Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 08:13PM Deb Pangerl
Co-Founder and Executive Director
The IMAGE Project
P.O. Box 222
Rush City, MN
Email: imagetanzania@hotmail.com
Deb is the co-founder and executive director of The IMAGE Project. In 2000, Deb attended a women studies seminar in Kenya and Tanzania. After hearing the touching stories of girls from the Maasai tribe that were “hungry” for education and wanted a chance to have their voices heard, Deb and Phoebe Msigomba (from Tanzania) decided to make a difference in the lives of these young girls by starting The IMAGE Project.
Deb graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Mankato State University. She currently works as Principal paralegal at Medtronic in Fridley and devotes her life to empowering Maasai girls and women in Tanzania. In April, 2013, she will be making her 10th trip to Tanzania.
Deb lives in Rush City, Minnesota with her husband Gary, 3 horses, lots of cats and a busy border collie named Jack.
Deb’s passion in life is to speak for those who have no voice.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 08:11PM Tasiana D.njau
Coordinator (Tanzania)
The IMAGE Project
Iringa, Tanzania
Tasiana is a 2010 graduate of Tumaini University in Iringa, with a degree in psychology. While studying, she worked in the counseling department at the university. Her thesis was on Grief and Loss in Young Children.
Earlier in her life, Tasiana herself was under Dr. Lubawa’s tutelage, as she also has faced many challenges in her life. This led her, at a young age, to have a deep appreciation for the struggles of the Maasai women. When she saw their poverty, she committed in her heart to work to help them have a better life. Ms. Dnjau has worked several years for The IMAGE Project as the local program contact person. She regularly goes into Maasai villages near Iringa and Arusha, and stays for a week or more to oversee projects and learn of new concerns and issues. Tasiana speaks English, Swahili, Hehe and Maasai fluently.
She is a role model, a mentor and teacher for the young Maasai women, and is invaluable to The IMAGE Project.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 08:08PM Richard Lubawa
Director (Tanzania)
The IMAGE Project
Iringa, Tanzania
Dr. Richard Lubawa is a Tanzanian and a Christian (Lutheran) minister in the Iringa Diocese of Tanzania. He is also a professor at the University of Tumaini. Dr. Lubawa has dedicated his life to helping people in his country. Through a serendipitous connection, Dr. Lubawa and Ms. Pangerl became associated in their mutual efforts to help Maasai women achieve their desired life goals. It was through Dr. Lubawa’s established deep relationship with the Maasai that Ms. Pangerl was welcomed into Maasai villages.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 06:37PM Damaris Nkatha Kiramana
Coordinator (Tanzania)
The IMAGE Project
Iringa, Tanzania
Damaris Nkatha Kiramana began working with The IMAGE Project in 2012 as coordinator and liaison with our students. She has experience training Maasai girls and a devotion to forming young girls to become strong contributing citizens in the future. The vision and mission of The IMAGE Project also attracts her by allowing her to give service to the lives of impoverished girls.
Damaris is 26 years old. She was born in Kenya’s Eastern Province. Her mother is Tanzanian and her father is from Kenya. She has seven siblings: four girls and three boys. She studied in Kenya to Form IV, and then came to Tanzania for religious studies for four years. As a nun, she was sent to work in a Maasai girl’s school for 18 months before enrolling at Tumaini University in Iringa, Tanzania. It is there that she crossed paths with Richard Lubawa and learned about the IMAGE Project.
Damaris is currently in her final year of studies. She will graduate with a BA in Education. She is interested in pursuing a second degree (“if God wishes”) so that she can give maximum input to her students as a full professional teacher.