Recipe

Flatcakes (serves 4)

  • 3 large potatoes, peeled and grated
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and grated
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 Tbs sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp curry power
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup of milk
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil

Combine potatoes and carrots in a large bowl. In another bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, curry powder, cinnamon and baking powder. Add flour mixture, egg and milk to potato mixture and blend thoroughly. Form mixture into cakes in half-cup portions. Heat 2 Tbs oil in skillet over medium heat. Place as many cakes as will fit into skillet, flattening each slightly with a wooden spoon. Cook covered for 5 minutes or until browned. Flip cakes over to brown other side. Repeat until all cakes are cooked, adding oil as needed to prevent sticking.

Take this virtual tour of Tanzania and learn more about how CRS is supporting children who have lost parents to AIDS.

My name is Sophia Nyoni, I am 20 years old, and I live in Tanzania, a country in East Africa. When my father died ten years ago, I grew even closer to my mother and depended on her for everything. It was devastating for me when she died as well, four years ago. After my mother's funeral, I learned from the death certificates that both of my parents died of AIDS.

All alone at 16, I received support from Catholic Relief Services' (CRS) project for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in the Archdiocese of Songea. The project provides food, education opportunities, counseling services, life skills training, housing and health care for children who are orphaned by AIDS.

I passed through a long period of grief and mourning, but I eventually realized that the death of my parents has motivated me to reach out to others. It saddens me to think of the millions of children who, like me, have been orphaned by AIDS. I am committed to joining the Church's efforts to address this deadly disease. After I completed high school, I asked the CRS project manager if I could volunteer as a way to help others. The computer skills I learned in school qualified me to work on the project database, and I now do data entry as a data clerk. I still grieve the loss of my parents, but am grateful for the compassionate care I have received, and am anxious to continue to help others.

Learn more about Catholic Relief Services' work in Tanzania.

Learn how Catholic Relief Services supporting people affected by HIV and AIDS.