Mayor G.T. Bynum has signed a memorandum of understanding that formalizes Tulsa’s new Sister City partnership with Mwanza, Tanzania.

Mwanza now becomes Tulsa’s ninth Sister City and first on the continent of Africa. 

“Mwanza is a city with wonderful people, tremendous opportunities, and serves as the front door to Serengeti National Park - one of the great natural wonders of the world,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “It is also home to Mainsprings, a remarkable organization led by Tulsans in partnership with local Tanzanians that is transforming the lives of Tanzanian girls while also providing advanced education for children from surrounding villages.”

Sister City programming efforts are spearheaded by the Tulsa Global Alliance with contacts sanctioned by the Mayor. Following the City’s announcement that it was pursuing Mwanza back in September of 2023, Mayor Bynum visited Mwanza twice.

Mwanza is the second largest city in Tanzania, which is the capital of the Mwanza region with a population of more than 1.3 million. The city is also known as the “City of Rocks.” Tulsa’s eight other international Sister Cities include: Amiens, France; Beihai, China; Celle, Germany; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; San Luis Potosi, Mexico; Tiberias, Israel; Utsunomiya, Japan; and Zelenograd, Russia.

“Tulsa Global Alliance is thrilled to add Mwanza, Tanzania to our family of Sister Cities around the world, and we look forward to promoting citizen diplomacy between our two cities,” said Bob Lieser, Tulsa Global Alliance’s Vice President of Programming. “As an organization dedicated to building global community, TGA commends the work of volunteers and city leaders to create this partnership.”

Mwanza has ties to Tulsa through local nonprofit Mainsprings that helped bring the city to Tulsa’s attention. Over the past several decades, numerous Tulsans have visited the city and made ties to the region.

“My path to Tanzania started when I stood up on my Kindergarten career day at Eliot here in Tulsa, and eventually went to the city of Mwanza in 2002,” Mainsprings founder Chris Gates said. “Mainsprings has grown from so much support here in Tulsa, and we have had hundreds of citizens from here visit Mwanza, Tanzania, over the years. I am personally honored that this Sister City partnership is connecting these two cities I call home to collectively strengthen our own understanding of the world we live in and further the development of these cities for the betterment of our citizens.”

Throughout the process of adding Mwanza as a Sister City, Tulsa and Mwanza committees met virtually to exchange perspectives, with each city forming a partnership committee to complete research on city connections and opportunities for exchange.

More information on Tulsa’s Sister Cities can be found online at: https://tulsaglobalalliance.org/sister-cities-overview.