Orphans Foundation Fund

We have completed the surveying and recruitment of street children for the 2nd year of the Orphans Foundation Fund / CORDAID Street Children Project. Word must have gotten around because throngs of young men and women volunteered to participate, and the ones chosen are filled with zeal! Today each young person started their vocational training course. Thirty-one joined the cooking and hotel services course, 16 are studying automotive mechanics, 2 had a spark for welding, and 1 is in the tailoring program.

Rafiki Child Care Center has been for some time now looking for ways to become sustainable. The first idea was to become a clean water distribution point for the town of Mererani, but after further consideration it wasn’t as needed because of the other Orphans Foundation Fund water project nearby. Thanks to Catherine Mulvale Rafiki had $5,000 on hand and asked if it could be used to make a farm. The staff and children have been hard at work on the new farm and reaping the results of fresh crops!

The Orphans Foundation Fund Kikatiti Farm has experienced a tremendous growth this season. Tanzania has had so much rain for the past months that has really helped the Soy beans to grow lush and strong. Melchard has worked hard on the farm and the results are beautiful.

The Orphans Foundation Fund Water and Sanitation Project for the Muslim community in Merelani  is coming along well. Water Solutions, who was contracted to do the technical aspect of the installation, will complete the installation of the water tank and pump before the end of April.

Gladness Kisanga, who is a member of the Orphans Foundation Fund Advisory Board and coordinator of the Maasai women’s group in Lengast, left for an official visit to the United States of America. Dr James Lace and Oregon State Senator Jackie Winters organized the trip to promote our work here in Tanzania. Please visit the link below for more updates about Gladness’s mission to help those in Tanzania. Click HERE to read more!

Today we had a grand ceremony for the 2009 graduates of the Orphans Foundation Fund Street Children Project funded by CORDAID. The Arusha Regional Commissioner, Isidori Leka Shirima, was there to hand out the tools to those who had studied Automotive mechanics as well as the sewing machines to the graduates of the the tailoring course.

With the successful completion of the first year of the Orphans Foundation Fund / CORDAID Street Children Project we have set out with the new recruitment for this year. After the long and careful process of meeting with the children on the streets and doing interviews, we have narrowed down those who are interested in participating in the life changing program. Today we met with a large group to discuss the first stage of moving into the dormitories at Chiswea this coming week. The street children are hopeful and eager to begin the work of transforming their lives into mature responsible adults. The talk has reached the streets that  Orphans Foundation Fund / CORDAID have a program, that with effort, training, and hard work leads to a future of hope.

The Vodacom Foundation generously donated water filters to 25 orphan centers in Arusha. The donation was made at the Voda Shop in Moshi on Feb 27th, 2010. This contribution assures the children of clean safe drinking water, the foundational beginning of great health.

We are very pleased to have the 2009 Annual Financial Report completed by Karishoi Business Advisory Services, which is a firm of certified public accounts here in Arusha, Tanzania. Click here to view the document: Orphans Foundation Fund 2009 Annual Report

Orphans Foundation Fund has just purchased some land for Bibi Asha, thanks to a generous donation from Jessica Bukrat. Bibi Asha has been helped through our Grandmother Livelihood project, and desperately needed a place so that she’d have a home for the children she cares for. We would like to build her and the children a small home, so if you’d like to help please donate through the link on the right.