Our Method
For Tanzanians by Tanzanians
Provide orphans with a “home” where they are safe, receive regular meals and can be normal children again and grow up to be responsible young adults.
We work closely together with welfare. This government agency brings the children to us. The backgrounds of the children are very different: found alone on the street or at a bus station, parents deceased, arrested while stealing food, etc.
If welfare cannot find the family immediately, they will bring the children to our Reception Home.
We actively look for family during the first three months that the child is with us. We do this based on what the children say, neighbourhood research where the child was found or places that the child remembers. We follow up on leads, but also place advertisements in newspapers and on television.
If the parents are found, the child will be returned. If family is found, we will see if the child can be accommodated. Possibly with support from our Relatives Support Programme.
If we do not find a family or a suitable family (for example grandparents who are too old or blind), then after three months we will transfer the child to our Children's Village in Mkuranga and place it in a family. Even though the child has been transferred, we continue to follow leads to find family and if unsuitable family is found, we actively encourage to maintain the relationship.
A welfare employee brings a new boy. The mothers take care of the boy while Najma discusses the background.
Young lady with her professional diploma.With the increase in the number of young adults who come from the Children's Village to follow vocational training in Dar es Salaam, the maximum capacity of 19 children in the Reception Home has been reached. That is why we rented a building a few minutes' walk from the Reception Home. Several of our young adults live here. This promotes their independence and responsibility, but the staff sees them every day because they come to the Reception Home every evening for dinner.
We offer the more academic children the opportunity to study. For this they usually live in the boarding school linked to the course.
The young adults often return to their families in the Children's Village during the holidays to visit their relatives. And even when they have completely left our care and even started their own family, the bond often remains strong and most of them still visit us regularly.