Uhuru Watoto Project

MISSION

To share God`s love by providing an education, clothing, food and shelter for girls in the Dodoma region of Tanzania.

NEED

The girls we are helping live in rural villages outside the capital city of Tanzania, Dodoma. All of them live in extreme poverty, many surviving on one meager meal per day, often owning just one set of clothing. Many of them are from single parent homes or live with grandparents who care for them after the death of their parents. Every single one of them desires an education.

EDUCATION

Children in Tanzania receive an elementary education in their village. However, secondary schools are located in the larger cities so students must walk 2 - 2.5 hours one way to reach the school, a journey that is long and, at times, dangerous. In addition, they must pay for tuition, uniforms, books & supplies. Many families cannot afford the cost and most will not provide it for girls who will marry and leave the family.

SOLUTIONS

The Uhuru Watoto Project was created to help these girls receive an education so that they may provide for themselves and their families, helping to lift them out of poverty. We do this by sponsoring individual girls at a cost of $680 per year to cover tuition, supplies, uniforms, room and board. Our goal is to provide a secondary education for the girls, not to change their culture which is beautifully rich and open to life.

The Uhuru Watoto Project came about following a conversation an American homeschooling mom had with a Tanzanian priest studying in the States. As the conversation turned to education, homeschooling in particular, and then to the opportunities for children in Africa, that mom realized that she was able to educate her children because she was educated herself. Her heart was touched when she considered the sorrow the African moms must feel knowing that they cannot help their children reach their goals for education. If we can educate girls, even if in the future they cannot send their children to school, they can educate their children because, like the homeschooling mom, they are educated. Generations can be lifted out of poverty by simply educating the girls of a region. We do not strive to bring western processes or values to them, we simply want to provide them an opportunity to learn within the school system in place and then solve the problems of their communities using their knowledge of their own land, culture, villages and people.

From Agata:

Whenever morning comes up, I was afraid of the dangers I have to face. Now you have changed my fear to joy and strength. Thank you very much and God bless you.

From the Heart

"I have never thought or dreamed that I could get such help." --Melina

"It is amazing to see that in the world there are people with good heart like you." --Sarah

"Thank you for the sacrifices that you make for us. I promise to give the best for others"
--Rose

"We want to have hearts like yours, the hearts loving and caring for others." --Sesilia

"Pray for us, your daughters, so that we may make true our dreams and help many others." --Agata

"I pray for you so that God may grant you a good, healthy and peaceful life" --Maria

"We are so thankful for the help you have granted us, from the sacrifice you make every day. God bless you and your works." --Debora, Shukrani, and Pendo

"I love you with all my heart."
--Emiliana

Our Goals

The Uhuru Watoto Project has a total of 30 girls in school at this time. They attend Mbabala Secondary School (public) and St. Clare Catholic School. We would like to continue to support these 30 girls and increase the numbers of girls as we gain sponsors. In addition, we employ a housemother for the girls living at Mbabala to make sure the girls are safe, have their meals and are studying. Girls at St. Clare live in their dormitory. We have started a beekeeping project so that the girls may learn some practical skills as well as offset their own costs for food and enrich their communities by bringing the beekeeping skills to their home villages. We need to better implement that program and enable the girls to sell the raw honey and/or make products for sale using the honey. There are also opportunities to help with infrastructure at the schools, additional skills/work projects, obtaining bicycles for easier travel, funding solar panels to provide electricity to their dormitories for light and computer use, and the need for energy efficient computers.

Help our Girls

The Uhuru Watoto Project is committed to making a difference, one girl at a time. You can help by sponsoring a girl entirely. At this time, a full sponsorship is $680. Less than $2 a day will make a world of difference in the life of Melina, Sarah, Pendo, Shukrani or any of the hundreds of girls in need. There is no shortage of girls who need an education and your sponsorship makes that possible. We also gratefully accept donations in any amount and will combine those donations with others to make an education possible for a needy girl.

To make a donation, please click the DONATE link at the top or bottom of the page.

Please also pray for our girls, their teachers, our teams in both the U.S. and Tanzania, our donors and for the success of our efforts. We are grateful for your prayers.