CACHA Help the Children of Tanzania Project

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.

Donations needed for:

School of Nursing fees $1,900 per year (3 yr. program)

Build a house to replace a fallen down house $700- $800

Build a Grinding machine, buy the motor, assemble, and deliver $2,200

Buy and deliver a sewing machine $225.00

Buy chickens $8 per chicken

Medical costs $20- $500

Buy and deliver a mattress $80

Buy a school uniform and shoes $35-$70, depending on age of child

And many more needs…..

We are truly grateful for the support of many donors who help make this work possible and who make a positive difference in the lives of these people. Our work is ongoing, so donations are welcome year-round.

Erla Koch, CACHA Help the Children of Tanzania Project Co-ordinator