In July and August, volunteers of BAPS Charities in Tanzania conducted a food drive for five different causes donating over a metric ton of food and supplies to the following charitable organizations:
Help2Kids Orphanage – The orphanage was founded in 2010 by Help2kids International, a Swiss NGO that operates in Africa. The orphanage is located in the Mbezi area, which is approximately 20 kilometers from Dar es Salaam. 31 children reside in the home, whose age groups range from 4 to 18 years. In addition to housing, the orphanage provides basic necessities that all children deserve; education, food, healthcare, and a family environment to grow up in. The goal of the NGO is to help the children break the cycle of poverty, and live productive lives.
Buguruni School for the Deaf & Dumb is a home and school for young disabled children. The home was founded in 1974 by the Government of Tanzania. At present, the school is sustained by the Government, the Society for the Deaf and other well-wishers. Mrs. Kulwa is the head teacher of the school, where 200 students study. Of the 200, 130 live at the school permanently. The age group for the students ranges from 3 to 15. In total, the institute has 41 teachers, whose students come from all over Tanzania. This is because schools like this are rare in Tanzania. The schooling is free for all the students, because the students come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Al Hidaya Orphanage is a certified home for parentless children. It was founded in 2008, and is located in the Buguruni area. Currently, it is home to 65 orphans (45 boys and 20 girls), whose ages range from 2-18 years. The children attend the government school in the vicinity of the orphanage, where they get free education. The orphanage is their permanent home.
The New Life Orphans Home a certified home for parentless children located in the Boko Dawasa area, in the Kinondoni Municipality. It was founded in 2001, and is currently taken care of by Mrs. Mwanaisha Magambo. There are 64 boys and 32 girls at the orphanage, all of whom attend a government school in the vicinity of the orphanage where they get free education. The orphanage is their permanent home.
Yatima Group Chamazi Orphanage: The home was founded on the 7th of March, 2001 by the then president of Tanzania, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, and it is located in the Chamazi Magengeni area outside of Dar es Salaam. At present, the home is sustained by various charity groups. Winfrida Lubanza is the chief caretaker of the home. There are a total of 131 orphans in the orphanage, whose ages range from a few months old to 18 years. In total, the orphanage has 6 caretakers, who manage the 4 dormitories that the children live in.
BAPS Charities volunteers went to each of these places and provided the children and caretakers with the supplies. The following items were provided:
- 95 kg sugar
- 125 kg rice
- 10 kg salt
- 120 kg beans
- 250 kg wheat flour
- 100 liters of cooking oil
- 250 kg of maize flour
- Over 350 gift packs for the children
