LPGM Expresses Thanks
From Bethany Krepela, Development Director, Lutheran Partners in Global MInistry
With help from the BLC Foundation, Lutheran Partners in Global Ministry’s partner - Eripoto for Girls & Women in Arusha, Tanzania - recently completed construction of a three-story building on their campus.
The Foundation’s grant in 2024 helped with initial construction costs and another grant in 2025 helped purchase daily items to help with this increase in capacity. Thank you!
The girls and young women who find refuge at the safe house have escaped from forced early marriage – as young as age 10 – and other gender-based violence. Eripoto helps them heal and supports them so that they can pursue an education and live lives of dignity.
The new building means that Eripoto has room to house up to 116 girls, an increase from their current 35.
Linda’s Story
Each girl who comes through Eripoto’s doors carries a story that is both unique and urgent. Linda is one of many success stories.
She shares, “I faced strong pressure to marry at a young age, and it felt like my education and dreams were slipping away. I was discouraged and deeply hopeless. Step by step, I found the strength to continue … I went on to graduate with a diploma in clinical medicine. Looking back, I realize how close I was to losing everything. Today, I stand with confidence, knowing my future is not defined by fear but by determination and possibility.”
Words From Eripoto’s Founder
“We continue to provide a safe and stable environment while strengthening access to education, life skills, and daily care. This includes ongoing support for girls in school, vocational training activities, and the daily operations of the Safe House. Each of these efforts contributes to rebuilding confidence, restoring dignity, and creating pathways toward independent futures … We remain deeply grateful for your valued partnership. Your support continues to make it possible for this work to move forward and for the girls to experience stability, care, and opportunity.” - Esuvat Lucumay, Eripoto founder and director
To learn more about LPGM and this initiative: LPGM in Tanzania