Centre For Mentally Retarded Children – Ifakara (Bethlehem Centre)
P.O. Box 641, Ifakara
The Centre was proposed by the Tanzania Episcopal Conference Plenary Assembly in
1979 to mark the International Year of the Child.
Bethlehem Centre trains children who have mental retardation between the ages of 7
and 12 years so that they can manage daily living activities in their communities. It also
prepares these children to enter into ordinary primary school education.
Currently the cetnre trains 81 pupils of whom 50 are boys and 31 are girls. The centre
trains the children in various trades such as tailoring, carpentry, art, agriculture and
animal husbandry. The center also runs a kindergarten for 33 children.
The development of the center to its present state was done by Brothers of the Order of
St. Frnacis of Assisi, Capuchin. Sisters of Charity of St. Francis of Assisi Mahenge
Diocese are responsible for the general running of the center while the Bishop of the
Diocese of Mahenge is the Patron.
