The CACHA Help the Children of Tanzania Fund is used to improve living conditions, support education for children and young adults, provide health care to individuals and needy families and to support Women’s Cooperatives with an income generating project to help them become more independent and better able to support their families. This project has made a huge positive difference in the lives of many individuals and families at Shirati and region. Below is a list of some of the work that has been done from 2009 to 2022 and some of the ongoing needs.

If you feel moved to help a young student, a family or a Women’s group have a better life, please donate to the CACHA Help the Children of Tanzania Project Fund. We are so blessed in North America; the needs are so great at Shirati and giving can bring you such joy!

· Built 5 kitchens at 5 Secondary Schools to feed around 2,500 students

· Paid school fees for over 75 School of Nursing, Medical, Pharmacy, Technical and Special needs students

· Paid for school supplies, books and around 700 school uniforms for students unable to attend school otherwise;

· Bought 55 bicycles for students and community workers

· Built about 35 houses for families living in dire poverty;

· Provided nutritious food packs and 7 tons of dried vegetables and fruits for malnourished HIV clients at Shirati Hospital;

· Provided drugs for many HIV/Palliative care patients and disadvantaged clients.

· Paid for surgeries including tubal ligations for women; medicine, hospital stays, prosthetic legs, and transportation for patients;

· Donated to the Poor fund at Shirati hospital for food for patients;

· Distributed 1,000 washable menstrual kits to 1,000 high school girls who were missing up to a week of school each month during menstruation;

Women’s Co-operatives

· Have supported around 90 groups with an income generating project of their choosing to provide income to set up micro loans. These loans are used to start their own businesses in order to help support their families. Around 30 groups chose grinding machines; 38 groups wanted sewing machines and sewing supplies; 7 groups got vaccinated chickens and roosters and 15 groups received hippo rollers for transporting water. These groups contribute to their project by providing secure buildings for operating the grinding machines, using the sewing machines, and keeping the chickens.

These projects have positively impacted the lives of around 2,200 women plus their families, so about 10,000 people’s lives are improved as a result of the income from these income generating projects. These Women’s Cooperatives have also used some income to expand into other income generating projects, like buying more sewing machines to make clothes and bags, buying chairs to rent out for funerals and weddings and buying seeds to grow produce to sell at the market. It is truly incredible to see the initiative and resilience of these women who are struggling to support their families. These projects are monitored on a regular basis.

A Short Summary of the Projects and the Impact that the Cacha Help the Children of Tanzania Project has had on people at Shirati and the region.

Erla Koch, Coordinator

Money raised and spent on these projects: $315,000     2009 to 2024

Women’s Groups:

Since 2016, we have supported around 90 Women’s Cooperatives with grinding machines, sewing machines and chickens as their income generating projects, including hippo rollers (water transporters you push) for bringing water from the lake.

Impact

All the Women’s groups now have an income and through micro-loans, group members can borrow money to set up their own businesses to help support their families. Groups often also give back to their community by grinding maize for free for poor families, make uniforms for orphans at no cost to them, donate to their church to buy chairs, etc.

They also use some of their income to expand their business or start a new business such as garden projects, buying tables and chairs to rent out for funerals and weddings to increase their income. I am very pleased with the success and initiatives of the groups.

Women now have a grinding machine in their own village and women no longer have to walk up to 15 km, carrying bags of maize and cassava on their heads to have their maize and cassava ground.

Women in the sewing group can make clothes, backpacks, etc.  to sell and uniforms for their own children who require them to go to school.

Women in the chicken group not only have chickens and eggs to sell, but they can also feed some to their families.

Women can now bring back 100 litres of water from the lake with the roller instead of carrying 20 litres of water on their head each day.  It saves a lot of time and they can now share water with grandmothers who can no longer walk to the lake.

Educational Support:

Over 280 students have been supported with school fees, school supplies, uniforms and shoes, bicycles, computers, etc.

School fees have been paid for primary and secondary students, disabled students, Nursing, Pharmacy, Technical, Teacher’s College and Medical students.

English, health, computer, auto mechanics, medical, nutrition, etc. classes have been taught at schools and the Diocese.

5 Kitchens were built at secondary schools to begin feeding program.

Impact

Getting an education for these students would not have been an option without support. An education gives them an opportunity to have a career, a trade so they can have an income to support themselves and their families. English helps them communicate better with international guests who stay at the guesthouse.

It gives them hope for a better future and they are extremely grateful. I still receive texts of gratitude from former students whom we have sponsored.

Students were walking long distances to school and had no breakfast or lunch, so the kitchens offering a feeding program was much appreciated and I was told that the students were more alert in the afternoons.

Health Improved:

Many surgeries, drugs, tests and x-rays, hospital stays, food, transportation, accommodation, prosthetic legs, palliative care visits, health insurance cards etc. were provided for many families.

Impact

Better health for so many individuals who would have suffered or even died without the support.

Individuals given prosthetic legs can now walk more easily, run a business, and attend school. One recipient is just finishing Teacher’s College and is extremely grateful.

Improved Living Conditions:

Built about 35 houses, fixed roofs, bought mattresses, mats, sheets, blankets, food, clothes, seeds for planting crops.

Impact

A much more comfortable life, income for labourers, support for local businesses, food for survival, a sense of hope for a better life, feelings of respect for themselves and more respect from others because they could better care for their families, etc.

Supporting new Businesses or new Job possibilities

We have helped struggling young farmers in my English class start businesses such as a barber shop, small dukas, to take mechanics, welding, and truck driver’s courses, etc.

Have helped disabled clients with a business of buying maize in bulk and selling in smaller quantities

Provided them with wheelchairs and tricycles for better mobility

Impact

These individuals are able to have an income to support themselves and their families. It also gives them a sense of worth and greater mobility.

Conclusion

This work is the result of hundreds of meetings, phone calls, emails, hundreds of village visits, hundreds of hours of travel, driving, walking to huts, fundraising millions of shillings, writing reports, recruiting teams, etc. etc. etc.!!!

But receiving the smiles of gratitude, the hugs and handshakes, seeing their successes and the positive changes in their lives as well as the positive impact on and by team members, the gift of friendships and so much more has been incredibly rewarding and has made it all worthwhile!  What a privilege to serve. Blessings and gratitude to all those involved in so many ways.