinder“

In our orthopedic workshop, we make artificial limbs (prostheses) and support braces (orthoses) of all kinds. We build and repair special bicycles for disabled people in our metal workshop.

The URRC earns a part of its income by operating a small guest house. People who would like to get to know Tanzania better, and see how we work, are welcome to come visit us. Furthermore, we make ceramic pearls and necklaces at our Center. We sell this jewelry and other handmade articles in our store.

In order to authentically illustrate our work, we have posted some of our clients' stories on the website. The links are located on the navigation bar to the left.

Karibuni sana!