Hope 2 Others shares update on birthing center in Tanzania, looks ahead to fish fry fundraiser

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A local organization has been on a mission to build a birthing and medical center halfway around the world in Tanzania.

Karen Klemp, who is a NICU nurse at Meriter Hospital, co-founded Hope 2 Others, which she hopes will address the estimated 45,000 newborns and 8100 mothers that die each year in Tanzania.

In November of 2024, she said she was looking to raise $900,00 to fully complete their efforts. Klemp visited WMTV on Thursday, where she shared an exciting update on the project.

On New Year’s Eve morning, Klemp said they received an amazing message from a church in Louisiana called Mission Church. She said a family from the church wanted to give a huge donation to help get the project stated.

Klemp said a grandmother, who is a retired NICU nurse, attends the church with her family. She lost one of her twin grandsons when he was only four months old from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS.

After learning about the work that Klemp was trying to do with her ‘Hope 2 Others’, the church is gifting Klemp a donation which will allow her to break ground on this new facility in two weeks.

“They want to help, especially in Africa and Tanzania, mothers and babies survive,” explained Klemp. “They love what we are doing.”

Klemp said they will be sending 11 volunteers to Tanzania this summer and she is overwhelmed with the community’s support toward the project.

In an effort to continuing raising funds, Klemp said they will be hosting a Fish Fry Fundraiser on April 25 at 4 p.m. at the VFW Post on Cottage Grove Road in Madison. Guests will enjoy a delicious meal while listening to live music from Strings to Roam.

She also explained that there will be a silent and live auction will take place from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

One of the items that will be part of the live auction is a necklace that has a rare stone that is only mined in Tanzania. She said it was donated by Skalitzky Jewelers.

For more ways on how you support the nonprofit, click here.

Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app.

Copyright 2025 WMTV. All rights reserved.