J602 The Umoja Centre

The Situation

Children and youth in Tanzania (and Arusha City) suffer due to familial issues, the education systems they access, the lack of services available and the government underspend on youth and poverty. In Umoja’s target group, there is often severe dysfunction at the family level due to problems such as alcoholism, domestic abuse, AIDS related deaths, single parent families and a lack of income. Children suffer as they are isolated, neglected and victims of violence. 

Young people suffer due to the poor academic options available. If families do in fact invest in their children’s education (and many do not) then the quality of education offered is poor, with great underinvestment in education and under budgeting with a minimal percentage of the capacitation grants actually reaching the schools. Teaching practices are generic and do not put the best interests of the child first and the curricula and language of tuition are challenging for children who are not academically strong. Secondary education services do not offer the pastoral or educational support to children who are outliers because of their economic, health or family situations.

Youth in Tanzania face high levels of unemployment and struggle to find safe, fair and meaningful employment. 

The Objective

• To see vulnerable young people in Tanzania educated, empowered and living free from poverty, abuse and exploitation through the provision of education and welfare support to the most vulnerable children and young people in Tanzania, empowering them to develop the knowledge and skills needed to create positive change for themselves and the wider community.